Installing Windows 7 over Windows 8 on an HP Pavilion Touchsmart?

Hey,

I am looking to install Windows 7 from USB over the pre-installed Windows 8 on a HP Pavilion TouchSmart. The Windows 8 came pre-loaded on the laptop when it was purchased.

Specifically, I looked online and followed the steps in the following guide: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2417359,00.asp ; for preparing to install Windows 7 over Windows 8.

Using the above guide I was able to access the "advanced controls" in Windows 8, and restarted the computer in order to access the BIOS.
Once I accessed the BIOS, I was able to disable "secure boot" and enable "legacy support" as described in the above linked guide.

However despite doing this, two issues are being encountered preventing the Windows 7 installation over Windows 8. Specifically, those issues are the following:
(1) When trying to run the installation from the USB while in Windows 8 the following error come up preventing the installation: "Windows setup experienced an unexpected error"
(Running the setup with admin access/compatibility mode for Windows 7 does not resolve the issue)
(2) When turning on the laptop and then using boot order option to load the USB first, and then running the Windows 7 installation from the USB - the Windows 7 installation prompts for drivers, and the Windows 7 installation does not show any of the drives already on the laptop (ie. C:/D:.) resulting in no way to choose which drive to install Windows 7 on since no drives get listed.

How would I be able to successfully complete this installation of Windows 7 over Windows 8?
Thanks,

-NRUserII

 

All of these new Win8-caused system boot complexities sure are annoying, eh? I've just gotten started on that secure and legacy boot stuff myself.

In order to see drives in Win7 setup you may need storage drivers. The storage controller may not be in AHCI or IDE mode and Win7 doesn't have new enough drivers for other modes (or may not have support at all). If it's Intel-based, try the Rapid Storage "F6 Floppy" drivers. Put them in a folder on the USB stick and point Windows 7 setup to them when you get to the select-a-drive screen.

 

Which version of Windows 7 are you trying to install and is it SP1 version? As another poster said you might need to see what your storage controller is set at - I prefer to have it AHCI which is the setting you should have. But see what the setting are in the UEFI are for the storage controller. And you might have to do as swaaye and put the rapid storage inf drivers on the stick and do a F6 to load them first before running the windows install from the stick. Then tell us what happened. I don't have W8 nor reformat a W8 machine to W7 so I can't say for sure what is happening here just sounds like it is missing a driver though to properly format.