Installing Windows 7 on some computers is not a simple task, especially if compatibility and support problems exist. According to Microsoft, Windows 7 fails to play nice with machines that have an AMD/ATI Radeon graphics processing unit (GPU) leveraging the embedded DisplayPort (eDP) technology. Customers that attempted to install Windows 7 on such computers found that they were unable to complete the deployment.

“When you install Windows 7 on the computer, a black screen is displayed during the installation process. However, the installation is still running. In this situation, you may be unable to complete the installation. If you have multiple displays, only the primary screen is black when you encounter this issue,” Microsoft explained.

The software giant enumerated some of the AMD/ATI Radeon GPU's that are affected by the issues mentioned above, including: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 (PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_9480); ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670 (PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_9488); ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4870 (PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_945A); ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4850 (PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_944A) and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 (PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_9552). At the same time, Microsoft underlines that Apple iMac 27" is among the affected systems.

“AMD implemented eDP support after the Windows 7 DVD was finished. Therefore, the AMD Radeon graphics driver on the Windows 7 retail DVD does not support eDP,” Microsoft stated. “AMD has released an updated driver that fixes the eDP issue. The update must be incorporated into the setup process for setup to complete successfully.”

Microsoft has a simple workaround available, provided that customers own a secondary monitor. In this context, all that users need to do is connect the monitor to the computer ahead of starting the installation of Windows 7. In this case, they will be able to see the setup process to the end, and install an updated driver to resolve the eDP issue via Windows Update afterwards.

In addition, there is a solution designed for advanced users, involving the AutoUnattend.xml answer file and the latest graphics driver and a USB flash drive. “Copy the uncompressed graphics driver onto the USB flash drive. To do this, follow these steps: download the latest driver for your graphics adapter from the AMD Web site. Run the downloaded program (.exe) to extract the driver. The program will prompt for an installation location, such as c:\ati\support\. After the extraction is complete, locate the installation folder that is noted in the previous step. Copy the installation folder onto the USB flash drive,” Microsoft explained.

Users will also need to create the AutoUnattend.xml answer file, by opening a Notepad file and copying the text highlighted in blue at the bottom of this screen. The file has to be saved as AutoUnattend.xml using the UTF-8 encoding format, and then it needs to be copied to the root of the USB.

“From the Windows 7 installation DVD, start the computer that has the AMD Radeon GPU that uses eDP.Immediately connect the USB flash drive after the computer starts from DVD. Follow the instructions to complete the installation process. When the system restarts for the first time, disconnect the USB flash drive,” Microsoft added.

Here is the text for the AutoUnattend.xml answer file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
<servicing></servicing>
<settings pass="windowsPE">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-PnpCustomizationsWinPE" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<DriverPaths>
<PathAndCredentials wcm:keyValue="1" wcm:action="add">
<Path>%configsetroot%</Path>
</PathAndCredentials>
</DriverPaths>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<UseConfigurationSet>true</UseConfigurationSet>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-PnpCustomizationsWinPE" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<DriverPaths>
<PathAndCredentials wcm:keyValue="1" wcm:action="add">
<Path>%configsetroot%</Path>
</PathAndCredentials>
</DriverPaths>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<UseConfigurationSet>true</UseConfigurationSet>
</component>
</settings>
<settings pass="offlineServicing">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-PnpCustomizationsNonWinPE" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<DriverPaths>
<PathAndCredentials wcm:keyValue="2" wcm:action="add">
<Path>%configsetroot%</Path>
</PathAndCredentials>
</DriverPaths>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-PnpCustomizationsNonWinPE" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<DriverPaths>
<PathAndCredentials wcm:keyValue="2" wcm:action="add">
<Path>%configsetroot%</Path>
</PathAndCredentials>
</DriverPaths>
</component>
</settings>
<settings pass="auditSystem">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-PnpCustomizationsNonWinPE" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<DriverPaths>
<PathAndCredentials wcm:keyValue="3" wcm:action="add">
<Path>%configsetroot%</Path>
</PathAndCredentials>
</DriverPaths>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-PnpCustomizationsNonWinPE" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<DriverPaths>
<PathAndCredentials wcm:keyValue="3" wcm:action="add">
<Path>%configsetroot%</Path>
</PathAndCredentials>
</DriverPaths>
</component>
</settings>
<cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:d:/sources/install.wim#Windows 7 ULTIMATE" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>