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#1
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Will Windows 7 install on my laptop ?
Currently Win XP Pro.
Lenovo T500 Would like dual boot. I think Win Vista was on it as an option. I bought it used. I have a generic version of Windows 7 but would need drivers probably. I have SSD 50G free disk space. I would back up the Win XP Pro with Macrium Reflect before i try. |
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#2
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Will Windows 7 install on my laptop ?
I have Win 7 OEM disk. Valid license.
It has a Centrino vPro chip Intel® vPro™ processor technology Intel® Core™2 Duo processor T, L, and U 7000 Δ sequence Intel® Core™2 Duo processor E6000 Δ sequence Mobile Intel® 965 E x*press Chipset with ICH8M-enhanced Intel® Q965 E x*press Chipset with ICH8DO Intel® Active Management Technology 1 (Intel® AMT) Intel® Active Management Technology 1 (Intel® AMT) Intel® Virtualization Technology 2 (Intel® VT) Intel® Virtualization Technology 2 (Intel® VT) Support for 802.11a/b/g wireless protocols, with available support for draft n Support for virtual “appliance” applications 64-bit enabled 3 64-bit enabled 3 Ex*ecute Disable Bit * Ex*ecute Disable Bit * Intel® Stable Image Platform Program (Intel® SIPP) Intel® Stable Image Platform Program (Intel® SIPP) Windows Vista* Ready Windows Vista* Ready Windows Vista* BitLocker* Ready Windows Vista* BitLocker* Ready |
#3
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Will Windows 7 install on my laptop ?
In message , Wonderer
writes: Currently Win XP Pro. Lenovo T500 Would like dual boot. I think Win Vista was on it as an option. I bought it used. I have a generic version of Windows 7 but would need drivers probably. I have SSD 50G free disk space. I would back up the Win XP Pro with Macrium Reflect before i try. My C partition, which contains my Windows 7 (Home Premium 32 bit), and all software, is currently 39.7 GB (42,655,789,056) used. So you should have room. (I'm a strong believer in having a partition for OS-plus-all-software, and a partition for all your data.) I know nothing of dual-booting. I don't know the Lenovo T500. If it's dual-core or more, it should manage W7. (Even a single-core will, as long as you aren't doing lots of video processing, but it'll be less enjoyable.) I'd say more important is having at least 2G of RAM. (You _might_ get by on 2G if you don't have many browser tabs open [that's what IME eats RAM, whether the browser is Chrome or Firefox].) Check with - probably - Lenovo to see if drivers are available for all the various bits (sound, network, graphics, card reader, wifi, camera, ....) for W7, before you start. If you're going to Macrium image before you start, you've nothing to _lose_ by trying without the drivers other than the time taken, but I'd get them first if you can. With Classic Shell, W7 can be made to behave sufficiently like XP that you probably won't go back to XP much, after a short while. -- J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf But remember, in a permissive society, it is also permissible to stay at home and have a nice cup of tea instead. Andrew Collins, RT 2015/2/14-20 |
#4
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Will Windows 7 install on my laptop ?
Wonderer wrote:
Currently Win XP Pro. Lenovo T500 Would like dual boot. I think Win Vista was on it as an option. I bought it used. I have a generic version of Windows 7 but would need drivers probably. I have SSD 50G free disk space. I would back up the Win XP Pro with Macrium Reflect before i try. https://download.lenovo.com/eol/index.html Laptops T-Series T500 category: All OS: Windows 7 Quite a few drivers there. Paul |
#5
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Will Windows 7 install on my laptop ?
Wonderer wrote:
Currently Win XP Pro. Lenovo T500 Would like dual boot. I think Win Vista was on it as an option. I bought it used. I have a generic version of Windows 7 but would need drivers probably. I have SSD 50G free disk space. I would back up the Win XP Pro with Macrium Reflect before i try. It should run just fine with w7/64. Especially if you max the ram to 8GB. It will be faster than XP. |
#6
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Will Windows 7 install on my laptop ?
Wonderer wrote:
Currently Win XP Pro. Lenovo T500 Would like dual boot. I think Win Vista was on it as an option. I bought it used. I have a generic version of Windows 7 but would need drivers probably. I have SSD 50G free disk space. I would back up the Win XP Pro with Macrium Reflect before i try. https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/pd001301 That lists the operating systems that Lenovo supports to their Thinkpad T500. Windows 7 is included. That doesn't specify if both 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows 7 are supported. https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/migr-72806 That lists both 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows 7 for the T500. Alas, neither of those pages link to a downloads page for drivers. Searching their support page for drivers has them wanting a serial or IMEI number which only you would have as a sticker on the laptop. When I go to: https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/us/en/p...driver-update# and click on "Change Product", the popup lets me pick Laptops for the category and "T Series laptops (Thinkpad)" for the series, but "T500" is not a choice under the Subseries list. There are sever T5xx models, so is yours reall T500 or something else, like T550 or T560? I picked T550, and on the resultant page I click on Drivers & Software. They still wanted me to let them do an auto detect which obviously wouldn't help you with them figuring out they couldn't detect my own-built PC. I selected Manual Update, and under there I selected Windows 7 (and the 64-bit version). For the T550 that I chose, they still provide Win7 x64 drivers. You'll have to visit there with your IMEI or serial number to be sure what they offer matches to your particular model of their Thinkpad. I saw a review of the Thinkpad T500 dated 2008. Windows 7 wasn't released until 2009, so Win7 came out a year later than when the T500 showed up. While PC devs work on compatibility of their hardware with what is likely the next version of the OS, trying to design for an OS that is not yet released means having to aim at a moving target. Could be the Win7 drivers they list are really Win XP drivers that happen to work okay under Win7. |
#7
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Will Windows 7 install on my laptop ?
Wonderer wrote:
I have Win 7 OEM disk. Valid license. Okay, but is it an OEM license that has NEVER been installed before? OEM licenses stick permanently to the first computer where they get installed. You cannot reused an OEM license. Just where did the Win7 OEM license come from? |
#8
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Will Windows 7 install on my laptop ?
On 9/16/19 6:10 PM, Paul wrote:
Wonderer wrote: Currently Win XP Pro. Lenovo T500 Would like dual boot. I think Win Vista was on it as an option. I bought it used. I have a generic version of Windows 7 but would need drivers probably. I have SSD 50G free disk space. I would back up the Win XP Pro with Macrium Reflect before i try. https://download.lenovo.com/eol/index.html Laptops T-Series T500 category: All OS: Windows 7 Quite a few drivers there. I'm currently installing Windows 10 on a Lenovo T420 Thinkpad, BIOS date of 2018 that came with Windows 7 Professional. It belongs to a friend, the hard drive was failing. Apparently, the computer should have included restore disks, but my friend did not receive the disks when she received it as a gift. My original goal was to reinstall W7, so I went to Lenovo's site, and learned Lenovo did not provide these disks for purchase. So I asked in Lenovo's forums if anyone knew where I could get those disks, to avoid the work of getting all the specialized drivers and such. No help in the search, and after considering the upcoming cessation of W7 support, I opted to install W10, and after noting that in the forum, I was told I could go to the MS Store and get all of the needed Lenovo software. I don't know if that would also apply to anything W7, but it might be worth taking a look there. Or, maybe biting the bullet, and seeing if you could run W10. Just ideas here. :-) -- Ken MacOS 10.14.5 Firefox 67.0.4 Thunderbird 60.7 "My brain is like lightning, a quick flash and it's gone!" |
#9
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Will Windows 7 install on my laptop ?
Ken Springer wrote:
On 9/16/19 6:10 PM, Paul wrote: Wonderer wrote: Currently Win XP Pro. Lenovo T500 Would like dual boot. I think Win Vista was on it as an option. I bought it used. I have a generic version of Windows 7 but would need drivers probably. I have SSD 50G free disk space. I would back up the Win XP Pro with Macrium Reflect before i try. https://download.lenovo.com/eol/index.html Laptops T-Series T500 category: All OS: Windows 7 Quite a few drivers there. I'm currently installing Windows 10 on a Lenovo T420 Thinkpad, BIOS date of 2018 that came with Windows 7 Professional. It belongs to a friend, the hard drive was failing. Apparently, the computer should have included restore disks, but my friend did not receive the disks when she received it as a gift. My original goal was to reinstall W7, so I went to Lenovo's site, and learned Lenovo did not provide these disks for purchase. So I asked in Lenovo's forums if anyone knew where I could get those disks, to avoid the work of getting all the specialized drivers and such. No help in the search, and after considering the upcoming cessation of W7 support, I opted to install W10, and after noting that in the forum, I was told I could go to the MS Store and get all of the needed Lenovo software. I don't know if that would also apply to anything W7, but it might be worth taking a look there. Or, maybe biting the bullet, and seeing if you could run W10. Just ideas here. :-) The driver approach on the two OSes is different. On Windows 7, it's "Do It Yourself". Spot the missing items in Device Manager, install them. To kick off the install, the Windows 7 OS can use the VESA driver, to make the screen run at one of the ridiculous resolutions, like 640x480 or 800x600. In the case of a laptop, you're kinda screwed if you don't find the laptop video driver on the manufacturer site. And this is because the laptop panel is not PNP. (The panel doesn't have an EDID serial bus to help you out, so if you run Moninfo and the driver is present, it might tell lies to you instead of presenting a real-time probe result.) Windows 10 is "We do it for you, With Exceptions". The audio driver is Generic HDAudio, sufficient to get your headphones working. If you install the manufacturer driver, sometimes that gives a control panel with the 7.1 setup controls, the Test Button, the graphical equalizer. The video driver is generic, and seems to be the "binary part of the driver you would expect", without a lot of rubbish. I don't know on a laptop, if there's ever a chance of refinement on the video driver. The OS has a "MIcrosoft Basic Display Adapter" driver, which is an unaccelerated 1024x768 VESA-style driver, until after the first reboot, the OS starts "looking for a display driver" and puts a notification in the tray to that effect. On each Windows 10 OS version update, you may see the Windows Update interface fishing for a new driver for video. Windows 10 can work with XDDM video from an older OS (like maybe a Win8 driver or a Win7 driver), as well as the preferred WDDMx drivers, of which there would be a ton of versions. If you had an FX5200 video, well support for that dies eons ago, so "no custom driver for you". It will still run at 1024x768. On Windows 7, you install a manufacturer USB3 driver. On Windows 10, Microsoft owns the driver and won't allow other companies to install it. (If a driver is used, there is an #include usbport style invocation of the MSFT USB3 driver early in the procedure, so it's really not a manufacturer driver at all.) The OP has a "nice selection of mixed nuts" on the Lenovo site for his Windows 7, and I'm not too concerned as a starting point. The video driver description is not described correctly, but I'll let that pass. They show the wrong GM number, but it's possible the driver has multiple GM types in it, and it's simply the usual oversight. After a while you get tired of downloading these stupid things, just to vet the .INFs and see that the correct materials are present. There have to be some surprises when you install an OS. That's what backups are for :-/ If I see signs of someone trying to put Windows 7 on a Kaby Lake, that's when the alarm bell goes off. For the older kit, there is at least some fun to be had, until you hit some unexpected brick wall. Windows 7 support is supposed to have stopped around Skylake CPU. The OP, in the second post, shows "Core2 Duo", so it's not Skylake and it is a bit older. That generation here, I have several Wolfdales. I think I had a Conroe (65nm) and a Wolfdale (45nm) and the Conroe might have been the best on power (36W for a 65W CPU). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...icroprocessors The article kinda runs out of steam before it gets to the stuff Microsoft won't support on Windows 7. The Intel PIU (Processor Identification Utility) can be used to get an exact CPU number, followed by running that number through ark.intel.com . And then you'll have a family name to admire. But that's a lot of work, when they make you install some .NET or whatever. That exercise doesn't need all the ****ing theater, but that's what we get in modern utilities (you could decode the CPUID with plain C code and print the answer in the Command Prompt). Like the NVidia "automatic driver updater", which has so many dependencies, it takes you all evening to feed it cookies, until it's willing to do any work. That kinda makes a lie of the notion of "automatic". It's "automatic with so many manual steps you'll have to hire a poolboy" :-/ But, we call that "progress". It's how we teach the general populace "computer science" or something. There's got to be a reason for it. Or, maybe they never find out what their CPU is, or get the right NVidia driver. And there are cookies all over the kitchen table, half eaten. Hmmm. Paul |
#10
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Will Windows 7 install on my laptop ?
On 9/16/19 8:40 PM, Paul wrote:
Ken Springer wrote: On 9/16/19 6:10 PM, Paul wrote: Wonderer wrote: snip On Windows 7, it's "Do It Yourself". Spot the missing items in Device Manager, install them. Unfortunately, Device Manager doesn't show what special software in needed to make a system fully functional. I'm thinking particularly of the function keys, in this case. Things like that is why I wanted the Lenovo restore disks for the unit. The fact that all of that is apparently in the MS Store for a W10 install, was a factor in my deciding to go with W10. -- Ken MacOS 10.14.5 Firefox 67.0.4 Thunderbird 60.7 "My brain is like lightning, a quick flash and it's gone!" |
#11
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Will Windows 7 install on my laptop ?
Ken Springer wrote:
On 9/16/19 8:40 PM, Paul wrote: Ken Springer wrote: On 9/16/19 6:10 PM, Paul wrote: Wonderer wrote: snip On Windows 7, it's "Do It Yourself". Spot the missing items in Device Manager, install them. Unfortunately, Device Manager doesn't show what special software in needed to make a system fully functional. I'm thinking particularly of the function keys, in this case. Things like that is why I wanted the Lenovo restore disks for the unit. The fact that all of that is apparently in the MS Store for a W10 install, was a factor in my deciding to go with W10. As a customer, you expect these items to be on the website. But I know there have been cases where certain content is "jealously guarded", and some CD might indeed be the only place where you can get some chopware. On modern computers, a certain amount of "wiring" is done with ACPI objects at BIOS level. And this gives a means for "more magical things" to happen. Some day. As an example, my keyboard driver says it is a 101/102 key keyboard driver (a generic HID driver). Yet, the six key rubber nubbin section of my keyboard works right now! I must have tested this at some point in the past, and I don't think it has always worked. Even the "VolumeUp", "VolumeDown", and "Mute" nubbins work. The total button count on the keyboard, is around 110 "things". That's the nice thing about computers, "a puzzle in every box". I see no sign of a branded installer in "Add/Remove" or in Program Files, so that's not it. And the filter entries in "Details" for the keyboard entry, there aren't any added filters indicating a proprietary filter driver. And that makes it "a miracle". Think of the fun trying to figure that out. Paul |
#12
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Will Windows 7 install on my laptop ?
VanguardLH wrote:
Wonderer wrote: I have Win 7 OEM disk. Valid license. Okay, but is it an OEM license that has NEVER been installed before? OEM licenses stick permanently to the first computer where they get installed. You cannot reused an OEM license. Just where did the Win7 OEM license come from? Can't? Bull**** if activation happened 120 days ago or more. Does the EULA approve? Of course not. |
#13
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Will Windows 7 install on my laptop ?
On Tue, 17 Sep 2019 00:42:22 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
wrote: (I'm a strong believer in having a partition for OS-plus-all-software, and a partition for all your data.) My standard post on this subject: Separating data from Windows is a false comfort if it’s done with the thought that the data will be safe if Windows ever has to be reinstalled. The reason I call it a false comfort is because I fear that many people will rely on that separation, think that their data is safe there, and therefore do not take appropriate steps to back it up. In truth the data is not safe there. Having to reinstall Windows is only one of the dangers to someone’s hard drive, and not even the most likely one. This kind of “safeguard” falls into the same category as a partition for backup of other partitions; it leaves you susceptible to simultaneous loss of the original and backup to many of the most common dangers that affect the entire physical drive, not just the particular partition. Safety comes from a strong backup regimen, not from how you partition. However for some people it can be a good idea to separate Windows and programs on the one hand from data on the other, putting each of the two types into separate partitions. I think that most people’s partitioning scheme should be based on their backup scheme, and backup schemes generally fall into two types: imaging the entire hard drive or backup of data only. If you backup data only, that backup is usually facilitated by having a separate partition with data only; that permits backing up just that partition easily, without having to collect bits and pieces from here and there. On the other hand, for those who backup by creating an image of the entire drive, there is usually little, if any, benefit to separating data in a partition of its own. By the way, in all fairness, I should point out that there are many well-respected people who recommend a separate partition for Windows, regardless of your backup scheme. Their arguments haven’t convinced me, but there are clearly two different views here. |
#14
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Will Windows 7 install on my laptop ?
In message , Ken Blake
writes: On Tue, 17 Sep 2019 00:42:22 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote: (I'm a strong believer in having a partition for OS-plus-all-software, and a partition for all your data.) My standard post on this subject: Separating data from Windows is a false comfort if it’s done with the thought that the data will be safe if Windows ever has to be My standard response: your standard post is based on a premise about my backup scheme (and that of others who think similarly). Note also I said OS-plus-all-software. I _don't_ consider having _three_ partitions - one for Windows, one for installed software, and one for data - even _practical_ these days (and I saw _little_ point even when it was practical). [See below re installers.] reinstalled. The reason I call it a false comfort is because I fear that many people will rely on that separation, think that their data is safe there, and therefore do not take appropriate steps to back it That's their problem. up. In truth the data is not safe there. Having to reinstall Windows is only one of the dangers to someone’s hard drive, and not even the most likely one. This kind of “safeguard” falls into the same category Screwing up Windows to the point where it won't even boot isn't hard to do; whether doing so is commoner than hard disc failure would be difficult to establish, because most people who've had _either_ happen take considerable precaution against it happening again. as a partition for backup of other partitions; it leaves you susceptible to simultaneous loss of the original and backup to many of the most common dangers that affect the entire physical drive, not just the particular partition. Safety comes from a strong backup regimen, not from how you partition. However, if you screw up Windows beyond repair _between_ backups, having your data on a separate partition (or drive, if not a laptop) will allow you access to the data you've created/modified _since_ the last backup - I don't think you can argue against that. The only case where that's less of an argument is where you spend nearly all your time doing backups rather than actually _using_ the computer (-:. However for some people it can be a good idea to separate Windows and programs on the one hand from data on the other, putting each of the two types into separate partitions. I think that most people’s YES! So why assume the majority are of the other type? partitioning scheme should be based on their backup scheme, and backup schemes generally fall into two types: imaging the entire hard drive or backup of data only. If you backup data only, that backup is usually facilitated by having a separate partition with data only; that permits backing up just that partition easily, without having to collect bits and pieces from here and there. On the other hand, for those who backup by creating an image of the entire drive, there is usually little, if any, benefit to separating data in a partition of its own. Agreed, if your only backup is to image the entire drive, the reason is _less_. Though I'd still say not zero. By the way, in all fairness, I should point out that there are many well-respected people who recommend a separate partition for Windows, regardless of your backup scheme. Their arguments haven’t convinced me, but there are clearly two different views here. Several manufacturers, when you first fire up a brand-new Windows laptop, _do_ ask you to choose the partition sizes of C: and D: (though maybe not explaining why). When I got my Samsung XP netbook, that was one. Although the _default_ was 50:50, which I didn't go for. [This is a manufacturer thing, though, not Microsoft. More below.] As Windows - and software - have become more complex, I'm increasingly of the opinion that they're better kept separated - so there's less chance of either the software corrupting your data, or you corrupting the software (or a settings file, password file, or similar). I've seen it argued - and I see the point - that _partitioning_ isn't the best way to go about separating them, mainly because whatever initial decision on sizes is made, is often proved wrong later; however, I feel doing it purely by folder (directory) is a hard discipline to keep to. It is (I think) clear that Microsoft are on "your side", in that they make it quite _hard_ to operate with separate partitions: they _default_ to only setting up one partition, or even if two or more are created (or two or more are already present at installation), they default to putting all user files - "My Documents" and so on - on C:, in both Windows itself and most software (such as Office), and make altering those quite convoluted. (IMO, anyway; finding the where the default location is set in Word/Office isn't easy, _and_ you have to change several things - default for documents, default for templates, ...), Other software manufacturers mostly follow suit, though I _think_ I have occasionally found softwares that _do_ see the light. (Not usually, though; they usually default their storage location to C:, whereas it would be trivial to check whether D: was writable and if so default to there instead.) FWIW, I image my C: (using Macrium), on the basis that I can have Windows _and all software_ back up and running just how I had it, fairly rapidly, and I copy my D: (using synctoy). Both to external drive, normally not connected or powered (ordinary internal drive, in a USB "dock"). I generally _do_ do both on the same day. I image C:, because I see little point in just copying files - Windows, and even a lot of other software these days, I see best treated as an entity - there are so many cases of inaccessible files, funny pointers, and other such, that (unless you're Paul and most of the time I think even then) it's impractical to even consider patching; I copy (sync) D: in that I like the idea of being able to access any of the backup files without having to load software (such as Macrium) to do so. (Although so far, I've never had to.) I keep two or more of both - images of C:, and copies of D:. I consider standalone _installers_ for software (if I can get them), or even stub installers, part of my _data_, on D: - in a download folder (though I don't call it that, but that's just me). I always _install_ on C: (even when given a choice, which is rare). But apart from backup, on which we _slightly_ differ, I also think keeping all one's data on D: encourages some housekeeping: if you have to think of where you're going to store things, you'll probably make a sensible (to you!) folder structure. I'm sure it doesn't work for everyone either! (Though I've never found any of my "pupils" storing everything in the root of D:, for example.) -- J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf If it jams - force it. If it breaks, it needed replacing anyway. |
#15
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Will Windows 7 install on my laptop ?
On Mon, 16 Sep 2019 16:17:39 -0700, Wonderer wrote:
I have a generic version of Windows 7 but would need drivers probably. You realize support for W7 will end on January14 2020? https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4057281/windows-7-support-will-end-on-january-14-2020 -- s|b |
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