IDE / AHCI drivers Win 7 Pro

[TIOAOA]

Just been given 45 SSD and 46 Old WIN7 Pro laptops and been asked to upgrade then. However when I swap the drive out and boot via DVD I dont see the SSD to install windows to. I'm sure its something to do with AHCI / IDE, if I switch to IDE I can install no problem. Is this the way I should be doing it or Should I be looking to use AHCI mode with additional drivers to enable me to see the SSD ?

[chazzy2501]

yes, exactly as you say. You'll need drivers to see the drive, go to the laptops support page and download and extract the drivers to a usb stick. During the install of windows you can insert the usb stick and point to it for the HDD drivers.

 

Installing in IDE mode will work fine but at a slight performance loss.

 

Might I also recommend that you update the BIOS on the laptops BEFORE you install Windows (nice but not necessary)

 

EDIT: you can install Windows10 Pro on these laptops if you wish, the windows 7 key will activate the product. (just ensure you use the same sku. e.g home for home pro for pro)

Edited July 4, 2019 by chazzy2501

[3s-gtech]

Note there’s only six months of extended support for Windows 7 left.

 

You should try to use AHCI - the disk performance can be a significant leap. That may mean injecting the drivers or having them ready on a USB stick.