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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
?
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.
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.
Franck Dernoncourt
Posted 2018-03-22T20:21:19.093
Reputation: 13 518
3You're going to have to rely on hacks & cracks - it's going to become the equivalent of running a Hackintosh. – Tetsujin – 2018-03-22T20:24:47.750
@Tetsujin Thanks, could you please indicate one specific issue? – Franck Dernoncourt – 2018-03-22T20:25:52.123
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?
– Mokubai – 2018-03-22T20:26:37.180@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. – Franck Dernoncourt – 2018-03-22T20:28:06.757
2There is no 'specific issue' there is a whole slew of issues, trying to bypass your 'not supported' status. – Tetsujin – 2018-03-22T20:36:37.243
2@Tetsujin why not mention just one issue (if possible, an important one)? Just curious. Saying there are issues doesn't help much. – Franck Dernoncourt – 2018-03-22T20:45:10.547
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? – Mokubai – 2018-03-22T20:52:36.813
@Mokubai "there is little to no driver support" -> which component are you talking about? – Franck Dernoncourt – 2018-03-22T20:54:14.520
@Mokubai " Why not simply try it" -> I haven't tried it as I prefer to know before buying. – Franck Dernoncourt – 2018-03-22T20:54:31.963
2@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. – Andrew Morton – 2018-03-22T21:23:06.727
@AndrewMorton I already have Windows 10 on some other computers. But on one computer I need to have Windows 7 natively (= no VM). – Franck Dernoncourt – 2018-03-22T21:30:28.780
@FranckDernoncourt If you need Windows 7 then prefer compatible hardware. Otherwise https://superuser.com/questions/1306946/is-there-any-issue-running-windows-7-on-an-7th-gen-intel-cpu-kaby-lake#comment1941896_1306946 and then ask a specific question or questions about the issues you found.
– None – 2018-03-23T00:12:38.247@MichaelBay I have already answered to the comment you linked to. – Franck Dernoncourt – 2018-03-23T00:15:38.123
@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). – None – 2018-03-23T00:33:48.817
@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. – Franck Dernoncourt – 2018-03-23T01:01:24.407
1You’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. – Appleoddity – 2018-03-23T02:01:04.130
1@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 – 2018-03-23T02:22:00.963