Windows 10: Let's run Win10 on really really old hardware

Why do you need to run a second instance ???

 

Now this is rather old. I can't think of an older system running Windows 10 without hacking the kernel to bypass NX/PAE support test. Even if the CPU might support 64-bit, because the system is too old, it had very low RAM and there are no 64-bit drivers, I installed Windows 10 32-bit. I did it to test if Windows 10 can be installed in that old system. Of course to be able to run the setup I borrowed an 1GB DDR SO DIMM module from another old laptop.

(The other laptop had 1GB RAM but only an Intel Centrino CPU that did not support NX/PAE. I could hack the kernel and install Windows 8/10 there, but that doesn't count. Also because the onboard graphics was Intel GMA 855G, there is no WDDM driver and it was VERY slow with Microsoft Basic Display Adapter, so yet another reason to stick with Windows 7 32-bit. As already said, hacking the kernel doesn't count.)

So, back to the HP Pavilion laptop... It is an HP Pavilion zv6000 series with the following specifications:

Type: Notebook
Manufacturer: Hewlett Packard
Model: HP Pavilion zv6201cl (P/N: EC367UA#ABA)
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 2.00 GHz (Venice) s939
Chipset: ATI Radeon Xpress 200M (RS480M), AMD Hammer IMC, ATI SB400
RAM: 512MB (2x 256MB) DDR-266MHz PC-2700 SO DIMM
Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon Xpress 200 (RS480M) 128MB
Audio: Conexant 20468 @ ATI SB400 - AC'97 Audio Controller
LAN adapter: Realtek RTL8139 PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter
Wireless adapter: Broadcom BCM4318 802.11b/g Wireless Network Adapter
Modem: Conexant 20468 @ ATI SB400 AC'97 Data Fax SoftModem with SmartCP
IEEE 1394 (Firewire) adapter: Texas Instruments TSB43AB22 1394A-2000 OHCI PHY/Link-Layer Controller
Card Reader: Texas Instruments PCIxx21/x515 CardBus Controller (SD/MMC cards)
Touchpad: Synaptics PS/2 Port TouchPad


Here are the screenshots:


















About drivers: For the graphics card I installed ATI Catalyst 7.2 suite for Vista 32-bit (WDDM 1.0). So I have some little acceleration, but ATI Control Panel doesn't work because of some incompatibility. For other devices I used Vista 32-bit drivers. I might have used an XP driver for a couple devices that don't have a Vista driver, but I am not sure...

Of course this is VERY slow to be usable. I did it as a test to see if it was possible to install Windows 10 in such old hardware. If I want to use it I have to borrow the 1GB DDR SO DIMM module from another laptop to increase the RAM to 1.2GB. By doing that, it starts to respond better so with enough patience can be used. But with the original 512MB RAM you need A LOT more patience!

Can you beat me? Do you have something older "running" (crawling) Windows 10? Let's see it! *Cool

 

Good question - just so you can have both the CPU and Mainboard tabs displayed in the same snip or screenshot - there might just be a joker who thinks it funny to mock up a screenshot that shows a Cyrix 486Dx2 66 supposedly running Windows 10 on a 1996 AMIBIOS - I know it has crossed my mind *chuckle

Thanks for sharing your experience Spapakons. *Smile





NX is included in the Pentium 4 Prescott specs.

I beat you by about 9 months on BIOS date, Spapakons, and it doesn't crawl - it is similar in subjective speed with XP, 8.1 Enterprise trial, and any Linuxes I've tried run OK too. From hard disk, boot times are typically between 55 and 90 seconds. I put the reasonable performance down to the graphics card:






If you had 2GB of memory in the Pavilion it might be just usable - you should be able to pick up a secondhand pair of 1GB dimms for next to nothing from a laptop repair shop etc.
Check for unnecessary hardware conflicts with MSINFO32, and Device manager and disable any problem hardware.

Try to get the best chipset drivers for your AMD system - I know that Microsoft do not install these for Intel chipsets - they make a great difference on CPU cycles and performance.

 

I was talking about the Pentium 4 3.00Ghz Prescott s478 (200MHz FSB version). This doesn't have NX support, or at least my motherboard (Albatron PX865PE or something) doesn't support NX.

I could add 2x 1GB DDR SO DIMM in my AMD laptop, but it's not worth the expense since the screen hinges (is that the word?) have broken and it doesn't stay up. I have to support the screen on a wall or other object to use it. It was a laptop left to me by a customer buying a newer model, so I keep it for tests. I have a better Acer Extensa Core 2 Duo laptop for regular use. Thank you anyway.

As for any clever guy trying to fake the screenshots, he must be very good at it to fake all the characteristics in all the screenshots. Any small mistake and we will catch him! Don't you even dare to try to fool us! *Wink

We could also require a benchmark screenshot. Try faking that!

 

Mystere discussed the Pentium 4 family and sockets - which had a lot of varieties - on the first couple of pages of this thread.

As far as benchmarks, which are always depressingly low, here's my PASSMARK - I did it twice, and came out at 410 in v7, performance test, and 361 in the v8.





just done!

I have a broken screen on my Celeron M 1.5GHz Acer Travelmate, but it runs happily as a print server, and before Windows 10 disabled the modem, as a fax server. Who needs a screen anyway, just use the lid as a dust-cover for the keyboard!

 

The P5 at the model refers probably to Intel socket 775 which is newer than Intel socket s478. As far as I have read only one or two Pentium 4 socket 478 models support NX and I don't think these ever were available in Greece. Of course you also need a socket 478 motherboard that supports NX to be able to install Windows 8 or 10. This is also rare.

Regarding your FAX, have you tried manually installing the XP modem driver from Device Manager? It could work!

 

The P5GD1 is actually an ASUS Motherboard line - with the -FM suffix applied to the model they made for Fujitsu Siemens to put in the Scaleo P Tower PC - it is one of the least functional Motherboards in the P5GD line because it will not support a core 2 duo processor. But you are right about the 775 socket.

I haven't tried to resurrect the modem functionality - I have no phone line where it is located. I'll get around to it one day, but I can't remember the last time I needed to send a FAX - about 4 years ago I think. Since the machine also dual boots XP, I could use that if the need ever arises for sending or receiving FAXes

 

You could do it for compatibility test. To see if the XP driver works in Windows 10. Besides, I would not like any device missing drivers in my system, it doesn't matter if I ever use it or not. I want everything to be working and available at any time.

 

The modem driver is not a problem - Agere AC'97 reinstalled as soon as I uninstalled it, and searched for hardware changes - it was found and installed and no conflict - the problem hardware seems to be the wireless adapter - a Qualcomm Atheros AR5005G that shares an IRQ with it. It's no problem since the machine is permanently wired.

In fact all the drivers are Windows 10 compatible, signed, and work, except the Mobile Intel(R) 915GM/GMS,910GML Express Chipset Family graphics drivers, which became unsupported after XP, but struggled to work until Windows 7. Just Windows 10 puts generics in place where it has them, so you need to manually force the good OEM drivers over the MS generic dross.

When the Atheros is re-installed there is a system interrupt conflict that causes 100% CPU use, and the system does not crash, just becomes unbearably slow and unresponsive.

I also do not want the synaptic touchpad drivers installed - they are just bloat as far as I am concerned - a PS/2 USB mouse is installed instead.

All the devices and drivers work fine under XP.

 

As far as I know there is no WDDM driver for Intel 915GM. If you found one, please share! In Windows 7 you can install the Windows XP driver (XPDM) but this is not allowed in Windows 8 and 10. You are stuck with Microsoft Basic Display Adapter and this makes the system slower that it actually is. Some others suggested forcing a WDDM driver for Intel 945G or similar. I have tried, I didn't manage to make it work. I'm talking about Windows 8 or 10 32-bit. In 64-bit it would be much more difficult.

 

Hello!

Here are the specs:

Motherboard: SOYO SY-6BA+ III slot 1
Chipset: Intel 440BX
CPU: Intel Pentium III 700MHz, 256KB cache, 100MHz FSB
RAM: 2x Kingston 256MB SDRAM PC-133 32MX64 KVR133X64C3/256
GPU: Matrox Mystique 2MB PCI
HDD: Seagate ST310311A 10GB 5400 rpm IDE
DVD-ROM: LG GDR8164 12X52

How I did it:











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I didn't! This machine does not support NX/PAE, you must hack the kernel and that doesn't count!

Happy April Fool's day everyone! *Party*Party*Party*Party *Tongue*Tongue*Tongue*Tongue

PS: I did install Windows 7 32-bit in a similar setup (no NX/PAE support required) but it is as slow as hell! I did it just for experiment if it can be done.

Proof:

 

LOL.... You got me... *Cool

 

Doc informed me he, however, had read the same on this forum (spapakons' message)....I would presumably not be in urgent need of any medication other than what doc himself was perhaps on ....My revered socket 939 Athlon 64 90nm dual core Win7Ulti64 desktop machine throws up at the sight of the Windows10 free upgrade on behalf of CompareExchange128 incompatibilities for this chip.I would like for spapakons to reveal to us his method of installing Win10 on such an incompatible platform.... without kernel hacks or CPUz dumps hauled through a LSD graphics filter,or by Thor & Wodan I'll bust an ungodly greek collumn... if I can lift that big a hammer.Sincerely, an impatient free upgrader, .

 

Hello! If you read carefully, you will see that I installed Windows 10 Pro 32-bit, since:
1) The machine has only 512MB RAM (I had to add more to reach 1GB to install Windows 10), so there is no point going 64-bit
2) There are hardly Windows Vista 32-bit drivers for that machine, so for maximum compatibility I preferred 32-bit. I would never be able to find drivers for 64-bit and I wouldn't like to use generic Microsoft drivers (assuming they exist).
3) Some may claim Windows 64-bit is faster when installed on the same hardware than 32-bit, but I doubt this is the case, at least not when RAM is less than 4GB.

So I did no magic. The CPU and motherboard supports NX/PAE, it is over 1GHz, RAM was added to make it at least 1GB, so it passed the minimum requirements and I could do it. And there is no secret that the true minimum RAM is 512MB, so after removing the extra module, the computer could boot with only 512MB RAM, but it is too slow to use. Microsoft forces the minimum 1GB RAM by not letting you proceed with the installation, but the true limit is 512MB. In Windows 7 you are even allowed to (clean-install only) install Windows with only 512MB, but it will take over an hour to complete.

If you have any further questions, let me know.

 

Hello spapakons, thanks for the swift reply.My reading qualities leave things to be desired. Can you confirm or deny that you:-installed Win10 InPlace via microsoft online repository over exisiting Vista32 edition,-installed pre-November2015 release FRESH from DVD after using Microsoft Media Creation tool that is no longer available for download,-installed from DVD (purchased from Microsoft).- in your opinion, it does not matter if Athlon64 / socket 939 does not support CompareExchange128 if installing a 32 bit version of Windows 10 Pro.... 32 bit Win10 will install without it? [Microsoft help pages wish to stay hazy on the subject]----My Athlon 64 also supports NX/PAE according to Technet Sysinternals Coreinfo.To my knowledge your Athlon64 Laptop nor my Athlon64 desktop supports CMPXCHG128, only CMPXCHG8 and CMPXCHG16 are supported in these CPU's.My InPlace upgrade offer is always terminated on behalf of the CMPXCHG128 issue.I consider Win10Pro little more than a SP2 release for Win7Ultimate, otherwise it would not be Ultimate nor free, the Win8 releases Playmobile versions of 7, (I may have heard SP2 was a working title within Microsoft, the ' free' aspect forcing old hardware out of existence) but that is another discussion.----------------------------------------------------------------------