How to install Windows 7 on a Surface Pro 1 or any other UEFI-only device

[2W10]

If you have tried to install Windows 7 on a Surface Pro, or a UEFI-only device., you may have noticed it hangs on "Starting Windows" or gives error 0xc000000d, or you might have seen the following message:

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The Surface Pro is a class 3 UEFI device, which means it has no Compatibility Support Module (CSM), which emulates the old BIOS environment. Windows 7 is not compatible with UEFI, which means without CSM, it wouldn't be able to function.

If you had to run Windows 7 on a Surface Pro, the only way would be to enable the Hyper-V feature of Windows 8 and run Windows 7 inside a virtual machine (VM). However, this would limit the resources available and the capabilities such as some of the touch/pen features.

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However, this article proves that it isn't impossible to achieve this. This tutorial shows you how to install Windows 7 on a Surface Pro. This tutorial is meant for the Surface Pro 1, but could work on any other UEFI-only device, which it should, but not guaranteed.

ISO file link: https://archive.org/details/windows-7-surface-pro-1 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Boot the USB. This ISO uses a Windows 10 PE, but has a Windows 7 install.wim.
2. Open command prompt by pressing "Shift+F10"
3. Type in setup.exe /noreboot
4. Go through setup normally. 
5. On the command prompt, type in "diskpart"
6. Type in the following commands:
sel dis 0
lis par
sel par 1 (where your boot partition is)
assign letter w
exit
7. Open up Notepad, and click "Open" or "Save As". Enable all files to be viewed. Go to W:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot and copy the BCD file and paste it onto the Windows 7 partition.
8. Go back to diskpart by typing "diskpart" in
9. Type in the following commands:
sel dis 0
sel vol w
form quick fs=fat32
exit
10. Go back to Notepad, and click "Open" or "Save As". Enable all files to be viewed. Go to the USB drive, then go to the FlashBootPro folder, then copy the "EFI" folder.
11.Go to W:\ and paste the EFI folder.
12. Go to the Windows 7 partition and cut "BCD".
13. Go to W:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot and paste "BCD" on the folder.
14. Reboot. Setup should continue normally.

NOTE: For some reason, Windows will NOT boot if any USB devices are connected. Any time you boot into 7, you MUST disconnect them, boot into 7, then connect them again. Wifi is integrated but doesn't work. You will need to purchase a seperate USB wireless adapter.

 

Proof of Windows 7 working on Surface Pro 1:  

 

[Guest]

great tutorial @2W10! this will help alot for anyone trying to install this on a surface book 1 keep up the good work!