How to switch from UEFI to LEGACY in the boot of a Cosmos

tipi

New member
Hello there.
I bought my first laptop and I have a problem. It's for my wife and she wants Windows 7. I made an install through a DVD but, as the flag Windows and the message "Starting Windows" appears, the installation doesn't continue.
I looked on may websites and forums to understand the issue: this is the UEFI boot option that sucks in my case. I deactivated the Secure boot but I can't avoid en UEFI boot, there is no LEGACY option anywhere.





How can I do to install Windows 7? I have already bought the key...
Thanks for your help.
Kind regards from France
 

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Hello there.
I bought my first laptop and I have a problem. It's for my wife and she wants Windows 7. I made an install through a DVD but, as the flag Windows and the message "Starting Windows" appears, the installation doesn't continue.
I looked on may websites and forums to understand the issue: this is the UEFI boot option that sucks in my case. I deactivated the Secure boot but I can't avoid en UEFI boot, there is no LEGACY option anywhere.





How can I do to install Windows 7? I have already bought the key...
Thanks for your help.
Kind regards from France

So you inserted a DVD as a boot device? Then you have to set the DVD as the first boot device in boot priority.

So you understand, windows 7 isn't supported on current CPU's so there's no guarantee that you'll find any drivers for it. It's not really worth it imho.
 

Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
In addition to the above re: Win 7 not being supported on modern systems, Windows 7 will stop getting updates including security updates in January 2020m.

So unless you only wants to keep the laptop for ~16 months or so, you'll have to move on from Windows 7 before long anyway.
 

Tony1044

Prolific Poster
However...to caveat the above, if you can get a basic Windows 7 install running then as of last week or so, I could still get the free Windows 10 upgrade. Although I cannot obviously guarantee that but it might be an option to try.

I'd sincerely recommend you move to Window 10 either way - it's a stable, responsive, secure OS that unlike Windows 8 is quite similar in it's general look and feel to Windows 7. It also tends to run everything 7 did - I haven't come across anything yet that would run on 7 but not 10.

I could understand people avoiding 8.x because frankly it was insanity of MS to try and shovel a phone/tablet based UI onto a desktop/laptop experience but there's no sane reason to avoid 10.

And before the usual "spying/telemetry" I recommend if that is worry that the complainers never use Google, Facebook, a mobile phone or any form of social media at all, amongst other things.
 

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
I'd want to know why your wife wants Windows 7? My guess is that because she knows her way around it and is worried about learning how to use the slightly different Windows 10 user interface? Tell her not to worry, the Windows 10 menu also contains a text only menu, similar to that in Windows 7, where she can locate programs easily.

Windows is a lot more than just the user interface however, Windows 7 does not contain support for modern hardware or newer devices, that's why it's difficult to install on modern hardware. In addition no vendors are writing or updating drivers for Windows 7 and in 18 months update support for Windows 7 will stop leaving you with unpatched security holes from then on. And on top of all that, Windows 10 contains a whole host of internal performance, usability, and management improvements so that internally Windows 7 is archaic and not able to fully exploit that expensive modern hardware you just bought...

It is a mistake of biblical proportions to stick with Windows 7 because you're afraid of the Windows 10 user interface. Change is constant. Windows 7 is dead. Long live Windows 10.
 

OldLady

Member
Hello tipi

I'm interested too - did you figure out how to do it? If so, would you tell me please?

I disabled Fast Boot and Secure Boot while Windows 10 was still installed but got no further.

I ended up installing my Linux OS using GPT/EFI but I prefer to use GPT/CSM (always using Grub2).

________

Background information

I tried temporarily changing the boot settings on the "Security" tab because the information on the right panel does at least state something about "CSM" (see PS below). Couldn't find any option offering or mentioning CSM, Legacy or OPROM so always escaped and exited without saving. The "TPM Configuration" option looked particulary dangerous and I didn't want anything to do with that.

I rang PCS support. The response was very friendly and he arranged to ring me back when he'd found the solution. It didn't take long for the reply - I was told to disable the Network Stack on the Boot tab.

When that didn't work for legacy boot, I used F3 (I think it was F3) to reset the optimised settings, saved and exited. Restarted to check the settings and Fast Boot and Secure Boot were still disabled. That's when I gave up.

The manual doesn't help, I tried searching for the terms "Legacy" or "CSM" without success.

While searching the options it didn't matter if a LiveUSB boot stick (GPT/CSM) was plugged in or not; it was all fruitless in my hands and I tried lots of times. <sigh> I even tried an old fashioned msdos boot stick!

PS. The information in the right panel is:

Secure Boot activated when Platform Key(PK) is enrolled, System mode is User/Deployed, and CSM function is disabled
 

OldLady

Member
Failing to figure out how to disable UEFI is not user error; PCS have confirmed (via email) it is not available in the Aptio setup utility "UEFI settings". My Cosmos VII-I7 (17.3") laptop is Clevo model N871EZ and I'm NOT suggesting anything about any other model.

I don't need Legacy boot but I would have liked the choice; my mistake was to assume it would be available. Assuming anything is a stupid error.

According to PCS, they don't change anything in the Aptio setup utility. The manual is deliberately generic and obtuse, but I believe the statement within: "Many menu items in the Aptio Setup Utility cannot be modified in user mode.".

It's never going to happen because I'd probably wreck the laptop but... if I could afford to waste 800 UK pounds and, crucially, knew what was I doing, I'd have a go at following instructions in the manual to change the "System mode" from "User" to "Setup" to learn if the option to disable UEFI / enable CSM is made visible.
 

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Failing to figure out how to disable UEFI is not user error; PCS have confirmed (via email) it is not available in the Aptio setup utility "UEFI settings". My Cosmos VII-I7 (17.3") laptop is Clevo model N871EZ and I'm NOT suggesting anything about any other model.

I don't need Legacy boot but I would have liked the choice; my mistake was to assume it would be available. Assuming anything is a stupid error.

According to PCS, they don't change anything in the Aptio setup utility. The manual is deliberately generic and obtuse, but I believe the statement within: "Many menu items in the Aptio Setup Utility cannot be modified in user mode.".

From a security point of view this is an eminently sensible thing. UEFI should be the norm IMO.

It's never going to happen because I'd probably wreck the laptop but... if I could afford to waste 800 UK pounds and, crucially, knew what was I doing, I'd have a go at following instructions in the manual to change the "System mode" from "User" to "Setup" to learn if the option to disable UEFI / enable CSM is made visible.

Just to install Windows 7? That would be foolish in the extreme, Windows 7 is effectively history and it's no surprise that hardware vendors aren't supporting it (or legacy boot) any longer.
 

Tony1044

Prolific Poster
Ir is hard not to agree with Ubuysa. Windows 7 was released in 2009. Since then we've had 8, 8.1 and four variants of Windows 10 with the fifth due out today if MS get their act together.

I really don't understand the reasoning behind not using Windows 10. It has its annoyances, sure, but every OS does. As for the "data slurping", I always say to people that if you're that concerned, don't use Google of Facebook (or any other social media or phone app), don't drive, don't shop with credit or debit cards etc etc

My Firewall logs less than 5MB a month of data being sent back to Microsoft - that includes two XBox's and three laptops in regular use.
 
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