Well, guys, today I tried to do something a bit crazy: get Windows 7 running on some pretty new hardware. I know, I know, it’s 2024, and Windows 7 is older than, well, a lot of things. But hey, I like a challenge, and I’ve always had a soft spot for the good ol’ Windows 7.
So, why did I do this? Nostalgia, maybe? Or perhaps I just wanted to see if it could be done. There were some potential problems. I knew it could have problems with drivers and RAM limitations. And, of course, Microsoft pulled the plug on support for Windows 7 a while back, so I was kind of on my own here.
First, I grabbed my trusty Windows 7 ISO. I used this tool, which I’ve found to be pretty reliable. I selected my Windows 7 Ultimate edition image. It’s the one I used to use all the time. By the way, there are actually six different editions: Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate. I just kept the default settings in the tool.
I did some reading, and I stumbled upon this thing called “ModernOldWin”. It’s some kind of guide for setting up older Windows versions on new computers. Sounded exactly like what I needed. It had all sorts of tips and tricks.
Honestly, I thought about just using a virtual machine. You know, install VirtualBox on Windows 10 or 11, or even use Hyper-V if you’ve got the Pro version. It’s definitely the easier route. But where’s the fun in that, right?
I also found this tutorial for installing Windows 7 on a ThinkPad T480. That’s not my machine, but the tutorial mentioned it could work on other new hardware, too. It also talked about booting from a VHD or an external drive, which was interesting.
I encountered many problems when I put it into action. But after several attempts and a lot of time, I successfully installed it. It was a bumpy ride, with driver issues and all sorts of other headaches. But I managed to get it working in the end.
Was it worth it? Well, it was definitely an experience. Would I recommend it to everyone? Probably not. But if you’re like me and enjoy a good tech challenge, you might want to give it a try. Just be prepared for some frustration along the way. If you’re looking for something stable and reliable, maybe stick with a newer OS. But if you want to take a trip down memory lane, well, this could be your ticket.
Here are some details:
- OS: Windows 7 Ultimate
- Hardware: My new computer
- Tools: I used ModernOldWin to prepare ISO.
So that’s my little adventure with Windows 7 on modern hardware. Hope you enjoyed the ride!