Hi,
Please excuse me if this is a very basic question..but I have this doubt. I am yet to buy Samsung NVMe SSD so this is more of a ‘what if’ question.

Let’s say I have Samsung 960 EVO NVMe SSD connected to M.2 slot and I wish to install Windows 7 on to it.

One method is of course slipstream the MS Hotfixes into Boot.Wim (Index 1 & 2) & Install.wim (applicable Index matching your version of Windows 7, and also slipstream other USB xHCI drivers) and allow the Windows setup to seamlessly detect NVMe drive during boot & setup GUI. A very detailed procedure is given here.

However what I am wondering is, can I totally skip MS Hotfixes, and just rely on Samsung’s Pure drivers (INF,SYS, CAT files). The method I plan to use is to put them on CD or Pen drive and then load during ‘Load Driver’ GUI prompt when Windows would fail to detect storage device. Will this method detect NVMe drive and proceed with installation?

Are MS Hotfixes (2990941 & 3087873) absolutely a must to detect NVMe device on Windows 7 before vendor specific drivers can be installed?

Are Samsung vendor specific pure drivers some sort of boot type drivers that need to start with Windows kernel or can they be safely used later during later GUI stage, 'Load Driver' prompt during setup?

I did consult Samsung support in my country, but they refused to answer once I told them that I have actually extracted the pure drivers (INF,SYS,CAT etc) from the exe. They seem to expect users to just run the EXE on top of Windows. Which means I need to first install Windows 7 on a standard SATA device, then run Samsung driver EXE, then attach NVMe drive and then clone the disk and disconnect SATA drive!

Thanks and regards.

Zitat von rohitg im Beitrag #1

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Are MS Hotfixes (2990941 & 3087873) absolutely a must to detect NVMe device on Windows 7 before vendor specific drivers can be installed?

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Zitat von Fernando im Beitrag #3

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@rohith:
Since the NVMe Controller of the Samsung 960 EVO SSD is fully supported by the "pure" 32/64bit Samsung NVMe drivers v3.0.0.1802 WHQL for Win7, it should be no problem to get full access to the NVMe SSD from scratch by integrating the driver into the Win7 Image.
You can find these "pure" Samsung NVMe drivers >here<.

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So all this universal NVMe driver shall be used.

@Mov AX, 0xDEAD

Zitat von Mov AX, 0xDEAD im Beitrag #2

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Zitat von rohitg im Beitrag #1

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Are MS Hotfixes (2990941 & 3087873) absolutely a must to detect NVMe device on Windows 7 before vendor specific drivers can be installed?

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Hi

Let see what is kb2990941. Fix update classpnp.sys (ver.18615 & 22823), storport.sys (ver.18615 & 22823) and install new driver "MS Standard NVM Express Controller" (stornvme.sys), Kb3087873 is update of storport.sys to ver. 18969 & 23172. If you plan install Samsung drivers, you no need for ms driver.
Remaining updated classpnp.sys (ver.18615 & 22823), storport.sys (ver.18615 & 22823 & 18969 & 23172) is big question. I think w7 will not load properly vendor's drivers with old version of these sys files.

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But those drivers can be extracted or not from those hotfixes? And just use the latest versions. There is something like driver backup utility will it work?