Question Installing Windows 7 on Dell Optiplex 7010 BSOD

darioxlz

Prominent
Jan 14, 2020
2
0
510
Hello friends. Im trying to install Windows 7 home premium on a dell optiplex 7010, but in the reboot after complete the first part of installation. In Finishing installation section, it shows the blue screen of death, error code 0x0000007e, im using the usb in uefi and bios legacy mode, i changed sata type from IDE to AHCI, and AHCI to IDE, when im installing with AHCI i preloaded the driver before installation, i really don't know what to do.

Image:
lBZmZvY.jpg


Motherboard model: 0gxm1w
 

QwerkyPengwen

Splendid
Ambassador
First I need to know why, in the oncoming of 2021, you would dare want to install and use W7 for any reason?

But to try and get to the bottom of this, let's try a few things.

Look to see if there is an update to the BIOS at all available for that specific machine.

Second: Make sure to use a USB 2.0 port.

Third: Use legacy mode for Windows 7 and AHCI should work fine for modern install if using a more modern hard drive (IDE hasn't really been used in ages but you can try it if you need to just in case)
It's possible that legacy doesn't work but UEFI does depending, but typically for W7 installs you want to use legacy.

Fourth: W7 is super old at this point, has way too many issues with trying to install it these days, and has no more support from Microsoft and generally has very poor plug and play support for hardware and whatnot making it a pain in the butt to use.

If you are adamant about using W7, I suggest making sure that you are using a proper W7 media installation and not some half baked ISO you downloaded from some random place on the internet.

Using Rufus (if you are using it) doesn't always make a proper USB drive for install, it is much better to use the official USB/DVD tool from Microsoft.

Here is an official W7 ISO from Microsoft directly
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7
You will need a key to download it.

Here is the tool you should use to make a bootable install on a flash drive
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=56485

Here is a process for properly preparing the flash drive to be made bootable in the event that the tool doesn't work right, or the install media it creates is funky

On a working machine, open command prompt as admin.

Type the following lines pressing ENTER/RETURN key after each line

---------
diskpart

list disk

select disk # (# being the number of the disk that is your flash drive)

clean

create partition primary

select partition 1

active

format quick fs=fat32
---------

Then proceed to use the tool to create a bootable flash drive with the ISO you downloaded.

After the process finishes, make sure to safely remove the drive before unplugging it.
To do this, on the task bar on the right near the clock, open the little upward arrow to reveal some icons.
Click on the icon that looks like a USB drive, and select the flash drive and safely remove it.


Alternatively to all of this, if you want to just use Windows 10 instead that is easier to do.
W10 is completely free to install and use.

The only thing activation does for you, is to remove a water mark in the corner, unlock the personalize settings, and get you customer support.

Water mark can be removed through some software or manual methods you can find online if you don't want to activate it and don't care about the personalize settings.
(wallpaper can still be applied by downloading an image, right clicking, and setting as wallpaper)

To install Windows 10 for free, simply use the Media Creation Tool along with a flash drive that is 8GB or larger.

Process to clean the drive and prepare it is the same as above, but not always necessary (I always do it just to make sure personally)
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Scroll down a smidge and use the second button to download the tool.
The first button is just for upgrading an existing W10 installation to the latest build.