# Sticky  Please read BEFORE you install Windows 7



## crjdriver

Before you attempt to install Windows 7, it will save you a LOT of grief if you do some homework beforehand.

If you have a big box system ie Dell, HP, etc; then go to the web site of the system maker and check for driver support.

If you have a custom build, then go to the board maker's site and do the same.
As an example, nvidia is NOT releasing driver support for the older nforce chipsets. Intel is NOT releasing support for the 9xx series of chipsets. If you install Windows 7 and there is no chipset driver(S), then you may end up with some things not working, etc.

If you have older hardware ie printer, scanner, sound card, etc, then do a search for drivers.

While it is possible to hack the driver files to use a vista driver, it is somewhat involved and will cost you a LOT of cash unless you can edit the driver files yourself.


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## Mumbodog

> Intel is NOT releasing support for the 9xx series of chipsets


Are you sure, I just checked for the 910 and 945, W7 drivers are available for download at Intel

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## win2kpro

This is what I see at Intel.

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=18246&lang=eng

Can you post a link to the 910 and 945 Win 7 drivers?


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## Mumbodog

> Can you post a link to the 910 and 945 Win 7 drivers?


Sure, I downloaded and installed the 945 chipset drivers for my W7 box that I am posting from right now, they changed the way you find drivers, I don't like it but here it is, I selected Chipsets>Desktop Chipsets>select chipset, then select your OS.
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/default.aspx

910
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Sea...set+Family&ProdId=1787&LineId=127&FamilyId=40

945
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Sea...set+Family&ProdId=2115&LineId=127&FamilyId=40

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## win2kpro

Apparently, Intel will support certain drivers for Win 7. The initial list I posted with a download was dated 10/22/09.

Here is a link involving Intel graphic drivers dated December 1, 2009 where it appears Intel will support some Intel Graphics Drivers.

http://www.intel.com/support/graphics/sb/CS-030908.htm


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## win2kpro

Mumbodog said:


> Sure, I downloaded and installed the 945 chipset drivers for my W7 box that I am posting from right now, they changed the way you find drivers, I don't like it but here it is, I selected Chipsets>Desktop Chipsets>select chipset, then select your OS.


The chipset wasn't really going to be a problem since the 900 series, and the series 3, 4 and 5 chipsets all use the same chipset driver. The problem as I saw it was going to be more with the onboard video, audio and LAN drivers.

I feel sure there may be some "work arounds" I just don't know how hard they are going to be to find. There may be some scenarios encountered like there was when people tried to go back from Vista to XP. I don't have a list of what native drivers are incorporated in Win 7.

I don't quite unerstand why Intel did the drivers for the 945 series chipsets and later like this, since when Vista was released they modified the 945, 946, 955, 963, 965 and 975 chipsets and board drivers for Vista.

Now I'm totally damn confused by Intel. Your link to the 910 chipset driver clearly indicates there is a chipset driver for Win 7. Then if you go with one of Intel's own 910 boards the 910GLDW they don't indicate there is a chipset driver for Win 7.

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Sea...&ProductProduct=Intel®+Desktop+Board+D910GLDW

Same for the 915, 925, 945, 946, 955, 963, 965 and 975 chipset series when they are accessed from this link.

http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/archive.htm


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## Mumbodog

They have revamped the website, its a mess except for that one page I posted. http://downloadcenter.intel.com/default.aspx

I use to find all my chipset drivers from these pages, click on my chipset, then go to the support tab, get the driver, but it is a mess now for late model chipsets, some don't even have the support tab, others take you to a page to download the drivers, but when you click on them all you get is the chipset detection active x crap, I don't want to detect, I want to download. I have emailed them with the complaints and issues, of course they don't care.

http://www.intel.com/products/laptop/chipsets/index.htm?iid=laptop_body+chips

http://www.intel.com/products/desktop/chipsets/index.htm?iid=chips_body+desk

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## win2kpro

You're right, it is a mess. It looks like the leaft hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.


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## win2kpro

Here's where I get confused, so maybe so one has the answer that I'm missing.

In the list of motherboards that Intel put out where they stated there would be no driver support you an forget any chipset/board prior to the 9xx series since they never supported Vista.

What does Vista have to do with Win 7? Supposedly, the 945, 946, 955, 963, 965 and 975chipset series supported Vista and there were Vista drivers listed at the Intel site for Intel boards with these chipsets.

Then Intel puts out the list of boards where they say there will be no Win 7 support which includes the boards with the 945, 946, 955, 963, 965 and 975 chipsets. Vista in an upgrade path to Win 7. If a person built a system for instance with a DG965WH Intel board, and wanted to upgrade to Win 7 then according to Intel there are no Win 7 drivers (excepting the chipset driver and the RAID driver). Intel posts no drivers for this board for onboard video, audio and LAN.

The same would hold true for an OEM Intel board where the OEM purchased the boards with everything being the same as the standard Intel board except the OEM proprietary BIOS.

Then it seems to me Intel is saying if the board is a Standard Intel board there are no Win 7 drivers, however if it is an OEM board the OEM may provide Win 7 drivers although the board is a standard board except for the proprietary BIOS. This throws the responsibility on OEM boards to the OEM to provide the Win 7 drivers before an ungrade from Vista to Win 7 would be possible.

It seems to me that Intel and Microsoft need to get together and work out a solution or a person could wind up with an Intel board (standard or OEM) running Vista where Win 7 is not an upgrade option unless Microsoft incorporates the necessary drivers in Win 7.

What am I missing here?


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## TerryNet

> What am I missing here?


There are exceptions no doubt, but in general if a Vista driver exists but no 7 driver the Vista driver will work with 7.


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## mainelady2

To late tried to install windows 7 and it messed up my computer. I now have a missing file or something and my windows vista isn't working right. Never would have tried to install if I had read this first.


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## njelimetz

just curious, aren't you guys scared to install M$' new stuff before it's 6 m.o. or at least a year old? I'm using vista right now because it comes with the laptop and I really dislike it. I want my XP desktop back but alas, my wallet isn't fat enough to do so. i.m.o, the best OS from M$ would be a cross breed between win98 and xp, and I firmly believe it isn't vista or win7.


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## Mumbodog

> just curious, aren't you guys scared to install M$' new stuff before it's 6 m.o. or at least a year old?


No, since it is just a polished version of Vista, no fear here.

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## Emello

Win 7 is more polished and better than Vista. I have installed XP, Vista, and 7 on custom builds and I like 7 the best. I have absolutely no problems in the last 2 weeks. A couple of games don't run so well, but they weren't supposed to support Vista 64bit. So, I don't expect to run well under 7 64 bit. Some of the staff at I think, Custom PC magazine, who hated Vista have loved 7. 7 is a definite improvement over Vista and generaly about the same speed.


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## arharsh46

yeah i have also messd uup with my laptop after installing windows 7 i am facing problems regarding my drivers. 

i have also put a post here as windows 7 has broke my recovery disks connection and now i cant recover my preinstalled vista back


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## stevirobbo

Just got a new pc today an intel i7 with nothing on it, so I installed vista home premium on it as that was at hand, the PC came with all my drivers which I put on. When I got my PC going with the vista operating system, then I added windows 7 ultimate because for some reason I couldn't get the windowns 7 to work before putting the vista on, and obviously because the vista is 32 bit it just slammed the 32 bit windows 7 on top of it with no option for 64 bit.
now when I installed my drivers everything worked with no need to go online for anything.

so maybe the vista upgrades don't need the drivers (as stated above) only xp 

sorry if I am out of depth here but it is my first post


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## lpsfu

If I had a driver problem I would never been able to operate xp pro would I ? On the other hand, where do you put the drivers when you dont have an operating system? I have drivers for my mother board the i945Gm-PILF. the first that happens is to install the operating system . I am sorry that I didnt keep xp pro in there and just use windows 7 to upgrade.


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## TerryNet

I am closing this now because I think it was meant to be informative, not to try to describe and solve specific problems. If any mod wants to re-open that's fine with me.

For those having problems please start your own new thread.

*lpsfu*, nice try but your issue was well covered in your thread.


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