Is there any issue running Windows 7 on an 7th Gen. Intel CPU (Kaby Lake)?

Question

Is there any issue running Windows 7 on an 7th Gen. Intel CPU (Kaby Lake) aside from:

• Windows Update may not work properly (I know it can be patched, e.g. using wufuc)
• as always, one has to check that the other component of the computer (sound card, network adapter, etc.) has a driver that works with Windows 7

?

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I read some conflicting statements. Some sources seem to say it is not possible, e.g.:

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kaby_Lake&oldid=824423084 :

Kaby Lake is the first Intel platform to lack official driver support for versions of Windows older than Windows 10.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4012982/the-processor-is-not-supported-together-with-the-windows-version-that :

Windows 10 is the only Windows version that is supported on […] Intel seventh (7th)-generation processors

And some sources say it is possible, e.g.:

https://github.com/zeffy/wufuc :

[…] allows you to continue installing updates on Windows 7 and 8.1 systems with Intel Kaby Lake, AMD Ryzen, or other unsupported processors.

http://www.windowspasswordsreset.com/computer/how-to-install-windows-7-on-intel-skylake-laptop-and-desktop-computer.html (mirror):

This article tells you how to add USB 3.0 and intel RST drivers to Windows 7 installation disc, and install Windows 7 on Intel Skylake and Kabylake (6th&7th generation) based laptop and desktop computer with USB drive.

Solution 1

After searching on the web for quite some time and given the fact that the comments on the question do not give any concrete issues, it looks like Microsoft Windows 7 runs fine on an 7th Gen. Intel CPU (Kaby Lake). Tested on ASUS ROG G752VS-XB72K. i7 was running fine.

The only minor issue is that Microsoft decided to stop pushing "updates" to Windows 7 running on an on an 7th Gen. Intel CPU, so if you want to use Microsoft Updates you have to patch it, e.g. using https://github.com/zeffy/wufuc.

Solution 2

Windows 7 works fine on 7th and 8th gen of Intel CPU if your Motherboard provide the drivers like Gigabyte for instance (but you should check the model before purchasing, most Z370 have windows 7 drivers for instance)

For Ryzen it is the same, you should check if your motherboard has the driver before purchase. Most B350, and now X470 also have windows 7 support on gigabyte.

You should note that windows 7 drivers is not provided for raven APU 2200G & 2400G. And you can only run windows 10 or Linux on this platform.

For ryzen gen 2 such as 2600/2600X/2700/2700X AMD provide official drivers.

Most of the time whether it is AMD or Intel, you have to install windows 7 using a DVD through sata optical drive.

If your motherboard USB ports don't work during install, you will have to use PS2 keyboard and Tab key during install of windows.

Once windows is installed you should install straight away the USB3 drivers, then the chipset or the other way around depending of your MB.

Then reboot and everything should be fine.

Windows 7 support is announced to stop in 2020, but I guess like XP it will be extended for a couple more year (if you use windows update).

Comments

[Tetsujin]

You're going to have to rely on hacks & cracks - it's going to become the equivalent of running a Hackintosh.

[Franck Dernoncourt]

@Tetsujin Thanks, could you please indicate one specific issue?

[Mokubai]

You have asked this exact same question before though it is now deleted... what exactly has your research in the mean time showed? Have you tried it?

[Franck Dernoncourt]

@Mokubai I have added my "research" to the question, namely "Windows Update may not work properly (I know it can be patched, e.g. using wufuc) ; as always, one has to check that the other component of the computer (sound card, network adapter, etc.) has a driver that works with Windows 7". I haven't tried it as I prefer to know before buying.

[Tetsujin]

There is no 'specific issue' there is a whole slew of issues, trying to bypass your 'not supported' status.

[Franck Dernoncourt]

@Tetsujin why not mention just one issue (if possible, an important one)? Just curious. Saying there are issues doesn't help much.

[Mokubai]

Just because there is little to no driver support does not mean it is "impossible", just that random things will not work. This feels like it would devolve into "if, buts and maybes". Why not simply try it, and ask for help fixing specific problems? Or, better yet, just get an OS that is supported?

[Franck Dernoncourt]

@Mokubai "there is little to no driver support" -> which component are you talking about?

[Franck Dernoncourt]

@Mokubai " Why not simply try it" -> I haven't tried it as I prefer to know before buying.

[Andrew Morton]

@FranckDernoncourt Windows 10 isn't really that terrible. If you insist on running an unsupported configuration, expect problems which no-one else has found and have no practicable resolution.

[Franck Dernoncourt]

@AndrewMorton I already have Windows 10 on some other computers. But on one computer I need to have Windows 7 natively (= no VM).

[Admin]

@FranckDernoncourt If you need Windows 7 then prefer compatible hardware. Otherwise superuser.com/questions/1306946/… and then ask a specific question or questions about the issues you found.

[Franck Dernoncourt]

@MichaelBay I have already answered to the comment you linked to.

[Admin]

@FranckDernoncourt Indeed you did by just repeating yourself. This is a circular argument. Mokubai's main point is "try it, and ask for help fixing specific problems" and you replied you don't want to. This is the problem: Either you ask a question about a specific issue or it's off-topic (too broad).

[Franck Dernoncourt]

@MichaelBay there have been a single answer so it doesn't seem too broad. Makes no sense to buy the computer if it doesn't work with the OS I need to use.

[Appleoddity]

You’re trying to do something unsupported. You know what that means but it seems you want people to prove it to you. We’re not here to speculate on what hundreds of engineers at Intel and Microsoft know. For whatever reason you want to keep Windows 7, it doesn’t change the fact that it is a dying operating system and anything requiring the use of it is also dying. So, rather you like it or not, you’re going to be replacing Windows 7 and everything related to it eventually. So there is no reason not to just try and see, unless the time to replace everything is NOW.

[Franck Dernoncourt]

@Appleoddity I don't use Windows 7 by choice, I have to. I don't know what unsupported implies in terms of stability in that case. Plenty of things are "unsupported" and then turn out to work fine.

[Franck Dernoncourt]

Downvoter: please explain.

[fixer1234]

What about driver and compatibility issues? Have you actually tested it and can verify that Win 7 handles the hardware with no problems, or is this answer theoretical?

[Franck Dernoncourt]

@fixer1234 driver for which component? Compatibility between which components?

[fixer1234]

Any components. The question cites references that say the hardware and drivers are not supported. The answer says the only issue is updates. So my question is, did you actually test it on the new hardware and found no actual driver or compatibility issues?

[fixer1234]

To clarify, the answer seems to suggest that it is based only on collecting information; that nobody offered any concrete evidence of issues. That's to be expected if people took the various sources at their word and never invested the time to evaluate what, if any, problems manifest as a result. So that, alone, isn't really evidence that there are no compatibility/driver issues. However, if you actually tested it and found no problems, that's pretty good evidence that it isn't a foregone conclusion that it won't work.

[Franck Dernoncourt]

@fixer1234 done

[fixer1234]

Add that to the answer and I'll offset the downvote. :-)

[Franck Dernoncourt]

@fixer1234 done

[E_Blue]

So, if I can get the mothearboard drivers I can run W7 x64 on all the Ryzen first generation? I'm interested in Ryzen 3 and Ryzen 5.