Installing Windows 7 Pro x64 on XPS 13 9350 Samsung PM951 NVMe

[0pTicaL]

I'm reading mixed messages when installing Windows 7 on the Samsung PM951 NVMe M.2 drive. Under SATA Operation should RAID be selected or AHCI?

I have already copied my Windows 7 x64 ISO to USB using Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool found here, http://wudt.codeplex.com/

I have already integrated USB 3.0 support by installing Windows 7 USB 3.0 Creator Utility from here, downloadcenter.intel.com/.../Windows-7-USB-3-0-Creator-Utility

I have downloaded Samsung NVMe driver v1.4.7.17 WHQL f6 drivers from here, www.win-raid.com/t29f25-Recommended-AHCI-RAID-and-NVMe-Drivers.html

My Windows 7 installation now sees the PM951 drive, but I want to be sure before I proceed with the installation if SATA needs to be on RAID or AHCI.

Thanks in advance!

[0pTicaL]

Anyone? Or is this still too new?

[ejn63]

Should be AHCI -- RAID requires at least two discs.

[Rangdaa]

Hi Optical,

I am trying to do what you have achieved but I must be doing something wrong and I wonder if you can help? 

What did you do with your Samsung NVMe driver v1.4.7.17 WHQL f6 drivers?  Did you extract them into a folder on your W7 USB flash drive? 

My W7 USB drives starts the W7 installation but I am stuck at the “A required CD/DVD drive device is missing” etc etc. If I click OK then I get the “No device drivers were found etc etc”.

 When I click “Browse” the folder structure I get “Computer” then “Boot (X)”.

 Clicking on “BOOT (X)” offers me, Program Files, Sources, Users, Windows. Clicking on any of these does not offer the Driver 64 folder.

[0pTicaL]

No, it doesn't matter if it's on AHCI or RAID. RAID just gives you the option to use two disks.

[0pTicaL]

Yes, put the f6 driver folder in the root folder of your W7 USB flash drive.

[Rangdaa]

Thanks Optical,

I will give it a try.

Can I ask:  did you delete any partitions before starting the W7 installation or just load the files to the C drive?  Did you delete any partitions subsequently?

[0pTicaL]

I deleted them all, there's no need for them. You'll also need to copy USB 3.0 drivers to your install stick, and copy the folder over to your C drive before boot. None of your USB ports will work

[Rangdaa]

Optical,

Thanks again for all your help - will report back tomorrow....

[Rangdaa · Accepted solution]

Thanks to Optical for all the advice.

What worked for me.

The W7 download tool installed W7 onto a USB flash drive but I could not get the Windows 7 USB 3.0 Creator Utility to work – I was advised that “this computer does not meet the minimum requirements for installing the software usb 3.0”.  Further research provided further suggestions…

I was able to install the USB 3 drivers following the instructions in this link  http://codeabitwiser.com/2014/03/how-to-install-windows-7-with-only-usb-3-0-ports/

Next I added the Samsung PM951 NVMe to the root of the flash drive.

Checked that the flash drive would boot. 

Started the W7 installation.  At the first opportunity to “load driver” I navigated to the Samsung PM951 NVMe drivers and selected “64bit”.  The rest of the installation went like clockwork.

Updating W7 produced a problem – it said that Service Pack 1 (which I thought was on my USB flash drive) failed to load. 

Decided to delete all partitions  - Dell advice https://www.dell.com/support/Article/uk/en/ukdhs1/SLN116104/EN

And successfully installed W7 again.

Updating W7 again…