Yet another Kaby Lake on Windows 7 thread

[leetz0rR_]

I`m sorry if this is starting to get kind of annoying already but i really need a straight answer if someone can provide it given the short time KabyLake's been on the market.
So i`m gonna build a Kaby Lake based system (i3 7100, gtx 1060 3GB, B250m mobo).
I've seen quite a few youtube videos proving that Kaby Lake can run under windows 7 and probably the same amount of such having troubles with it.
Let's say generally it is possible to have a working Kaby Lake with win7. Which way would be the best to get it working:
1. Installing win7 on a HDD on an older PC and then plugging it to the Kaby Lake system. This may sound dumb to some of you but i really have no much experience with it. I do know windows scans your system and gets information about it during the instalation (or right before). Is there a big chance of the whole Kaby Lake system not being able to start or be stuck on a continuous reboot loop or maybe getting some sort of error not allowing it to start?

2. Booting and installing windows 7 from an USB drive. I heard there is some kind of problem with USB hubs not working during the installation and requiring you to connect a PS2 keyboard and mouse or just causing problems for the installation process in general.

3. Booting and installing windows 7 from a CD/DVD. Sounds like the least problematic way to do it. Still chance for USB keyboard and mouse to not work.

Also lets say it manages to start and works somewhat properly. The 7th gen proccessors wont recieve win7 updates, right? Can you manually download them? Or can you just ignore them (like i do not plan to use the integrated GPU when i have a gtx 1060)?

I would be more than glad to hear your experience with Kaby Lakes and Windows 7.

 

[Lutfij]

1| Highly likely you're going to see BSOD's or mass instability since you're moving an installation of an OS from a system that may be(or is) worlds apart in terms of preinstalled drivers by OS.

2| You can do so with the help of this app on this page but be careful to use a legitimate ISO for your OS. A corrupt installer can create more headaches than ease.

3| I just recently installed Windows 7 on a Skylake platform and it was a PITA...to which I explicitly told my client to move to Windows 10 since the hardware supports it without a doubt.

The Kabylake platform wasn't designed with Windows 7 in mind but rather that the platform goes hand in hand with their initiative to introduce Windows 10 to the new platform and thus encourage progress so for all intents and purposes, you'd be better served with an installation of Windows 10 since you've got hardware that is highly compatible with it(and is Direct X12 ready).

TLDR, the hurdles you're going to have to pass for a mere Windows 7 install is moot.

 

[leetz0rR_]

1| Highly likely you're going to see BSOD's or mass instability since you're moving an installation of an OS from a system that may be(or is) worlds apart in terms of preinstalled drivers by OS.

2| You can do so with the help of this app on this page but be careful to use a legitimate ISO for your OS. A corrupt installer can create more headaches than ease.

3| I just recently installed Windows 7 on a Skylake platform and it was a PITA...to which I explicitly told my client to move to Windows 10 since the hardware supports it without a doubt.

The Kabylake platform wasn't designed with Windows 7 in mind but rather that the platform goes hand in hand with their initiative to introduce Windows 10 to the new platform and thus encourage progress so for all intents and purposes, you'd be better served with an installation of Windows 10 since you've got hardware that is highly compatible with it(and is Direct X12 ready).

TLDR, the hurdles you're going to have to pass for a mere Windows 7 install is moot.

Thanks for your help, i guess i will consider upgrading to Windows 10.
Do you know if you can still activate it if you have windows 7 key? I read it in some articles but they were for about 5 months ago so i`m not sure if Microsoft is still allowing it.

 

[Lutfij]

The free upgrade path from Windows 7/8/8.1 has expired and only a licence key for the OS will be necessary.

You're welcome!

 

[xantia66]

Hi. Last week upgraded my system with a Kabylake i5 7500 and a motherboard MSI Z170-a pro (flashed previously to cope with Kaby lake processors), new GPU plus new RAM modules DDR4 Corsair LPX 2400 mhz, new case & power supply and a new Toshiba HDD 3 Tb.
I kept my SSD 250 Gb with OS win7 32 bits. After power on, Win 7 detected the new hardware and with one or two reboots, autoinstalled everything it needs from the motherboard installation disk (driver for network) and works super fine since then.
(I´m going to install win 7 ultimate 64 bits, I´ll tell what happens! As far I read the majority of problems appears while trying installing win7 as OS from the scratch, not with previously running OS)
I already do the last thing: a fresh clean install of Win 7 64 bits with a USB image booteable of my old installation disk from 2010, and it worked! Only two tips: at the very beginning of the installation, I had to put the motherboard installation disk to cope with a not present driver. I also had to make a clean partition of my C: HDD to allows a Uefi instal. Easy: at the time the install process shows the HDD present, press MAY+F10, diskpart, select 0 disk, clean and exit.
Everything with the new OS works fine since then

 

[aristotle11]

http://digiworthy.com/2017/01/28/windows-7-runs-on-kaby-lake-processor-igp-driver/

"Windows 7 runs on Kaby Lake processor with an older IGP driver, Test Reveals"