Can Windows 7 (from disc) be installed on new laptops?

[Eleanor Fudd]

That is, a laptop which has Win 10 on it from the factory? I'm not sure if it's an odd question, but I would not have put it past Microsoft to make a W7 installation impossible on a computer with W10 on it; or perhaps there might be technical limitations on new laptops which would cause difficulties for W7?
Thanks.

 

[Folkcafe]

I would think the biggest issue you might run into are drivers for the newer hardware on the new laptop.

 

[keith.rogers]

Yes, hardware drivers for internal hardware could be a problem, since Windows 7 has not been shipping on new systems for a while, there would have been little incentive to spend money on that development. Some drivers *might* be backward compatible, so I'd do some research on the specific hardware that's on that computer, especially the Intel chipset and graphics.

You could, of course, try to install it on an external drive and set up a boot loader to pick between them and see how that goes.

Don't get me started....

 

[TalismanRich]

If it was my laptop, I would buy a replacement drive (SSD or M2) and do the installation on that, rather than the original drive. You can clone the drive, then do the installation to keep the validation.

I have converted 2 Win7 systems to Win 10 and both are running fine. One was done when Win 10 was first being available for upgrade. The other was done last summer, and it still validated. Is there some reason that you want to stay with 7, other than aesthetics?

 

[Chili]

If it was my laptop, I would buy a replacement drive (SSD or M2) and do the installation on that, rather than the original drive.

This is my first thought too. SSDs and M2 are cheap these days. Pull the original drive out. install a new one, load up Win7. You might visit the manufacturer's website to get drivers before doing all that.

 

[rob aylestone]

I'll be the first to ask .......... why?

Windows 7 was a good OS, but despite it's occasional weirdness Windows 10 is stable and is the one the manufacturers of all the gear design their kit for. Older kit runs happily on Windows 10, and support for 7 has now gone, so if something doesn't work - you are stuffed. I happily agree that for a while, there was a point in keeping 7, but every time I start up, there will be an update for a Kontakt instrument, or a Cubase upgrade, or like a few weeks back a driver update for my interface which fixed the occasional loss of USB connection. You'll get none of this on 7, and at some point your favourite instrument or app will suddenly stop working and you are dead in the water.

I cannot think of a single reason for staying with 7 - unless you have a piece of old kit that you need and isn't supported on 10?

 

[DM60]

I agree with everything stated so far. First, New HD, format and install. YOu should be able to reactivate it. But Win10 is pretty good. Just look up all of the parts to turn off so that you can get it the way you want. That would be much easier. For example, turn auto updates off if you don't want updates. There are a host of other settings you can turn off.

Win10 does have some programs and functions I don't like, but MS has at least kept the option to remove, you just have to do a little research on what and how to get it configured.

 

[ecc83]

Well yes, W10 is very good but can give you wobbles...
Just this morning I turned on this Lenovo T510 and it did not boot in its normal 30 sec time. Waited a bit and then "Downloading ypdates do not turn off computer". OK, carry on. A few minutes later "cannot install updates, setting computer back to original state" In a pigs eye they did! I don't know what else has been effd up but I have now lost use of a Blue tooth audio device. It pairs but I cannot get it back as an Audio device.

Yes, OP might well have some tasty legacy gear W10 won't run. Lot of that about. If he has a big enough hard drive maybe partition it and put W7 on that as a 'dual boot'? But then, don't mind me, just an old, retired valve amp fixer....

Dave.

 

[rob aylestone]

Yes - it does do that. even when you tell it not to - my beef is when I want to shut down, in a hurry and then you discover it want to do the update!

 

[TalismanRich]

The simplest way to avoid those disruptions is to make Updates a manual process, rather than automatic. You just need to make sure that you do updates regularly.

 

[ecc83]

Yes - it does do that. even when you tell it not to - my beef is when I want to shut down, in a hurry and then you discover it want to do the update!

To be fair the computer I built for music work which rarely goes on these days usually decides to do a long winded update at midnight when I am knackered and want to go to bed and that is Win 7. The difference is however that next time I switch it on everything is just as it was pre updates!

Dave.

 

[jimmys69]

I think (and just guessing) a bunch of this has to do with the system that is running W10.

I was reluctant to update from W7 myself. I kind of had to as Melodyne upgrade would not work and had some shared sessions that required the new version that only worked with W10.

Since, I was pleasantly surprised that everything worked seamlessly. I have had a couple times where Microsoft did updates and made me wait. But it was like 35 seconds. Completely tolerable.

I hear stories of others having issues and wonder if it is more of a system issue than the software itself. Both of my PC towers are self built and quite hefty in comparison to any laptops in the price range. But the $350 laptop I just bought for my wife is almost as fast as both of my I7 beasts. I surely would not even try to record on a laptop myself, but I don't have need to.

I hear so often people on FB recording forums having latency and conflicts with audio and video crap that is obviously due to not having the right setup for the expressed and singular purpose of recording. I get that not everyone has the ability to separate one task from another and have individual computers for each, but then wouldn't one who was actually serious about what they do make that happen?

I suppose I am just being a grumpy old man telling people to get two lawns of your own and mow them appropriately? LOL!

 

[Steenamaroo]

I just replaced all my computers with a single laptop.

 

[jimmys69]

I just replaced all my computers with a single laptop.

Nice!

 

[ecc83]

I just replaced all my computers with a single laptop.

?
But that is a mac surely? No matter. Yes Jimmy, you ARE a grumpy old moderator! Thousands of peeps use laptops to record audio and have virtually no trouble at all. I only 'mess about' with audio but son does some quite complex stuff with Samplitude Pro X3 such as recording all the parts of a Brandenberg on guitars, classical acoustic for the bass/mid parts and electric for the high 'fiddly bits'. He also uses samples and has posted some basic videos of his analysis of classical works. All done on a Lenovo T430 (i5 8G ram SSD W10) . He does keep it off the net as much as possible but has to go online for updates and auth' codes.

You have a pretty expensive and 'pro' system there Jim and yes, best run on a big'un. Also, clients might be less than impressed when they see their fees are paying for a laptop they can buy for $200 at Quickymart!
. .
I suspect most people have audio issues with laptops because they don't optimize them properly? They all come I thinlk with a 90 day malware app? All my PCs over ten years have run splendidly with nothing more than Msft SE and the ~ monthly sweep with the free Malwarebytes. More intrusive virus software can cause glitching as can stuff running that you don't need at the time such as the time limited version of Office. Give that the big E and install Open Office if you need such..THEN tellit to shut TFUp until YOU need to write something.

In other words, only have the DAW running at startup.

Dave.

 

[Steenamaroo]

But that is a mac surely?

Certainly is. I got their new silicon model and it made my 12 core desktop look like a joke in performance, so it's gone now!
Little dock under the table and no one's any the wiser that there's a macbook air under there, killing it.

 

[VomitHatSteve]

The hard-drive swapping (or booting from a USB) idea is probably the most practical way to do this.

However, one thing to keep in mind is that if you don't disconnect your Win7 machine from the Internet, you will get hacked. Security support for that OS is ended, which means that when someone finds a new 0-day for Win7, it's not going to be fixed. Any performance issues you were getting from Win10 will be small potatoes compared to the performance issues you'll get from being part of a bot net

 

[BroKen_H]

If I were to guess, I'd say the best thing for what you seem to be asking for would be to set up a dual boot system, where 10 is the primary and does everything and anything it wants, and 7 is stripped down, no internet access, etc and designated only for recording...
This article explains how to set up the dual boot How to Dual Boot Windows (techadvisor.co.uk)
Then you'd want to do some stripping down of the system... recommend Black Viper for services. Windows 7 Install Guide | Black Viper | www.blackviper.com and Black Viper's Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Service Configurations | Black Viper | www.blackviper.com

That's a lot of reading, but worth your time if you want to do it right.
Anyway, if that's not what you're after maybe someone else trying to find the info will find this usable..

 

[BroKen_H]

BTW, if you don't want your 7 hacked, just be sure it never goes beyond YOUR side of the router... Just don't reach out and no one will be able to reach in.

 

[ecc83]

The hard-drive swapping (or booting from a USB) idea is probably the most practical way to do this.

However, one thing to keep in mind is that if you don't disconnect your Win7 machine from the Internet, you will get hacked. Security support for that OS is ended, which means that when someone finds a new 0-day for Win7, it's not going to be fixed. Any performance issues you were getting from Win10 will be small potatoes compared to the performance issues you'll get from being part of a bot net

I would o course urge caution and in any case, if you re keeping a W7 machine for audio purposes you won't need to go surfing on it but as I said. I have 3 W7 PC and two of them, a laptop and a desktop go on the net regularly. The DT almost every day for BBC iPlayer and the lappy for when I grab it first every few days or so. The latter also has Sam ProX 3 on it so if I am using that I sometimes can't be arsed to use the W10 jobby!

Dave.