Solved How to install Windows Vista on a Surface Pro 1 or any other UEFI-only device

[Kharis Kurian]

If you are trying to install Vista on a Surface Pro or UEFI-only machine, this tutorial is for you.
However, this article proves that it isn't impossible to achieve this. This tutorial shows you how to install Windows Vista on a Surface Pro. This tutorial is meant for the Surface Pro 1, but could work on any other UEFI-only device, which it should, but not guaranteed
ISO file link: Windows Vista (Surface Pro 1) : Microsoft : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive




INSTRUCTIONS:


1. Boot the USB. This ISO uses a Windows 10 PE, but has a Windows Vista install.wim.


2. Open command prompt by pressing "Shift+F10"


3. On the command prompt, type in the following commands:


diskpart


sel dis 0


clean


conv gpt


cre par efi size=100


form quick fs=fat32


assign letter w


cre par pri


form quick


assign letter c


exit


D:\ (where your USB is)


cd sources


dism /apply-image /imagefile:install.wim /index:1 /applydir:C:\


- If DISM doesn't work, go to D:\support\tools\gimagex and deploy the image with gimagex.exe in the x64 folder


bcdboot C:\Windows /s W:


regedit


4. Once you open the Registry Editor, click "Load Hive".


5. Go to C:\Windows\system32\config and select "SYSTEM".


6. Name the hive something other than "SYSTEM", such as "SYS"


7. Go to HKLM\System\Setup and change "CmdLine" to "cmd.exe", and set all other values to 0.


8. Open up Notepad, and click "Open" or "Save As". Enable all files to be viewed. Go to W:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot and copy the BCD file and paste it onto the Windows Vista partition.


9. Go back to diskpart by typing "diskpart" in the command prompt.


10. Type in the following commands:


sel dis 0


sel vol w


form quick fs=fat32


exit


11. Go back to Notepad, and click "Open" or "Save As". Enable all files to be viewed. Go to the USB drive, then go to the FlashBootPro folder, then copy the "EFI" folder.


12.Go to W:\ and paste the EFI folder.


13. Go to the Windows Vista partition and cut "BCD".


14. Go to W:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot and paste "BCD" on the folder.


15. Reboot. You should be logged in to the Administrator account. Narrator is enabled on the device. If the screen is not displaying anything, go to screen resolution and set it to 1024x768. The screen should now work.





Proof of Windows Vista working on Surface Pro 1:

View: https://youtu.be/m_FKbHeq6e4







IMPORTANT NOTE: If you try to install Vista on a SP2 or higher or a post-Ivy Bridge machine, your machine will have a lot of bugs and issues as all Vista post-Ivy Bridge machines do.

 

[wither 3]

Nice!

What does "on a SP2 or higher" in your note mean?

 

[Vistaar]

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you try to install Vista on a SP2 or higher or a post-Ivy Bridge machine, your machine will have a lot of bugs and issues as all Vista post-Ivy Bridge machines do.

More specifically, the “post-Ivy Bridge” issues affect Vista x64. Vista x86 works fine on Haswell.

 

[Kharis Kurian]

More specifically, the “post-Ivy Bridge” issues affect Vista x64. Vista x86 works fine on Haswell.

That is true, except the Surface Pro is an x64 device, and Vista x86 wouldn't work on 64-bit EFI (it is unofficially possible to make it work on 32-bit EFI though), so no need in stating that it's XP x64. But you are correct, only Vista x64 is affected.

 

[Kharis Kurian]

Nice!

What does "on a SP2 or higher" in your note mean?

On a Surface Pro 2 (Haswell) or higher. It will have random bugs and glitches, such as certain services failing to start.

 

[wither 3]

Thanks. I wasn't recognizing SP2 to mean the Surface Pro. Oh well.

 

[Metal-Tom]

Hi
Must be the Secure Boot disabled?

 

[Metal-Tom]

I've tried it in a VM on Hyper-V, and the Reboot won't work

 

[Kharis Kurian]

Hi
Must be the Secure Boot disabled?

Yes.