Install Windows 7 on Acer A715 and A717 NVMe SSD

Hello everyone,

I've recently ordered an Acer A715 and got some time to fiddle around with it. A major headache gave me the installation of Windows 7, which only worked after lots of trial and error. So I wrote a small guide to spare you the time. Since the hardware is similar on other notebooks of Acer, this guide could also work on the Acer A717, Acer A515, Acer Nitro 5 AN515, Acer Predator Helios 300.

The biggest issue was, that I couldn't get the NVMe SSD to work. There was an inbuilt Intel 600p 256gb SSD in it. This SSD is allegedly supported by a Windows Update package (KB2990941). Therefore I tried to integrate it into Windows 7 both by manually using /dism commands or via with NTLite. Unfortunately the SSD still didn't show up during install. The first working solution was a "mixed" iso (***see Post #3, which consists mainly of the Windows 7 iso, but uses boot.wim and setup.exe file from a Windows 10 iso). However the disadvantage of this "mixed" iso was, that Backup Images could not be restored anymore. This was a dealbreaker for me.

I've almost given up, until I found the solution here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...r-intel-skylake-and-kaby-lake-laptops.803630/ This guide uses a "Windows Image Tool" from Gigabyte, which is simple and clean. It only needs a Windows 7 iso and automatically integrates NVMe+USB3 drivers. And it just works! In fact this is the easiest and cleanest solution of all. Restoring System Images works too.



Create Windows 7 USB-Stick:

(1) Download required tools and images:

- Download Windows 7 image from official source (I used a Win_7_Hm_Prem_German_x64.iso)
- Download WindowsImageTool from Gigabyte http://download.gigabyte.eu/FileList/Utility/embedded_utility_windows_image_tool.zip
- Download and install DaemonToolsLite http://www.filehorse.com/download-daemon-tools/

(2) Create Windows 7 USB-Stick:

- Mount the Windows 7 iso in DaemonTools
- Unzip WindowsImageTool, start it, select Windows 7 from the virtual optical drive as source and a USB-Stick as target, and check all 3 options (Integrate USB 3 drivers, NVMe drivers, Windows packages), let it process... (takes approximately 1 hour).


Prepare the notebook:

(1) Press F2 (a couple of times) on boot to access the BIOS and change:

- Main -> F12 Boot Menu -> Enabled
- Boot -> Boot Mode -> Legacy
- Touchpad -> Basic ("Advanced" does not work in Windows 7)

(2) After reboot press F12 (a couple of times), select the USB/Flash Disk to boot from, and install Windows 7

 

Installing device drivers:

- Install the chipset driver Chipset_10.1.1.42_Public.zip
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/do...ce-Software-INF-Update-Utility-?product=98465

- Install the Intel HD630 driver mb_driver_vga_intel_21.20.16.4508_w7.zip
http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Driver/mb_driver_vga_intel_21.20.16.4508_w7.zip
This is the prerequisite for the Nvidia driver. This is the only version which worked. None of the "official" drivers on the intel website worked, but resulted in "computer does not meet system requirements".

- Install the Nvidia driver 385.41-notebook-win8-win7-64bit-international-whql.exe
http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en

- Install Hotfix for TPM 2.0 Windows6.1-KB2920188-v7-x64.msu
https://support.microsoft.com/de-de...-tpm-2-0-in-windows-7-and-windows-server-2008

- Install Hotfix for Intel Management Engine kmdf-1.11-Win-6.1-x64.msu
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=38423

- Install Intel Management Engine ME_Corporate_Win7_8.1_10_11.0.6.1194.zip
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/do...1-and-Windows-10-for-Intel-NUC-Kit-NUC5i5MYHE
You only need to install the one in the folder "MEI-Only Installer MSI"

- Install Atheros Wireless LAN driver Wireless LAN_Atheros_12.0.0.295_W10x64_A.zip
https://supportdrivers.info/acer-aspire-a715-71g-drivers/ (choose the "Wireless LAN – Wireless LAN Driver (NFA344A HAI)"

- Install Elan Fingerprint driver Fingerprint_ELANTECH_1.6.5.1_W10x64_A.zip
https://supportdrivers.info/acer-aspire-a715-71g-drivers/ (choose the "Acer Aspire A715-71G Drivers -Audio – Realtek Audio Driver")

- Install Realtek Audio driver Audio_Realtek_6.0.1.8108_W10x64_A.zip
https://supportdrivers.info/acer-aspire-a715-71g-drivers/ (choose the "Fingerprint – Elantech Fingerprint Driver")
This driver is important because it gets rid of a "Popping" noise while booting Windows.

- Install Realtek Cardreader driver 0006-RtsXStor_10.0.370.162.zip
http://www.realtek.com.tw/Downloads...=25&Level=4&Conn=3&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false

- Install Realtek LAN driver 0018-Install_Win7_7110_08222017.zip
http://www.realtek.com/downloads/do...d=5&Level=5&Conn=4&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false


Issues:
- Touchpad drivers don't work (neither Synaptics, nor Elantech). Only basic functionality exists, but no 2-finger-scrolling etc. This is really frustrating if you work with touchpads.
- Function keys work, but there are no visual applets for it (i.e. for screen brightness).
- If you are trying to undervolt the cpu with Intel XTU, it won't work. The advanced tuning section doesn't show up. It does show up in Windows 10 though.

 

***Here is also the NOT RECOMMENDED alternative of creating a "mixed" Windows 7/10 iso. While installation works flawlessly, System Restore will not work.

Spoiler: Not recommended alternative

(1) Download required tools and images:

- Download Windows 7 image from official sources (I used a Win_7_Hm_Prem_German_x64.iso)
- Download Windows 10 image from official sources (I used a Win10_1703_German_x64.iso)
- Download Windows Update Windows6.1-KB2990941-v3-x64.msu (drivers for SSD)
- Download Intel(R)_USB_3.0_eXtensible_Host_Controller_Driver_5.0.3.42.zip (drivers for USB)
- Download and install NTLite_setup_x64.exe
- Download and install Windows7-USB-DVD1024-tool.exe
- Download and install 7zip


(2) With 7zip extract all the contents of the Windows 7 iso into a separate folder, i.e. a folder named "Extracted_Win7_iso"


(3) Now start NTLite and do the following:

- On the left menu go to "Source", and add the extracted folder "Extracted_Win7_iso"

- Right-Click on "Home Premium" (that's the version I wanted) and "Load"

- On the left menu go to "Updates", and add the Windows6.1-KB2990941-v3-x64.msu. Note, that it must often be extracted from the original download file (which was called 477475_intl_x64_zip.exe in my case) via 7zip.

- On the left menu go to "Drivers", and add the USB drivers. However we only need the folder /Intel_USB_3.0_xHC_Driver_KBL_MR3_5.0.3.42/Drivers/Win7/x64/ from the zip file (Intel(R)_USB_3.0_eXtensible_Host_Controller_Driver_5.0.3.42.zip). You can extract this folder with 7zip and then add it. Note, that it is important to integrate the USB drivers, otherwise not a single USB port will work after a successful Windows 7 install (no kidding, not even the USB 2.0 ports would work without the drivers - despite them working during the install process...).

- On the left menu go to "Apply", and check the box for "Create Iso"

- Then press the green "Process" button on the top left


(4) Burn the ISO to an USB-Stick with the Windows7-USB-DVD1024-tool


(5) Open the Windows 10 image with 7zip, go into the /sources folder, and extract only "boot.wim" and "setup.exe" and copy it onto your USB stick into the same /sources folder (replacing the old ones).

Btw. I tried the same procedure also without "mixing in" Windows 10 files (omitting the last step) and only using the Windows 7 iso, but the intel SSD never showed up during install. No idea what was wrong with the procedure or with NTLite. Any hints appreciated...