[SOLVED] GPT fdisk install under EFI question

Mar 21, 2021
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I am trying to install GPT fdisk but having trouble using the EFI command shell to run it. It's a tar.gz archive I downloaded from https://sourceforge.net/projects/gptfdisk/. Acer Nitro laptop came with EFI shell only, it has ssd + hdd drives.
Reason is I have to format fs0: to install win7 from a bootable external HDD currently loaded with the setup files. Setup is loading nicely but not able to recognise any drive that is partitioned under due requirements.

Thank you for looking into that, cheers!
 
Solution
Are you trying to install onto nvme drive or sata drive? Windows 10? Right?
It might be necessary to load either nvme drivers or sata controller drivers for your laptop.

popatim

Titan
Moderator
If your motherbd Bios is not UEFI (graphical w/mouse cursor) then you cannot boot from a GPT disk.
You can format the disk you would like to be the boot drive from within the Win7 setup process. On the 'Where do you want to install to' screen, select Drive Options on the lower right (I thnk) and from there you can select a disk and delete partitions as needed to create a bootable MBR disk.

If your bios is UEFI, then you need to have the UEFI bootable version of the Win7 setup. When you select the F-key option during power up to select the boot drive, look for the option that begins with UEFI: ZZZZZ where ZZZZ is typically the make/model# of the drive with setup on it or I'e seen it says Windows also.
Ex: UEFI: Sandisk 64GB

If this is a newer laptop then you won't be able to install 7 on it natively. 7 usually lacks the necessary drivers to work with newer hardware, esp intel hardware. AMD often has drivers available but you must slipstream them into the setup disk.

Lastly, no license is actually needed for 10 and you can download that for free. You just won't be able to customize it very much but there are no nag screens like in the days of 7 and it won't stop working either. Your 7 (or 8) key will work to activate 10 if you have a spare too.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
 
Mar 21, 2021
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Thank you popatim, its a UEFI (no graphics) shell. If I load EFI shell version 2.7 it does say it sees fs1: which is the external hard drive and I can see the windows setup files. However I am unable to view this external bootable HDD as an option in BIOS so to make it run the setup files on start up. Only thing that is visible is the UEFI shell. It does not even list the internal hdd+sdd the laptop comes with. I tried to run setup.exe under EFI shell but not able to find a suitable command in the help list.

Please let me know if you can help any further, I am grateful you've assisted this far!
 
What make/model laptop? Which specific model of Acer Nitro?

To install windows 7 on newer hardware, it's necessary to integrate USB drivers into installation.
Also - if you want to install on NVME drive, then specific hotfixes and nvme drivers need to be integrated into installation.
Next problem is going to be windows 7 drivers for various devices. If there are no windows 7 drivers available for lan, wifi, audio, touchpad, then those devices simply will not work.

Just install windows 10. That is way easier.
 
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Mar 21, 2021
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It's an Acer Niro NH Q82EX.005 16GB. So, I created a bootable USB installation drive (in my case my external HDD) which now contains the win10 setup. It started but it needs my fs0: drive formatted to an NTFS system. How can this happen?

Many thanks!
 
The error says, you're trying to install windows onto external (USB connected) drive. You can't do that.

Install windows on internal drive. Clean the drive before installing windows onto it. Use diskpart clean method.

delete-clean-partition-diskpart-windows10.jpg


Installation of windows 7 on newer hardware is not trivial. You have to integrate USB drivers into installation.
If you want to install onto nvme drive, then also nvme specific hothixes and nvme drivers have to be integrated.

You can integrate necessary drivers and hotfixes with Gigabyte windows USB install tool.
https://www.gigabyte.com/Support/Utility?kw=windows&p=1
 
Mar 21, 2021
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I am able to select which drive I want to install windows 10 on. This error shows after selecting the second drive which is the internal HDD. It shows 0 MB free space since it has to be formatted. I would have used diskpart if I was under DOS, but this is EFI shell the laptop came with. The EFI shell man page does not show any internal command for formatting the internal HDD which is visible. Hence I tried with fdisk for EFI but was unable to execute it under EFI shell environment.

Thank you for persevering with that:)
 
Mar 21, 2021
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I managed to run cmd and listed the hard drives - it only shows drive 0 which is the external HDD. How do I get to clean and partition the internal hdd, its not even listed?
 
Mar 21, 2021
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Are you trying to install onto nvme drive or sata drive? Windows 10? Right?
It might be necessary to load either nvme drivers or sata controller drivers for your laptop.
I have both, I will use the nvme drive. I made a screenshot under windows 10 installation process using disk part. It only shows the external HDD but not the two other internal drives.

https://ibb.co/X8Y4RGx

This is a photo I took with a phone.
 
Mar 21, 2021
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I downloaded all necessary drivers from the Acer homepage. Yet, when I try to browse the folder containing them I get the message that "No signed device drivers were found. Make sure that the installation media contains the correct drivers and then click OK. "

IRST_Intel_17.9.1.1009_W10x64_A
Storage_Intel_17.8.0.1065_W10x64_A

These are the zips I downloaded off the page https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/support-product/8329?b=1