Windows 7 "winload.exe" file size?

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UBT - Timbo
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Windows 7 "winload.exe" file size?

Post by UBT - Timbo »

Hi all

I'm trying to help someone out.

They have a laptop that doesn't boot correctly from it's HDD. It might have Windows 7 Home Premium on it, but I don't know for sure.

I cannot find out, therefore, which version of WIndows 7 has been installed on it - and my various Repair CD's don't work - they try to do something, but nothing seems to correct the issue.

I have various types of Win 7 DVDs, but I don't know which one to use to re-install onto a NEW HDD, which will allow the "key" from the underside of the laptop to work. (They don't mind me re-installing Win 7 as I've been able to load the drive as a secondary drive on another PC and copy off the various documents and pictures saved to it).

I've looked on Google and not found anywhere that lists the actual files sizes of the different winload.exe programs, (that actually start up Windows) as I suspect that they are very slightly different depending on which version of Windows is installed.

Anyone have any ideas? Maybe someone who has Win 7 Home Premium still in use can check in their Windows/System directory and see what the filesize is? Also please advise if it is the x86 or the x64 bit version (as the label on the laptop doesn't mention which version it is for?).

regards
Tim

(PS: Of course, I could just buy a key off ebay that should work for 99p (or whatever)...but I think some might easily be bogus and knowing my luck, I'll get caught out).
Woodles
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Re: Windows 7 "winload.exe" file size?

Post by Woodles »

Hi Tim,

How much RAM does the laptop have? If it's more than 4 gig then it's a 64bit version as 32 bit systems can only access 4 gig, no point in having more than that fitted.

My installs were all done from the same few DVDs so I only have three variants and I don't have Windows 7 Home premium my Windows hosts use Window 7 Professional. However, if it helps:

1st variant - 605,552 bytes, file version 6.1.7601.17514
2nd variant - 634,432 bytes, file version 6.1.7601.23207
3rd variant - 633,296 bytes, file version 6.1.7601.23569

All 64 bit versions and with service Pack 1 installed (if it makes any difference)

If you need it, I believe I've got a spare key somewhere but it'll be for Windows 7 Professional 64bit (you're welcome to borrow a DVD)

Alternatively, Microsoft have officially discontinued their free upgrade to Windows 10 but the servers are still active. If you can get any Windows 7 version running then you could install the upgrade (you need to manually enter the product key for the upgrade so I don't think they need an initially registered version)

Mark
Woodles
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Re: Windows 7 "winload.exe" file size?

Post by Woodles »

Re. Licenses, Chris recommended this site when we were building the dual Xeon systems. Windows 7 licences seems to cover either 32 or 64 bit systems so that shouldn't be a concern,

Windows 7 home Premium - £13.99 https://softwaregeeks.co.uk/product/win ... t-key-coa/
Windows 7 Professional - £13.99 https://softwaregeeks.co.uk/product/win ... label-coa/

It's an email delivery so no waiting around for the postman.

They're that same type of license as mine, from a decommissioned system so perfectly legal.

Mark
UBT - Timbo
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Re: Windows 7 "winload.exe" file size?

Post by UBT - Timbo »

Hi Mark

Many thanks for the useful info.

The winload.exe version I have found (on their faulty HDD) is (fiie size) 535,616 bytes (on disk 536,576 bytes) and version 6.1.7601.24149

I've moved on a couple of steps....

I found a nice website which has ISO's available (for free) of many different Windows 7 distributions - this is the All In One distro:

https://softlay.net/operating-system/wi ... nload.html

Plus I've now got a copy of Clonezilla

https://clonezilla.org/downloads.php

So, option one is to clone the old HDD onto a NEW HDD and see if that works. That'll be something I sort out maybe tomorrow.

If it doesn't, then I can now burn myself an All in One DVD and use that to install a copy of Home Premium onto the reformatted original HDD (as a test, as the HDD itself passes various sector tests and chkdsk routines). Then, if one version of Win 7 is installed and doesn't work (with their original key), I can reformat the HDD and try another,


re: The old PC

It's actually a Sony VAIO lapto that can only support 2 Gb of RAM (va 2 SIMM slots), so I'm guessing that the x86 version was provided originally...as there would be little point Sony offering the x64 bit version due to the RAM limitation.

regards
Tim
Woodles
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Re: Windows 7 "winload.exe" file size?

Post by Woodles »

Hi Tim,

Looks like the 32 bit version of Windows 7 has a much smaller filesize then ... or it became much more compact after a few more revisions :)

Good luck trying the different versions.

It appears that Windows 10 would't really be an option with only 2 gig of RAM, the 32 bit version uses 1 gig just for the operating system.

Mark
UBT - Timbo
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Re: Windows 7 "winload.exe" file size?

Post by UBT - Timbo »

Hi Mark

Thanks for the info.

The Vaio laptop hasn't helped me to find out the root cause of the issue with it.

I did find out it originally had Win 7 Home Premium (32bit) installed and moving on from there has been difficult.

As the HDD was on it's way out, the owner wanted an SSD to replace it.

But the Vaio BIOS refused to "see" a brand new WD Green SSD that was plugged into it but it could "see" a Crucial SSD. (There wasn't even an option to switch the SATA connection to the HDD between IDE Mode to AHCI).

I was able to get Memtest86 running off a much smaller 8Gb SSD...which meant the laptop and CPU were working, as was the sceeen and keyboard etc.

But I found that the laptop was overheating, due to the CPU fan having failed. A new (to me) fan was acquired for £3 and I put on some new heatsink paste before the fan assembly was re-fitted. Re-running Memtest86 showed that the new fan was working.

So, all seemed good so I tweaked the BIOS to boot from a USB memory stick.

I then made a bootable USB stick and loaded it with the Win 7 install DVD onto it, but the laptop shut itself down within seconds of loading the initial Windows boot screen (the one with the slowly increasing bar at the bottom).

I then tried the DVD drive and it too caused the laptop to shutdown.

I'm now waiting on a new (to me) Sony mainboard (£25 off fleabay) and then I'll just need to re-populate it with CPU, RAM, WIFI/LAN card from the old mobo and then hopefully it'll work with the new SSD and existing DVD drive and screen.

(I'm assuming that the failed fan might have caused an issue with the original mainboard, which is why it wasn't playing ball with the original HDD).

The steps one has to go through to fault find these sorts of issues really goes to prove that we now do live in a throwawy society, where there is so much integration of parts that it is easier for most people to just chuck something away (even if it has a minor fault) and to buy a new one.

One good thing though is that there are enough "breakers" out there, that obtaining second-user parts is fairly easy, assuming that you know what you are doing to use said parts.

regards
Tim

PS: This'll be the 5th laptop I've fixed....my own Sony failed a few years ago and I've now had 3 Toshiba's (from friends) fail - two which needed new screens and the 3rd wasn't booting after some liquid damage).
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