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Installing Windows 7 Pro x64 on XPS 13 9350 Samsung PM951 NVMe
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!
Rangdaa
22 Posts
2
April 6th, 2016 10:00
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…
0pTicaL
6 Posts
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February 5th, 2016 10:00
Anyone? Or is this still too new?
ejn63
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February 5th, 2016 15:00
Should be AHCI -- RAID requires at least two discs.
Rangdaa
22 Posts
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April 4th, 2016 15:00
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
6 Posts
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April 4th, 2016 20:00
No, it doesn't matter if it's on AHCI or RAID. RAID just gives you the option to use two disks.
0pTicaL
6 Posts
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April 4th, 2016 20:00
Yes, put the f6 driver folder in the root folder of your W7 USB flash drive.
Rangdaa
22 Posts
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April 5th, 2016 13:00
Optical,
Thanks again for all your help - will report back tomorrow....
Rangdaa
22 Posts
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April 5th, 2016 13:00
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
6 Posts
0
April 5th, 2016 13:00
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
0pTicaL
6 Posts
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April 6th, 2016 19:00
Yeah, I would say the only tricky part was getting USB 3.0 to work under Windows 7, once you have that down everything else is butter.
Even after installing all the drivers on Dell's support page you will still have one item under Device Manager that has a exclamation point next to it. Keep updating Windows until there are no more updates and that exclamation mark will go away, I forgot what it was.
One annoying problem I've encountered with the 9350 is the Thunderbolt port. When waking up from sleep and plugging anything into the 4 various ports, the OS would lock up. Manually unplugging the adapter does not resolve it, only a forced shutdown. I recently updated to their latest firmware released this month, hopefully that resolves the issue.
illkitty
2 Posts
0
May 11th, 2016 12:00
Thanks RANGDAA for all of the help! :D
I, like you, was not able to simply use the tool from intel for the USB 3.0 Drivers.
I had to download the 3.0 driver from the Dell website, and then used the link you provided to integrate the USB 3.0 Driver to the Flash Drive with the Windows 7 install.
As for those Samsung Drivers, I was just able to browse for them after I put the 32 & 64 bit folders on the root of the Flash Drive after all the hard work was done.
Anyway,... you're a lifesaver :D
MavLance
1 Message
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August 4th, 2016 15:00
I have the same problem right now.
I created the Windows 7 USB Key using the Microsoft USB Key and manually.
I tried both Rangdaa's method of manually integrating the USB 3.0 drivers and the Intel USB 3.0 tool
I copied the x64 folder from the Samsung PM451 (Windows 7 version) to the root of the USB Key.
The XPS 13 9350 boots into the Windows 7 install but when I click browse I get Computer / Boot (X:)
Like you, there's Program Files, sources, Users, and Windows and I am unable to browse the USB Key itself to locate the x64 because I cannot browse beyond Computer / Boot (X:).
What am I doing wrong? If I cannot browse the key, is that a USB 3.0 driver issue?
Please help, thanks!
illkitty
2 Posts
0
August 5th, 2016 11:00
Sorry you're still having problems Mavlance.
The problem, like what I had, is that the USB 3.0 drivers are somehow not working with the way they are integrated. I remember I had to go through the steps twice when I had to integrate those drivers. It's been a month since I performed the steps, but I do recall it was drawn out (especially with the folders having the extracted files, and using the commands to modify that boot/install file.
I would try to go through those steps again, but if they don't work, I'm not sure if Dell can provide recovery media.