Lenovo laptops

[e4e]

Morning

 

We have just purchased a batch of Lenovo V110-15isk (80TL) laptops, and we are wanting to put Windows 7 on these (they come with Windows 10 reinstalled). Lenovo's website have all the drivers on there website for Windows 7 but, I download the SATA drivers and run the Windows 7 start up disk, go to add the drivers and it will not recognize that there is a HDD present. I have set the Bios to legacy support for the hard drives (I have tried this both enabled and disabled) and still the same effect.

 

Has anyone managed to install Windows 7 on any of these models or do you have any suggestions at all on how I can get these working.

[TechieWils]

Are you installing by USB by any chance? Windows 7 does not natively have USB3 drivers built in so when you install via USB it will only get so far then complain about needing USB3 drivers to access the USB with the install files on. NOT the HD (Confusing I know).

 

If it is check this out I followed the instructions and it helped me with our Lenovo's.

 

Link: How to Install Windows 7 with only USB 3.0 Ports

[e4e]

Are you installing by USB by any chance? Windows 7 does not natively have USB3 drivers built in so when you install via USB it will only get so far then complain about needing USB3 drivers to access the USB with the install files on. NOT the HD (Confusing I know).

 

If it is check this out I followed the instructions and it helped me with our Lenovo's.

 

Link: How to Install Windows 7 with only USB 3.0 Ports

 

Thank you that worked! was obvious when you think about it.

[TechieWils]

Not a problem, I spent a day on Thursday last week scratching my head with the same issue.

[smarties11]

@e4e - Did you have any trouble getting Windows 7 activated on these laptops through your KMS server? We've also bought some of these, and the first one I've opened won't activate. Comes back saying the installed code is invalid, and if you run slmgr.vbs -ato you get an error which basically says that the education licence we use is an upgrade and the supplied OS doesn't qualify. Done some research online which suggests that the windows license installed in the BIOS licensing table is not correct.

 

Now I know I could use a MAK code for these instead but I'd prefer for KMS to work and just wondered if you had the same issues. I will open another in a minute and see if it does this same....

[3s-gtech]

You'll find that MAK is the only way to get them to activate. I have a few Lenovo laptops that are the same, not tried them with AD Activation on Windows 10 yet so that may be possible.

[smarties11]

You'll find that MAK is the only way to get them to activate. I have a few Lenovo laptops that are the same, not tried them with AD Activation on Windows 10 yet so that may be possible.

 

@3s-gtech - Thanks. I've not used MAK codes since XP :-/ When you've used them with Windows 7, do they remain in place after a sysprep? So if I activate our image for these machines with a MAK code, then sysprep it and deploy to all 57 laptops - will these machines stay activated or will I need to reinput the key and activate each one individually?

 

Thanks!

[3s-gtech]

Not tried it. They should need to be reactivated when you do this - however if you run VAMT you can force the activation anyway via the nice GUI (as well as push out the keys etc).

[smarties11]

Thanks! Just to report back that now the image is fully up to date with Windows Updates, it activates successfully via KMS. One of the updates must make Windows 7 aware of the Windows 10 licence stored in the BIOS licence table.

[gshaw]

Ours activate Windows 7 fine over KMS, an error pops up during imaging initially as the 10 \ 7 key clashed but picked up fine after that