Download and install the following utilities:
Rufus Version 3.22 is the last version to support Windows 7. The latest version of the other utilities supports Windows 7 but there is no guarantee newer versions will be tested with an end of life operating system.
Download and launch the Windows ISO Download Tool:
Select Dell and OptiPlex 7040:
Select Windows 7 64 Bit (or Windows 7 32 Bit) and select Download:
Download the following and save the following updates in a os updates folder:
Select the "Windows 7 64 Bit" Package for Windows 7 64 Bit or and "Windows 7" package for Windows 7 32 Bit.
Download IE11:
To integrate this update it needs to be extracted:
Install 7zip:
Accept the User Account Control prompt:
Select Install:
Select Close:
Right click the EIE11-EN-US_MCM_WIN7_64.exe and select extract to...:
Navigate through to the extracted folder:
The extracted contents should look like:
Download the Dell Driver Pack or Lenovo Driver Pack from the following link:
Extract these .zip files using Windows explorer. If the file is a .exe, launch the .exe and follow the instructions to extract. If the file is a .cab file, use 7zip to extract it.
If using a Home Device, such as an Inspiron, there is no driver pack available.
Use a driver pack from a Business Device such as a Latitude or OptiPlex that has the same generation of processor as your Home Device. Alternatively for only the USB 3.0 Controller and Storage Controller, the drivers incorporated in the Gigabyte Windows USB Tool can be used:
Extract the .zip file. The drivers of interest are in the StorageControllers and USB folders.
In this example, the drivers are in the .zip format and can be extracted using Windows Explorer or 7zip. Select Extract All...:
Select extract:
Navigate through the extracted folder:
Select the Win7 folder:
Then the x64 folder for Windows 7 64 Bit. (Select the x86 folder for Windows 7 32 Bit):
The driver pack should resemble the following:
Windows 7 does not have the native capability to mount an ISO. Install Virtual Clone Drive:
Accept the User Account Control prompt:
Select Agree:
Select Next:
Select Install:
Check Always Trust Elaborate Bytes AG and select Install:
Select Close:
Right click the ISO and select Mount:
Select Open to View Files:
Copy all of the Files:
In Downloads create a new folder and call it windows7:
Paste all the contents from the ISO. The install.wim is a very large file and may take a while to copy across:
It is recommended to change the folder options to show file extensions for known file types.
Navigate to the sources folder:
The $OEM$ folder contains OEM branding and some scripts which perform OEM SLP. To convert to Retail media, delete the $OEM$ folder. The slp.cmd script in sources\$OEM$\$$\setup\scripts deploys a Microsoft Security Certificate file with an OEM System Locked Preinstallation Key:
Right click the SLP.cmd file and select edit:
The OEM SLP key is generic and all Dell systems shipped with Windows 7 Professional use this key:
The OEM SLP key differs for each Edition and each OEM. Update this key in accordance to the OEM and the Edition. In this example, a change to Dell Windows 7 Home Premium will be made:
For other Editions and other OEMs, see below:
Dell
| Edition | SLP Key |
|---|---|
| Starter | 36T88-RT7C6-R38TQ-RV8M9-WWTCY |
| Home Basic | 36Q3Y-BBT84-MGJ3H-FT7VD-FG72J |
| Home Premium | 6RBBT-F8VPQ-QCPVQ-KHRB8-RMV82 |
| Professional | 32KD2-K9CTF-M3DJT-4J3WC-733WD |
| Ultimate | 342DG-6YJR8-X92GV-V7DCV-P4K27 |
Lenovo/IBM
| Edition | SLP Key |
|---|---|
| Starter | 273P4-GQ8V6-97YYM-9YTHF-DC2VP |
| Home Basic | 22MFQ-HDH7V-RBV79-QMVK9-PTMXQ |
| Home Premium | 27GBM-Y4QQC-JKHXW-D9W83-FJQKD |
| Professional | 237XB-GDJ7B-MV8MH-98QJM-24367 |
| Ultimate | 6K2KY-BFH24-PJW6W-9GK29-TMPWP |
HP/Compaq
| Edition | SLP Key |
|---|---|
| Starter | DX8R9-BVCGB-PPKRR-8J7T4-TJHTH |
| Home Basic | MHFPT-8C8M2-V9488-FGM44-2C9T3 |
| Home Premium | 4FG99-BC3HD-73CQT-WMF7J-3Q6C9 |
| Professional | 74T2M-DKDBC-788W3-H689G-6P6GT |
| Ultimate | MHFPT-8C8M2-V9488-FGM44-2C9T3 |
Acer, Gateway and Packard
| Edition | SLP Key |
|---|---|
| Starter | RDJXR-3M32B-FJT32-QMPGB-GCFF6 |
| Home Basic | MB4HF-2Q8V3-W88WR-K7287-2H4CP |
| Home Premium | VQB3X-Q3KP8-WJ2H8-R6B6D-7QJB7 |
| Professional | YKHFT-KW986-GK4PY-FDWYH-7TP9F |
| Ultimate | FJGCP-4DFJD-GJY49-VJBQ7-HYRR2 |
ASUS
| Edition | SLP Key |
|---|---|
| Starter | 6K6WB-X73TD-KG794-FJYHG-YCJVG |
| Home Basic | 89G97-VYHYT-Y6G8H-PJXV6-77GQM |
| Home Premium | 2QDBX-9T8HR-2QWT6-HCQXJ-9YQTR |
| Professional | 2WCJK-R8B4Y-CWRF2-TRJKB-PV9HW |
| Ultimate | 2Y4WT-DHTBF-Q6MMK-KYK6X-VKM6G |
Sony
| Edition | SLP Key |
|---|---|
| Starter | 32J2V-TGQCY-9QJXP-Q3FVT-X8BQ7 |
| Home Basic | YV7QQ-RCXQ9-KTBHC-YX3FG-FKRW8 |
| Home Premium | H4JWX-WHKWT-VGV87-C7XPK-CGKHQ |
| Professional | H9M26-6BXJP-XXFCY-7BR4V-24X8J |
| Ultimate | YJJYR-666KV-8T4YH-KM9TB-4PY2W |
Toshiba
| Edition | SLP Key |
|---|---|
| Starter | TGBKB-9KBGJ-3Y3J6-K8M2F-J2HJQ |
| Home Basic | 9H4FH-VD69Y-TGBD2-4PM4K-DRMMH |
| Home Premium | 6B88K-KCCWY-4F8HK-M4P73-W8DQG |
| Professional | 2V8P2-QKJWM-4THM3-74PDB-4P2KH |
Samsung
| Edition | SLP Key |
|---|---|
| Starter | PV9BD-YBRX6-CTMG6-CCMJY-X8XG7 |
| Home Basic | 2P6PB-G7YVY-W46VJ-BXJ36-PGGTG |
| Home Premium | CQBVJ-9J697-PWB9R-4K7W4-2BT4J |
| Professional | GMJQF-JC7VC-76HMH-M4RKY-V4HX6 |
| Ultimate | 49PB6-6BJ6Y-KHGCQ-7DDY6-TF7CD |
MSI
| Edition | SLP Key |
|---|---|
| Starter | 2W4DJ-JFFJV-DMCPP-2C3X8-883DP |
| Home Premium | 4G3GR-J6JDJ-D96PV-T9B9D-M8X2Q |
Examine the windows7 folder. Navigate to the sources subfolder. The ei.cfg is used to select the edition of Windows 7 preinstalled and is professional by default. For a Retail License this can be deleted. For an OEM license it can be modified. Right click the ei.cfg file and select Open:
Select a Program from a List of Installed Programs and select OK:
Select notepad:
Change professional to the desired edition:
In this case homepremium:
Other editions are available:
Windows 7 Starter
[EditionID]
starter
[Channel]
OEM
[VL]
0
Windows 7 Home Basic
[EditionID]
homebasic
[Channel]
OEM
[VL]
0
Windows 7 Home Premium
[EditionID]
homepremium
[Channel]
OEM
[VL]
0
Windows 7 Professional
[EditionID]
professional
[Channel]
OEM
[VL]
0
Windows 7 Ultimate
[EditionID]
ultimate
[Channel]
OEM
[VL]
0
The ie.bat file found sources\$OEM$\$$\system32\OEM applies Dell OEM branding in Internet Explorer. This may be unwanted for a different OEM. Open up this file in notepad. Delete the content under :defaults. The file should look like:
:defaults
:CLEANUP
del /F /Q %systemroot%\system32\oem\TextAppend.vbs
del /F /Q %systemroot%\system32\oem\ie.bat
The unattend.xml found sources\$OEM$\$$\setup\scripts applies Dell OEM branding in System Properties. This may be unwanted for a different OEM. Open this file in notepad and delete all the contents between the unattend xml header:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
</unattend>The oobe.xml found sources\$OEM$\$$\system32\oobe applies Dell OEM branding to the default User Profile. This may be unwanted for a different OEM. Open this file in notepad and delete all the contents between the FirstExperience xml header:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<FirstExperience>
</FirstExperience>Install NTLite:
Accept the User Account Control prompt:
Select I Agree and then Next:
Select Next:
Select Next:
Select Launch NTLite and Finish:
Select Free and OK:
To the top left select Add Image Directory:
Navigate to the Windows7 folder in downloads:
Select select folder:
The boot.wim on the Windows 7 ISO has already been modified by Dell to include USB 3.0 Drivers and NVMe drivers which are required for the Windows preboot environment to boot from the USB flash drive and recognise the storage controller. No other changes should be made to the boot.wim.
Double click on the desired Windows 7 Edition. NTLite will mount the edition from the install.wim:
To the left select Updates. To the top hover over add and then select directory. Select the os updates folder:
To the top hover over add again and once again select directory. Select the EIE11-EN-US_MCM_WIN7_64 folder:
Select OK at the warnings:
The IE11 Update displays (note this is integrated already in the Windows 7 Professional Edition):
To the left select drivers. Then hover over add and select Directory:
Go to the extracted drivers folder:
Select the x64 folder for Windows 7 64 Bit and the x86 folder for Windows 7 32 Bit:
Select select folder:
There will be a warning about some drivers architecture. Some of the installers for the drivers have the 64 Bit and 32 Bit drivers grouped and thus there is a duplicate of the mixed architecture driver in the x64 and x86 folder. When the x64 folder is selected, the 32 Bit drivers in it are of an incompatible architecture and are ignored. Select OK:
The Microsoft .Net Framework 4.7.2 and 4.8.0 are Windows applications and cannot be integrated as updates. They can however be configured to silently install before the user first logs in:
To the right hand side, select Post-Setup. To the top hover over before login and select file:
Select the net framework folder:
Select the Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2 standalone installer and select Open:
Under parameters providing the flag /q, /q means quietly install:
To the top once again hover over before login and select file:
Select the Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8.0 standalone installer and select Open:
Under parameters providing the flag /q:
To the right hand side select apply and to the left hand side check Create ISO:
Navigate to Downloads and call the ISO Windows7Edition2020.iso, in this case Windows7HomePremium.iso and then select Save:
Call the label Windows7Edition in this case Windows7HomePremium and select OK:
Select Process:
Select Yes:
Select OK:
Select OK:
The installation ISO has been created:
Launch Rufus:
Accept the User Account Control Prompt:
Select the 16 GB USB Flash Drive and select select to select the ISO:
Select the Windows7Edition.iso, in this case the Windows7HomePremium.iso and select open:
For Windows 7 64 Bit and a UEFI BIOS, select GPT under the Partition Scheme.
Windows 7 32 Bit or Legacy BIOS
If installing Windows 7 32 Bit or using a computer with a Legacy only BIOS. The MBR Partition Scheme should be used instead.
Select Start:
Select OK:
When finished, Rufus will say Ready, select Close:
The installation media is now ready. To install Windows 7 return to Windows 7 Installation Guide: BIOS Setup.