Ported Win7 OS on a new UEFI Mobo

threazy · Dec 2, 2017

I've read the threads on installing Win7 on UEFI motherboards and my situation is slightly different, and I wonder if anyone can help me figure out a permanent fix.

I concluded that the mobo on my old Win7 machine went bad, so I decided to by a new mobo and move the CPU. That, of course, didn't work (different sockets), so I had to buy a new processor (Kaby Lake i7). I put everything to together and tried to boot from the Win7 OS SSD that'd I'd used on my old machine. It booted, and I thought Great!!! Then things got weird.

Setting aside Microsoft crippling the OS updates on Kaby Lake, I experienced random boot problems. I was taking things apart, trying Repair Disc, restoring old images ... all kinds of things to get the machine to boot. Sometimes it worked, most of the time it didn't.

I finally discovered that Win7 had an issue with UEFI and my new mobo (ASRock H270 Pro4 ATX FF), of course, has UEFI. I did a little research and saw a post about a "file in the wrong location" (http://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=2081&title=how-to-switch-to-legacy-bios-for-win7-install).

So my question is: does anyone know how to fix the UEFI/Win7 issue on an already-installed Win7 OS rather than on a fresh install?

Thx - Bill

SkyNetRising · Dec 2, 2017

There is a fundamental difference between windows installations in uefi and legacy/csm modes.
UEFI requires disk to be partitioned in GPT partition format. Legacy/CSM requires MBR disk partitioning.

So if you have legacy/csm windows 7 64bit system and want it to boot into UEFI (32bit windows 7 doesn't support UEFI at all), then you would have to do following steps:

1. Create image of windows 7 OS partition;
2. Clean the drive;
3. Convert to GPT;
4. Create partitions for UEFI system

5. Restore Windows partition from image created earlier;
6. Recreate bootloader.
7. Change BIOS allowing UEFI boot only

And only then you'd be able to boot into UEFI mode. No repair disks or any other automatic windows 7 recovery can do it for you.

Btw in windows 10 there's a tool mbr2gpt, that can do conversion from legacy/csm to UEFI automatically. But not for windows 7.

geofelt · Dec 2, 2017

Are there windows 7 drivers available for your new motherboard.
Such things as integrated graphics will not be supported.

Can you do a windows 10 upgrade?
It should replace the os but leave your apps and settings intact.

threazy · Dec 3, 2017

Thanks for the responses. I am almost certain to upgrade to Win10, geofelt - just haven't pulled the trigger yet.

SkyNetRising: In Disk Management, my partitions do not look like the partitions you've illustrated (there are just two rather than 4), though DM seems to say that the first partition is a UEFI partition (it calls is a "EFI system partition"). Is that just a by product of the UEFI boot? I've been using MiniTools PartitionWizard and it has a function to convert MBR to GPT; based on your recommendation, I will give this a try unless you advise otherwise.

Bill

SkyNetRising :

geofelt :

SkyNetRising · Dec 3, 2017

threazy :

Then your system already is UEFI capable. No conversion necessary.
Can you post screenshot from Disk Management?

threazy · Dec 3, 2017

Sure thing: See Disk 1.

fwiw, I did no overt conversion. This is a Win7 Pro 64 install from around 2013. If it started out as MBR, I have no idea how it got to UEFI.

Bill

SkyNetRising :

SkyNetRising · Dec 3, 2017

Well - your system is already in UEFI mode. What issues exactly are you experiencing there?

Usually after change of motherboard, OS reinstallation is necessary to avoid
driver incompatibilities, boot mode compatibility and windows activation issues.

If your system is booting fine, then fixing of drivers and reactivation of windows is necessary.

threazy · Dec 3, 2017

Thanks, SNR --

>OS reinstallation is necessary to avoid driver incompatibilities

Therein lies the source of my problems: I did not reinstall the OS and except for one thing, my system is performing fine. That one thing is an inconsistent boot. As I said at the start, I can't pinpoint what I do to get it to boot, though futzing with the CSM compatibility (disabling/enabling) seems to play a role - as does - weirdly - unplugging a 3T USB backup external drive from a mobo port (after futzing with the CSM, I need to unplug that drive from the mobo port and it'll boot.)

And it's interesting that you mention drivers. I'm not certain, but - I think - after I do get it to boot up, the system will reinstall drivers for all my connected devices - almost like it forgets the drivers when I reboot.

In any event, as I told geofelt I pretty much decided that I need to move to Win10. My Win7 system is up-and-running at the moment, so I'll milk it for a while longer. And I'd stick with Win7 if I could get the system to consistently reboot, but I'm in such weird place with it right now I don't think there's a way to "fix" it. From what you're telling me, it's almost as if the fact that I can get it to boot is an act of magic.

Bill

SkyNetRising :

SkyNetRising · Dec 4, 2017

If your system boots in UEFI, then CSM is not necessary.

And I didn't see any 3TB drive in your Disk Management screenshot. Why don't you remake the screenshot with 3TB drive connected? It may contain another bootloader and interfere with boot process.

threazy · Dec 4, 2017

Here's the other end of the disk management screen.

It's just a data drive and I don't think the drive itself is interfering. My sense is it's a mobo driver issue.

So wrt CSM, you're saying that CSM should[/i ]be disabled when booting from my C: drive?

In any case, thanks for your help, SNR.

Bill

SkyNetRising :

If your system boots in UEFI, then CSM is not necessary.

And I didn't see any 3TB drive in your Disk Management screenshot. Why don't you remake the screenshot with 3TB drive connected? It may contain another bootloader and interfere with boot process.

SkyNetRising · Dec 4, 2017

threazy :

Yes. Since your system boots into UEFI, CSM is not necessary and should be disabled
(unless you want to install some other OS on a different drive and boot into legacy/csm mode).

threazy · Dec 18, 2017

hey, SkyNetRising: I know we're pretty much done, but check out this thread:

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2200916/windows-boot-external-hard-drive-plugged.html

The drive that's giving me problems is a 3T Seagate, too. If it's plugged in, the system won't boot; if it's unplugged, it will. I don't know that the system tries to boot from that drive (U

, but whether or not it's plugged in does make a difference. (It's the U: drive in the image below and - according to PartiitionWizard it's a "Seagate Backup+ Desk USB, MBR, 2.73 TB" - and that MBT might be a problem. There appears to be only a single partition on that drive.)

SkyNetRising · Dec 18, 2017

Probably you should make another topic about the issue with 3TB drive.

Anyway - did you disable cms/legacy boot as suggested before?

Also check boot priority in BIOS and remove USB drive from there.

threazy · Jan 6, 2018

SkyNetRising :

Took me a while.

Yes, this should probably be a new thread or a continuation of the other thread.

The 3T Seagate backup drive was an MBR data drive. I converted it to a GPT drive, per the thread cited above, and my machine booted properly with the drive plugged in. I think we can close this case.

Who'd a thunk having an external USB plugged in would cause a boot problem?

(How come I can't pick my own answer as the solution?)

Bill

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