Modern computers are issued with UEFI on board. UEFI is the interface between operating system and microprograms. Designed to replace BIOS. By the way, Apple has been using this technology for a long time. But this is not so important, the important thing is how to install W7?
Let's go in order.
Let's say you have Windows 8 (working or not) and you want to change it to Windows 7.
So.
First, you need to disable " Secure Boot" This is a feature UEFI- it prevents loading executable files or drivers if they are not signed with one of the pre-installed keys.
To disable it, log into UEFI. When you turn on your desktop or laptop, press the “F2” or “Delete” key. In the “Boot” tab, change the “Secure Boot” value to “Disabled”. An additional item “OS Mode Selection” will appear, select “UEFI and Legacy OS” Now save the settings using the “F10” buttons, then select “Yes” and press “Enter”. The computer will begin to restart.
Go to UEFI again. In the same tab, go to the “Boot Device Priority” parameter and in step 1, select the device from which you will install Windows. Press “F10” again, then “Yes”.
That's it, the computer is ready to install Windows 7.
If, when installing on a new hard drive Windows complains about the GPT partition style, then (after changes in UEFI):
We insert the installation disk or flash drive, after a short while, we load into the program Windows installations 7.
Click install. We accept license agreement. Select the full installation.
Calling command line using the combination “Shift + F10”. On the command line, enter the commands sequentially:
diskpart
seldis 0
clean
convert gpt
exit
exit
Click “Update”.
Now the continue installation button will be active.
Click “Next”.
Developed more than 30 years ago, the basic BIOS input/output system is significantly outdated by modern standards. It is being replaced by the UEFI specification, which significantly changes the established and familiar boot procedure. This article is intended for those who are interested in installing Windows 7 on a computer with UEFI.
Replacement for outdated BIOS
Extensible Firmware Interface (extensible firmware interface) was developed by Intel in 1998. The current version of the specification is called Unified Extensible Firmware Interface. Computers manufactured after 2010 are highly likely to work with the UEFI system. Unlike BIOS, codes of the new specification can be stored both on the chip motherboard, and in a special section of the HDD.
UEFI works with new markup GPD, which is capable of supporting HDDs larger than 2 TB and an unlimited number of partitions. In addition, the UEFI architecture is modular and therefore supports custom applications and drivers. 
And, the most important part for this article: the new specification has a built-in download manager. Thanks to this, installing Windows 7 from USB or external HDD does not require third party loaders.
Creating a bootable USB flash drive
For creating bootable flash drive The Rufus 1.4.3 utility has been reviewed. The program is notable for the fact that it does not require installation, is very small in size and is distributed completely free of charge. Of course, Rufus supports GPT HDD partitioning and work with the UEFI specification. The current version of the utility is available for download from the manufacturer's official website.
After launching the utility, you must specify the name of the flash drive that will be bootable ( Attention! All data from it will be permanently deleted!), file system (select FAT32), partition scheme and system interface (select GPT and UEFI). Opposite “create boot disk” you need to specify the path to the ISO Windows image 7.
When all parameters are specified correctly, you can click on the “Start” button, and the process of preparing a bootable flash drive will begin. This will take some time, depending on the speed of your computer and the USB generation.
In addition to Rufus, you can use the WinSetupFromUSB program. It can also be downloaded from the manufacturer's website. The interface of these two programs is almost identical, so it makes no sense to consider the process of creating a bootable flash drive separately.
Installation Preparation
In order to start installation from a flash drive, you must first configure UEFI. To do this, you need to restart your computer and press F2 or Delete (depending on your motherboard, press both keys to be sure). After these steps, as in the case of the BIOS, you will be taken to the main control menu.
Press F7 or select the "Advanced" section. Next, go to the “download” menu, select the option “ USB support" and install Full Initialization. In the "secure boot" menu, set "Windows uefi mode".
Now open the Compatibility Support Module (or CSM) menu and in the “launch CSM” item select “enabled”. Open additional options and in the “boot device options” select “uefi only”. This item will allow you to filter flash drives and HDDs that cannot work with your specifications. In the “boot from storage devices” column, select “both, uefi first”.
Now all you have to do is specify the boot priority. Place the bootable USB flash drive in the first place, and your HDD in the second. The settings are completed, save them with the F10 key, confirm the decision, and the computer will restart. 
Windows installation
If the previous steps were completed correctly, after the computer is restarted, the standard installation operating system from a flash drive. Click “next”, “install”, accept the user agreement, select full installation.
Now you need to open the command line using the combination Shift + F10. Next, enter the following sequence of commands:
diskpart (after each command you must press the enter button)
seldis 0
clean
convert gpt
exit
exit
More details at this point. Using these commands, you will delete all data from the HDD, mark it as GPD and format it for subsequent system installation. Click "update" and "next".
The installation of Windows 7 on your HDD will begin. personal computer. During the installation process, the PC will be rebooted several times, after which you will only need to specify its name and password, time zone and set a list of users. Once installation is complete, the center Microsoft updates will download and install all the necessary patches and drivers, and the computer can be used.
On some new laptop motherboards and desktop computers Instead of the BIOS familiar to all users, modern UEFI is used. When installing the Windows 7 operating system on such equipment, a number of features should be taken into account.
Unfortunately, this factory software is being implemented very slowly on modern systems. Thus, today it is not ready to replace the BIOS. As a result, problems may arise when booting into the new mode. Questions most often arise from those users who want to install Windows 7 instead of the eighth version of the system that comes with the laptop.
Why you should switch to UEFI
The main reason to switch from BIOS to UEFI is the lack of functionality. It is no longer enough for professional work computers on which voluminous documents are processed. They need to provide maximum performance all components. It’s worth noting right away that when booting in UEFI mode, installing Windows 7 on old partitions marked under the MBR will not be possible. There are two methods that can be used to solve this problem.
The first option is to copy all important information to additional or external media. The second option will be more labor-intensive. To implement it, you will need to convert all partitions using disks or bootable flash drives with special utilities Paragon type. This will allow you to save all the information on your computer, with the exception of the disk on which the system is installed. To draw a conclusion about the need to install a system under UEFI on your computer, you need to understand what advantages it provides this type pre-installed software compared to BIOS.
BIOS: old but effective
It's best to start the review process with the BIOS or basic input/output system. From the name it is quite possible to understand what functions it is responsible for. this system. This software did not appear immediately. BIOS has gradually evolved and progressed along with development computer equipment. Thanks to this, many users today can use the fairly wide functionality of this system. This software alone could not remove all the needs of modern hardware.
Therefore, in parallel, the development of programs and drivers was carried out, configured directly in the operating system itself. But it is the BIOS that is responsible for such operations as initial identification of hardware and determination of devices from which to boot. UEFI performs similar functions. For its correct operation, the options described above are required.
Wide functionality of UEFI
UEFI - what is it? The abbreviation UEFI translated into Russian stands for the following: Extensible Firmware Interface. Intel Company began developing this system back in 2001. At first it was intended for server equipment.
UEFI was created because Itanium processors could not support the old software, since the core of the server computer required significantly expanded functionality. Users were able to try out the new product only in 2006 on Apple computers. Then the new product began to appear in the products of other companies. This is exactly what the word Unified in the acronym refers to. UEFI was also used in Microsoft products to optimize the installation of Windows 7. It was also used by other software developers.
Benefits of UEFI
Thanks to the new product, now installing Windows 7 on hard disks large size became possible. UEFI supports GPT by default. It is under such a partition table that the system will be located. Large hard drives mean drives larger than 2 TB. The old system only supported hard drives whose capacity did not exceed 2 TB.
This feature is explained by the fact that to work with the drive BIOS system used MBR partitioning. The size of each record with this breakdown was 32 bits. This resulted in 4 billion sectors, which amounted to 2 TB. Such a volume will probably seem unnecessary to some today. However, such capacity is often required by 3D designers and employees who use server equipment.
Thanks to the use of UEFI, the installation of the Windows 7,8, 10 operating system can be carried out on a hard drive with a capacity of up to 8 billion TB.
Hardware Compatibility
Modern motherboards provide support for both old hardware with MBR markup and new hardware with GPT markup. The user can now choose the option that is most suitable for his computer. This is possible thanks to UEFI dualbios. This makes it possible to install the Windows 7, 8, 10 operating system on such equipment simultaneously in two modes. The choice of mode is made by the user upon boot.
System interface
The developers not only made some changes to the code. They also completely redesigned the interface. Thus, the user experience was accelerated. Another advantage was the ability to manage UEFI elements using computer mouse. This makes installing Windows 7 easier and more convenient.
It’s enough just to get used to the new style and you will forever lose the desire to return to using computers on BIOS. The developers promise to create additional utilities for UEFI in the future. Special applications are also being created that are planned to provide Internet access without installing an OS. This task has already been partially completed, since a network protocol is used to update pre-installed software.
Additional Windows protection
Another important advantage is the secure installation of the Windows 7 operating system. GPT UEFO uses new standards that make it possible to strengthen the OS protection from Microsoft. Thus, the chances of leakage and loss of information are reduced several times. This option is included in the software by default, but can be deactivated in the settings if desired by the user.
Orientation and speed
The redesigned base gives UEFI the ability to speed up the loading of the operating system several times. It is much easier to navigate the new interface thanks to the use of bright and visually understandable content. The appearance of each icon began to resemble those used in the operating system. A utility section has also appeared, which has not been used until now. It contains applications that allow you to view additional properties of your computer, such as the temperature of various elements, installed hardware, and much more. The specific set of utilities depends on the type of motherboard you are using and its manufacturer.
Transition from MBR to GPT
The first thing you should think about when moving to UEFI is saving important information. If this is not required, you can proceed with the installation. If the computer has important information, you must first archive or repartition the disk using specialized software.
Preparing a flash drive with Windows 7 for installation on UEFI
After you have studied all the principles of working with the new software and decided how appropriate it would be to use it on your current equipment, you should begin the preparatory stage. To install Windows 7 via UEFI you will need to have certain skills regarding recording the system distribution.
Users who are accustomed to using flash drives will need to stock up on the latest versions of Windows and one of the programs for writing a bootable flash drive. For example, consider the Rufus program. Download the latest version of the program. You will also need a flash drive with a capacity of 4 GB. Rufus must be run as an administrator.
You will also need to confirm UAC permissions. After that, go to the “Device” section and click on the flash drive of your choice. If you want to install a system with markup GPT disk or MBR, you must check the appropriate box. By default, it is recommended to install the FAT 32 file system. After this, you need to select the ISO image itself and click on the “Start” button. After the process is completed, the UEFI bootable flash drive will be ready.
To start working, you need to boot correctly. Gigabyte develops motherboards with Dual UEFI BIOS. Using such equipment, you will simply need to go to the settings by pressing the F9 key and select the desired operating mode. These steps can also be performed on motherboards from other development companies.
Fast boot in UEFI mode is also often used. To enter this mode, you need to select the Boot devices menu and select a flash drive with the specified tag for the mode you need. If the user does not work with the new BIOS, you can deactivate it. It is not possible to disable Lagacy boot in the settings even if you are performing a UEFI installation of Windows 7. Acer was one of the first manufacturers to remove the ability to deactivate modes on its laptops.
You can only use fast boot to select. At first, GPT markup and new built-in protection tools, when installed in this mode, blocked pirated cracks of the Windows operating system. But the hackers still managed to quickly make corrections to the Windows 7 activator. In it, the UEFI mode was fully taken into account. After the user boots with the desired method, it will be necessary to perform all other steps when installing the system, which do not undergo any special changes. The only point worth noting is that when breaking down hard drive, the Windows operating system will now create more additional partitions.
In the last article we talked about that. And now I’ll tell you how to configure your computer’s BIOS to install Windows from a disk or flash drive.
1. What is BIOS and UEFI
Each motherboard has special program to boot your computer and configure settings various devices. This program is flashed (programmed) into a special chip on the motherboard and is therefore called firmware.
Previously, all motherboards had firmware called BIOS, which had a simple graphical interface with white letters on a blue background and was limited in functionality. For example, in the BIOS it was impossible to use the mouse, select a language, and there were no graphic elements (pictures) due to the limited capacity of the BIOS memory chip. Also, motherboards with BIOS did not support disks larger than 2 TB due to limitations of the old disk partitioning system (MBR).
Nowadays, many motherboards have a new type of firmware called UEFI, which has improved graphical interface using beautiful background, hand-drawn buttons, the ability to select a language (including Russian) and some improvements. For example, support for a new type of disk partition (GPT), allowing the use of hard drives with a capacity of more than 2 TB.
What type of firmware your motherboard has can be found in its manual, on the website of the motherboard or laptop manufacturer, and also visually when entering the Setup configuration program. The Setup program is also flashed into the motherboard and is used to change BIOS or UEFI settings.
2. How to enter BIOS Setup
To enter the Setup program, immediately after turning on the computer, press the “Delete” button on the keyboard. On some motherboards and laptops, the “F2”, “F10” or “Esc” keys are used for this. You can read which button to press in the messages that appear immediately after turning on the computer.
In text form
Graphically
If you don’t have time to read, then press the “Pause” button on your keyboard to pause the download. You can continue loading by pressing any key. If you press the key designated to enter Setup, you will immediately be taken to the motherboard setup program.
Classic BIOS
UEFI interface
3. Basics of working in Setup
3.1. Control keys
The Setup program is a set of various parameters grouped on separate tabs, depending on their purpose. On the right or below there will be a description of the keys with which all actions are performed.
To navigate between tabs, you usually use the “right” and “left” arrows on the keyboard. To move between lines within one tab, use the down and up arrows.
To change values, use the arrows to navigate to the required field, press the Enter key, and then use the arrows to select a new value from the drop-down menu. For this, the “+”, “-” or “Page Up”, “Page Down” keys can also be used.
To return up a level or to the previous page, press the Esc key. The “Esc” key on one of the main tabs will mean exiting the BIOS without saving the settings, which you will need to confirm or refuse to exit.
In the Setup program with the UEFI interface, you can perform all actions using the mouse.
3.2. Saving settings
This is a very important point. After making all the necessary settings, go to the “Exit” tab, select the “Exit and Save Changes” item using the arrows (“Exit and Save Changes”, the word order may be different), press “Enter” and confirm saving the settings by selecting the “OK” arrows or “Yes” and “Enter” again.
You can save the settings much easier and faster by pressing the “F10” key on the keyboard and confirming your decision. This key works in many versions of BIOS, UEFI and is often indicated in tooltips (bottom or right).
3.3. Cancel Settings
If you accidentally changed something or are not sure about the correct settings, then go to the “Exit” tab and select “Exit and Discard Changes” or press the “Esc” key until the message about exit without change settings and confirm the action (“OK” or “Yes”).
3.4. Restoring settings
To restore all settings to optimal defaults, go to the “Exit” tab and select “Load Setup Default”. After this, you can immediately change other settings or simply exit the BIOS and save the settings (“Exit and Save Changes” or “F10”).
4. Download options
Insert a bootable disk or flash drive into the computer on which you plan to install Windows. Now, in order to start installing Windows, you need to configure the BIOS (or UEFI) using the Setup program to boot from a disk or flash drive. You can also use a special boot menu motherboard (Boot Menu). The last option is simpler and more convenient, but we will consider both methods.
5. BIOS setup
5.1. Changing boot priority
Go to the "Boot" or "Download" tab.
Install your DVD drive or flash drive first in boot device order.
If you install Windows from a disk, then the first item is to select a device like “ATAPI CD-ROM”, a name indicating the manufacturer or model of the drive. For example, “CDROM:PM-HL-DT-STDVD-RAM GH22NP” (this is an LG DVD drive).
If you plan to install Windows from a flash drive, then first choose something like “Removable Dev.” or the name of the flash drive indicating the manufacturer. For example, “USB: Patriot Memory” (this is a “PATRIOT” flash drive).
Transcend JetFlash 790 8Gb
The second should be a hard drive, which is designated as “Hard Drive”, “HDD” or the interface to which it is connected, the manufacturer and model of the disk. For example, “SATA:3M-SAMSUNG HD502HJ” (this is a 500 GB Samsung hard drive with a SATA interface).
Please note that in the “Boot” section there may be other items responsible for boot priority, such as “Hard Disk Drives” or “Removable Device Priority”.
They also need to check that the DVD drive or flash drive comes first.
If you have two hard drives, then the one on which you are installing the system should be higher. But in this case, I recommend disconnecting one of the disks to avoid confusion and possible errors in installing the system. It can be connected after installation.
In the Setup program with the UEFI interface, everything is done similarly. Look for the “Boot” or “Download” section, find your DVD drive or flash drive there and move it to the very top of boot priority. Plus, you can use a mouse for this, which is easier and more convenient.
5.2. SATA controller operating mode
In principle, this is not so important, but many people are interested in this issue, so I decided to clarify it a little. SATA drives can operate in compatibility mode with older ones IDE drives and in more modern AHCI mode. AHCI gives a small increase in hard disk performance when multiple simultaneous accesses are made to it. This mode of disk operation occurs mainly on servers and is practically useless for an ordinary home computer.
At BIOS setup It is possible to select the operating mode of the SATA controller.
These settings may be located in different places and have slightly different names, but the principle is the same everywhere. You are offered IDE compatibility mode or new mode AHCI.
In general, IDE compatibility mode is recommended for Windows XP, since it does not natively have SATA drivers and simply will not see the hard drive, which will not allow Windows to be installed. Drivers can be built into the Windows installation distribution, but this makes no sense, since it will not affect the speed of operation and may add problems.
There is a simpler and convenient way booting from a DVD or flash drive for both BIOS and UEFI - booting using the “Boot Menu”.
To call the boot menu, the “F8”, “F10”, “F11”, “F12” or “Esc” keys can be used. They can often be seen in prompts on the initial boot screen of your computer. You can also find out this information from the instructions, on the website of the motherboard or laptop manufacturer, by searching on the Internet, or at random.
Immediately after turning on the computer, press and hold the “Boot Menu” key until the boot device selection menu appears.
Use the down and up arrows to navigate to the DVD drive or flash drive and press Enter.
Sandisk Cruzer
The advantages of this method are obvious - you don’t need to delve into the BIOS, you don’t need to return the BIOS settings back later (although this is not always necessary), and it’s enough to call this menu just once, since after you start installing Windows, this will no longer be needed. Additionally, using the "Boot Menu" does not change the BIOS or UEFI settings.
7. Download problems
Friends, due to the fact that many people had problems loading when installing Windows and some wrote about it in the comments, I decided to make a separate section where I collected methods known to me to solve these problems.
- If the computer stops booting at the very beginning and asks you to press F1, after which it enters the BIOS, then you most likely either have a low battery on the motherboard (the timing may be off), problems with the processor cooler (failure, not connected there) or hard drive (errors in SMART).
- If, when you turn on your PC, the message “Reboot and Select proper Boot device or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key” appears, this means that the boot area on the disk or flash drive is not found or is damaged. Try booting from installation disk or a flash drive using the Boot Menu (section 6 of the article), if that doesn’t help, make the bootable media again using the “Windows USB/DVD Download Tool” utility.
- If, after restarting the computer, the Windows installation starts from the beginning, then remove the boot disk or flash drive and restart the computer, the installation should continue from the hard drive.
- Disconnect all unnecessary USB devices (flash drive, 3G modem, smartphone, printer) from the computer. You only need to leave the mouse, keyboard, DVD or flash drive from which you are installing Windows.
- If you have several hard drives, then disconnect all drives from the motherboard, except the one on which Windows will be installed.
- Reset BIOS settings to default (described in this article).
- If the installer does not see the disk or error 0x0000007B appears at the end, change the SATA controller mode in the BIOS from AHCI to IDE or vice versa.
- If every time you boot your computer or laptop itself enters the BIOS or opens the boot menu, then set the Boot Pop Menu option in the BIOS to Disable (if any).
- Disable Fast Boot in the Advanced section of the BIOS, and in the Boot section set the Launch CSM option to Enable (if available).
- In the Boot section of the BIOS, change the boot mode from EFI (UEFI) to Legacy (if available).
- Set the Secure Boot option in the BIOS to Disable (if available).
- Select the version of Windows you are installing in the BIOS (if any).
- If you have a laptop, one version of Windows is installed, but another is not, and the advice on setting up the BIOS did not help you, then contact support or the manufacturer’s forum. Updating the BIOS may also help, after which additional options may appear in it (sections 8-12).
- If possible, from a DVD, since there are many different problems with flash drives.
- Make from .
- Insert the flash drive into the USB 2.0 connector on the back of the computer (motherboard) or the USB 2.0 connector of the laptop. Booting from USB 3.0 does not always work.
- Try using the Boot Menu, as described in paragraph 6 of this article. This method is simpler and more reliable than setting boot priority in the BIOS and you can determine whether the computer sees your flash drive.
- An underscore on a black screen indicates that the computer freezes while accessing a flash drive or hard drive. If the download continues without a flash drive, then that’s definitely the problem.
- If the computer does not see the flash drive or does not want to boot from it, use a DVD or other flash drive for installation.
- If this is not possible, then change the type of flash drive from " removable media" to the "hard drive" using the "BootIt Next Generation" utility, format it with the "HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool" utility and make it bootable again using the "Windows USB/DVD Download Tool". You can download all these utilities below in the “Links” section.
- If the problem occurs after selecting the Windows installation partition, then use the tips for setting up the BIOS (sections 7-12). When installing, remove old partitions from the disk or do it using a bootable Acronis disk Disk Director.
- If the installer reports that it cannot install Windows on the disk, then try running it or back.
Let me remind you that to exit the BIOS and save the settings, use the F10 key.
8. Links
In the following articles we will look at how to install, and.
Sandisk Cruzer
Transcend JetFlash 790 8Gb
Sandisk Cruzer
The massive transition to UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) has already begun. Microsoft requires this interface to be used on all computers that will ship with Windows 8. More precisely, we are talking about UEFI with the Secure Boot feature. At the same time, only “eight” can work on such PCs without problems: neither Windows XP nor “seven” can be installed on a UEFI machine without additional manipulations. From a flash drive Linux Live or Windows won't boot either. What exactly can happen if you try to start with installation flash drive on a laptop Sony VAIO, shown in the picture above. And the problems with UEFI don't end there. Each hardware manufacturer configures UEFI at its own discretion, thereby creating unnecessary difficulties for the user. The IdeaPad laptop from Lenovo was not able to recognize the same flash drive as boot media at all. At the same time, Lenovo has nothing to reproach: the fact is that the bootable flash drive is formatted in file system NTFS, and UEFI does not support booting from such media. If you connect the same drive to an EliteBook laptop from HP, it will boot without problems and allow you to install Windows. The problem is that all the data on the EliteBook disk would be deleted after installation.
Everyone configures differently
Are you confused? No wonder: UEFI with Secure Boot establishes new rules for installing and booting operating systems, and hardware manufacturers interpret these rules in their own way, which creates additional difficulties for the user. Therefore, in this article, we set ourselves the goal of clearing up the confusion around UEFI. Using laptops from major manufacturers as an example, we will tell you how UEFI works, what role the Secure Boot function plays, how to bypass the “traps” set by the new interface, and what you need to use bootable flash drives without fear of any destructive consequences.
How UEFI works
UEFI boots strictly according to established rules. If the OS does not support UEFI, BIOS emulation mode is activated. The process of booting a BIOS-based PC is quite simple: after pressing the power button, the BIOS starts, which checks the status of the hardware and loads the firmware - simple drivers for individual hardware components. The BIOS then searches for the OS bootloader and activates it. This in turn loads the operating system or displays a list of available operating systems.
UEFI-based computers boot in a similar way only until the boot options are searched. After this, everything happens differently. UEFI has its own OS bootloader with integrated launch managers installed systems. For it, a small partition (100–250 MB) is created on the disk, formatted in the FAT32 file system, which is called Extensible Firmware Interface System Partition ( system partition Extensible Firmware Interface (ESP). It contains drivers for hardware components that can be accessed by the running operating system. General rule This is: with the exception of DVDs, UEFI can only boot from media formatted with the FAT32 file system.
UEFI is a complex mechanism
ESP has its advantages: thanks to UEFI drivers and the OS loader, Windows starts faster and responds more adequately to critical driver errors. But the UEFI interface also imposes restrictions: it allows you to install the OS only on hard drives that are marked according to the GPT standard. The latter is not supported by any BIOS version, since, unlike the traditional partitioning scheme (MBR), it uses 64-bit sector addresses. In addition to Windows 8, the UEFI interface is supported only by 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and 7, as well as Linux with kernel 3.2 and higher. Moreover, for PCs certified to work with G8, Microsoft company requires the use of the Secure Boot option. In this mode, UEFI only launches confirmed OS boot loaders that contain drivers with digital signature Microsoft.
Along with Windows 8, only the Shim bootloader (Linux) has drivers with the necessary signatures for Secure Boot. They are not available in other OSes. Therefore, if you want to install Windows 7 or Vista on such a computer, in addition to G8, you need to open the UEFI menu and disable Secure Boot. If you choose a non-UEFI compatible OS as your second OS, you will need to use the Compatibility Support Module (CSM), which can be enabled in UEFI. Unfortunately, manufacturers use different versions UEFI, and sometimes it's difficult to figure out how to disable Secure Boot and go into BIOS emulation mode. We will consider these questions further.
UEFI based PC boot process
Depending on the configuration, UEFI either boots the computer itself or goes into emulation mode of the standard BIOS. Only after this does the Windows Boot Manager start.
Installing Windows on a PC with UEFI and Secure Boot
On a PC with Windows 8 based on UEFI Secure Boot, other versions of the OS can be installed only under certain conditions. The user must select the correct boot mode in advance and prepare the installation flash drive accordingly.
Enabling BIOS emulation mode
Complete confusion: the method for entering BIOS emulation mode depends on the UEFI version. On Sony VAIO (1) you need to activate the “Legasy” option, on ASUS Zenbook (2) - “Launch CSM”.
UEFI setup
Each manufacturer uses its own version of UEFI in laptops and ultrabooks. However, it does not provide access to all the necessary functions. Often, when loading a PC or laptop, the display does not display the name of the button that can be used to open the UEFI settings menu. We suggest doing the following: in the Metro interface, go to the “Options | Change PC settings" in the sidebar and activate the "General | Special download options." After the restart, the OS boot manager will appear, which will allow you to open the UEFI menu. The exception is HP's UEFI, which does not have this option. The following will help: while loading, hold down the "Esc" key. In any case, you must first find out which button allows you to enter the UEFI menu. If you change the boot mode to CSM or Legasy BIOS to boot from a rescue flash drive, you must switch back from CSM to UEFI after the recovery operation, otherwise Windows 8 will not start. But there are exceptions here: Aptio Setup Utility on ASUS computers activates UEFI automatically in the absence of BIOS-compatible bootable media, so you just need to disconnect the flash drive.
Disabling Secure Boot will be required if, in addition to G8, you want to install a 64-bit Windows version Vista or 7. Sometimes the so-called hybrid mode is supported, as in devices from HP, in which UEFI can boot from all bootable media and, if necessary, switch to BIOS mode. In the widely used UEFI version InsydeH2O, this depends on whether the laptop manufacturer has provided the ability to disable Secure Boot or not. IN Acer Aspire S7 this function is not available, and to deactivate it you need to switch from UEFI to BIOS mode and back.
Difficulties with recovery
With the advent of UEFI, manufacturers changed the way they work with the OS recovery system. The “Alt+F10” keyboard shortcut, which was previously used, for example, in Acer models, no longer works or is assigned to other functions. And the “F9” button loads on the new Zenbook not the ASUS Preload Wizard, but the program Windows recovery 8 with extended boot menu.
VAIO Care Recovery Mode Sony laptops can be opened in a similar menu by selecting the “Control Panel | Troubleshooting | Recovery". But if you start the OS boot manager and select “Diagnostics | Restore" or "Return to the initial state", the device will ask you to insert the original Windows 8 disc, which is not included in the package. On Acer models, backup is performed using a pre-installed Windows program, and restoration from backup copy carried out from an external USB drive. However, you must first go to the UEFI menu and specify such a disk as a boot one.
Going to the UEFI menu from Windows
If the function is activated Windows startup 8 with advanced settings, then by selecting “Diagnostics” (1) and “ Extra options"(2), you can access the UEFI Firmware Settings menu (3).
Useful features UEFI
Every laptop manufacturer uses different versions interface UEFI and implements it in the system in accordance with its ideas. The table, broken down by model, will show you where the main UEFI features are located.
Solving the problem: disabling Secure Boot
In some cases, Secure Boot cannot be deactivated directly. In Acer Aspire S7, for example, this function is not available. But if you switch to “Legacy BIOS” (1) and back again (2), Secure Boot will be disabled.
Everything is possible in hybrid mode
HP's UEFI version supports hybrid mode, in which, depending on the bootable media, one of two modes is launched - either UEFI or CSM. In this case, the Secure Boot function is disabled automatically.
Run from a flash drive
Old flash drives for emergency boot and recovery only work in BIOS mode. We will make them UEFI compatible.
USB flash drives in Lately increasingly used as bootable media for recovering or installing Windows. This is due to the fact that modern laptops rarely have optical drives. If you have examined the UEFI settings on your computer, it is recommended that you also upgrade your flash drives. With the advent of UEFI, all existing bootable flash drives can no longer be used in the usual way. For example, if you created a bootable USB media using UNetbootin, you will need to start your PC in CSM mode. The same applies to all old flash drives, since the developers Linux distributions Live (eg GParted) only in the latest, most latest versions their applications began to add a bootloader with UEFI support and Secure Boot functions.
The simplest method is to disable Secure Boot in UEFI, then use free program Rufus creates a UEFI compatible flash drive and then copies it to it latest version GParted.
The Microsoft program is outdated
In a relationship Bootable USB media from the operating room Windows system slightly different rules apply. To be UEFI compatible, they must be formatted with the FAT32 file system. Many users, even for Windows 8, create bootable drives on flash drives formatted using a program from Microsoft, part of the “seven”. However this application by default formats the drive in the NTFS file system, as a result of which the system on the media cannot subsequently be installed on a computer with UEFI. To avoid waiting for an updated program from Microsoft, you can create a bootable drive manually. To do this, first format the USB flash drive using free utility. Then open the ISO image in Windows 8 and copy the files it contains to the media.
But in order for a UEFI-compatible flash drive with 64-bit Windows 7 to boot without any problems, you will need to copy the UEFI boot loader to the desired directory on the flash drive. To do this, using the free 7-Zip archiver, find in ISO image, which contains setup files Windows 7, in the Sources folder, install the archive file Install.wim and open it. After that, copy the bootmgfw.efi file from the 1\Windows\Boot\EFI directory. Then save it to your flash drive in the efi\boot directory and rename it bootx64.efi. After this, you can work with the USB drive in UEFI mode, and you will be able to install Windows 7 from it without any problems.
Creating bootable flash drives based on Live systems
For compatibility with UEFI flash drives must be formatted in FAT32. For example, the UNetbootin (1) program creates bootable drives based on Linux Live distributions, formatting them in FAT. However, the Rufus utility (2) offers a more correct option.
Flash drive for OS recovery on PC with UEFI
Flash drives based on recent Live systems, such as GParted, can easily access UEFI PCs, since their built-in tools - such as GPart (1) and TestDisk (2) - can work with GPT partitions.
Formatting a bootable USB flash drive with Windows
The 64-bit version of Windows 7 can also be installed on a PC with UEFI. If you want to perform this operation from a USB flash drive, you need to format it with using Windows-DiskPart program in the FAT32 file system and make it bootable.
Removing the UEFI Boot Loader
A UEFI-compatible flash drive running Windows 7 additionally requires a UEFI boot loader - bootmgfw.efi. It must be manually copied from the install.wim archive to a flash drive using 7-Zip or any other archiver.
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