Issues downgrading a new computer to W7...

[thecomputerguy]

An employee who works at a dental office who is a client of mine, took it upon herself to purchase her own computer. Big mistake considering I special order computers for them with W7 on them because their software currently requires W7 Pro and some of the hardware even requires W7 x86 Pro (Home is incompatible).

Software is Eaglesoft

So of course she bought a fancy 27" HP All-in-One touchscreen with Windows 10 Home. The version of Eaglesoft they use is 17 which is not compatible with W10, Eaglesoft 18 is compatible with W10 but still not W10 home, so she double effed up here.

Upgrading the office to Eaglesoft 18 would be an all day process (which they don't currently want to do), and it would render of a couple of their older sytems unusable because they are XP and Eaglesoft 18 isn't compatible with XP (I know, I know).

I offered to try and downgrade the system to W7 Pro but upon trying to install it I get to the install screen but then the mouse and keyboard stop working, probably because all of the USB ports are 3.0

Checked all BIOS settings and I can't find anything that would seemingly enable the ports to work in the W7 install environment.

The computer is hot off the shelf so there is nothing online of people trying to downgrade this particular system. Additionally there are no W7 drivers available from HP so I was gambling on Snappy Driver filling in all the holes, which very well may not work either.

She cannot return the system.

I'm thinking my only option here is to install VirtualBox on it and throw W7 Pro on a VM inside of it ... any other ideas?

 

[Porthos]

She cannot return the system.

Why the heck not??

 

[Mainstay]

Congratulations, she just bought a nice new HOME computer, for her HOME.

You could try from a DVD (no USB ports involved)... but the lack of driver support could be an issue.

 

[thecomputerguy]

Why the heck not??

Something about getting a really good deal or something ...

It's pretty decent hardware wise actually ... i7 12GB Ram and I think she paid less the $600 for it.

 

[Porthos]

Make an image first.... Switch off secure boot and enable legacy .Boot from a win 10 PE (has native usb 3 support) . Mount the Win 7 install disk/image and install. And pray for drivers.

 

[thecomputerguy]

Congratulations, she just bought a nice new HOME computer, for her HOME.

You could try from a DVD (no USB ports involved)... but the lack of driver support could be an issue.

I tried from both a USB Boot with W7 on it and OEM W7 Install DVD ... it boots to the installation screen but it's the mouse/keyboard that dont work.

 

[Mainstay]

but it's the mouse/keyboard that dont work

Ah! - hmmm

and the touch interface probably won't work either.... wow - not nice.

I am thinking of work-arounds - but nothing presents at the moment.

Good luck!

 

[thecomputerguy]

Ah! - hmmm

and the touch interface probably won't work either.... wow - not nice.

I am thinking of work-arounds - but nothing presents at the moment.

Good luck!

That's why I'm thinking I have to go the VM route .. I quoted her $250 + install for a solution so it's worth a little bit of time.

 

[nlinecomputers]

You can slipstream USB 3.0 drivers into a Win7 install. The topic came up only a month or two ago right here on Technibble. If I can find I will post link....

 

[nlinecomputers]

Read this topic https://www.technibble.com/forums/t...-conclusion-it-was-a-usb-3-issue.72005/page-2

Solution is near the end.

 

[Mainstay]

awesome @nlinecomputers ! - I would also try to see if there is a "legacy" mode on those USB ports.

I tried seeing if I could find that systems BIOS but had no luck on first try.

 

[AndyM]

Windows 10 Home is NOT eligible for downgrade rights.

Only Pro versions of Windows are eligible for downgrade rights. If she wants to downgrade, then she has to buy a new retail copy of Windows 7.

https://www.microsoft.com/OEM/en/licensing/sblicensing/Pages/downgrade_rights.aspx#fbid=upSn5W5ptHq

Andy

 

[Mainstay]

Windows 10 Home is NOT eligible for downgrade rights.

I presume that that is what the $250 that was quoted:

I quoted her $250 + install for a solution

 

[thecomputerguy]

I presume that that is what the $250 that was quoted:

 

[AndyM]

Sorry it wasn't clear, and I've learnt never to make presumptions or assumptions.

Andy

 

[Mainstay]

I've learnt never to make presumptions or assumptions.

I've learned the opposite... if I wait for someone to be clear I could be waiting all year. I make a call and move forward =)

 

[fencepost]

A VM really is probably your only real option. An HP All-In-One with 12GB is a pretty new model, so there's a fair chance there aren't any drivers for some of the hardware except Windows 10 and probably 8.1.

Not a question I've ever really had a need to address, but does Windows 10 Pro downgrade include being able to run Windows 7 Pro in a VM? If so, purchasing an upgrade to Win10Pro then doing a clean VM should work.

 

[AndyM]

You wouldn't be able to upgrade to Win 10 Pro, then use downgrade rights. Downgrade rights are only eligible for OEM software, and upgrading to Win 10 Pro would mean installing a retail package.

Andy

 

[fencepost]

Ouch, OK, so to stay legit while running a Windows 7 Pro VM at the very least she'd need one of the no-longer-officially-available-we-found-this-on-a-shelf retail packages of Windows 7 Pro or Ultimate which I'm pretty sure are very hard to come by (for legit licenses).

 

[Porthos]

but does Windows 10 Pro downgrade include being able to run Windows 7 Pro in a VM?

No.