My Viliv X70 EX comes with Windows XP, and I would like to install Windows 7 on it because XP doesn’t have good support for touch screen devices. Good news is that the Windows 7 drivers for Viliv X70 have been officially out, however, it’s sort of tricky to install the touch screen driver because the driver listed on the official site is not correct.
After some reading and tries I have finally managed to have Windows 7 running on Viliv X70 EX with all features working. Here are the steps I took to install Windows 7 on my Viliv.
WARNING: The following installation procedures will delete your AMI Rescue partition, after the installation, you will no longer be able to use AMI Rescue to restore to Windows XP. If you wanna return to Windows XP later, make sure you have a Ghost image before proceeding, otherwise you’ll have to install it manually through a DVD-ROM or USB flash drive and your AMI Rescue partition will be gone forever.
Things to Prepare
1. Make a Windows 7 installation USB flash drive, get the official tool at
This tool will turn your USB flash into a Windows 7 installation media. Ignore this step if you plan to install using a USB DVD-ROM. I just prefer using a USB flash.
UPDATE: if you don’t know how to use the tool, please check Create Bootable Windows 7 USB Flash.
2. Make sure to use a USB Hub to attach a keyboard and a mouse to Viliv X70, trust me, it’s gonna be a nightmare if you don’t have keyboard and mouse during installation. You can’t enter CD KEYS without keyboard, and you can hardly move the mouse pointer to a specific position with touch screen (because it’s not calibrated during installation).
UPDATE: the mouse is not a must because you may simulate it with jog. Press and hold the Menu button for 3 seconds, the jog will function like a mouse, A is left button, B is right button. A real mouse is more convenient though.
3. Download Viliv X70 Windows 7 drivers from
.
Copy the drivers onto your USB drive so that you can later easily access them later.
Note: ignore the Touch driver, it’s not the correct driver.
Installation Procedures
1. Now hold button B and turn on Viliv X70, this will bring up the Boot Device Selection screen, select your USB drive and go, in the partition step, you’ll see 2 partitions, delete them, then create a new partition to install. Install Windows 7 as usual.
NOTE:
A. don’t upgrade from XP to 7, install a fresh Windows 7.
B. some people like to enter BIOS and change boot device there, I prefer selecting the device during boot time. If you wanna enter BIOS, tap the On Screen Keyboard button when you see the Viliv logo.
2. Now Viliv is running Windows 7, and it’s time to install drivers. Open Device Manager window, there’s an Unknown Device there, update its driver with System Driver you downloaded earlier, reboot.
3. Install Chipset Patch.
4. Install other drivers:
Graphics Driver
WiFi Driver
Bluetooth Driver
Sound Driver
Mobile Partner Driver & CM (this is for 3G module only)
Note: it’s important to not install Touch driver because it’s not Windows Touch compliant, check the following thread for details:
5. Install vilivManager.
6. Now let’s get the touch screen done. Install i-viliv for MID application. Start it and let it install the HID/eGalax driver which is the correct driver for the touch screen, weird it’s not listed on the official site.
UPDATE: I’ve extracted the driver, so you can directly install the driver without installing i-vliv for MID first.
Viliv X70 EX is now running Windows 7 with all features enabled.
Note: if the touch screen driver is not correct, the on-screen keyboard icon will not show in Login screen.
Other Things
1. By default, WiFi and 3G modem can not be enabled simultaneously, to overcome, apply this registry fix:
2. Since the rescue partition was deleted, you can’t use AMI Rescue to recover from system failure, you may want to create a Ghost image for recovery.
3. Don’t install any Office updates before a new driver is released. A recent Office/OneNote update conflicts with the touch driver, the driver’s still there but simply not working. After its removal, the touch screen works again.
34 Comments
Hi, great post. Thanks for sharing your experience. Do you find the inking better in Win7? I’m disappointed by the inking in XP. Writing on the screen is barely usable in OneNote. Thanks!
@Timothy, yeah the Inking is better in Windows 7, I’m using OneNote on my X70, the writing on screen is acceptable if you ask me.
Hi, thank you so much for this informative post. I’m new to this so please excuse my ignorance but I have a couple of questions if you don’t mind. I have a new 16GB flash drive, the USB hub, keyboard, and mouse and I’m ready to purchase and install Windows 7. (Do I need Windows 7 Professional or will the Home version give me the same capabilities?)
Also, I’m unclear about how to use the USB flash drive. Do I download the W7 install tool to the flash, then the drivers, then purchase and download Windows 7 to the flash as well, then plug into my Viliv and install Windows 7 then the drivers from the flash?
@Mari, the differences between Windows 7 versions can be found Here. You need a copy of Windows 7, then make a bootable USB flash drive from it. The details to prepare the USB flash drive can be found Here. When you have your Windows 7 running on Viliv, you can later copy drivers onto USB and install.
Thank you very much George. I’ve spent days trying to figure out how to do this and your post explains it best to me. What version of Windows 7 did you install if you don’t mind my asking? My Viliv X70 is the standard version without the 3G. Will that make any difference?
I’m running Windows 7 Ultimate on my X70, but from what I read on Microsoft’s site, the tablet support (which is the point for the touch screen) should be the same on all Windows 7 versions, so you should have the same experiences as mine regardless the Windows 7 version you run. If your X70 doesn’t have a 3G module, you don’t need to install the Mobile Partner Driver & CM, others the same.
I promise to make a donation for all your help George. One more question (I hope!) before I begin. Do I do all this on my Viliv or can I download the install tool and Windows 7 to the USB flash from another PC then plug into my Viliv to install?
I assume you mean where to prepare the bootable USB flash drive, you may do it on any Windows computer, the tool just makes your USB flash drive bootable and copies all files from the Windows 7 installation disk into your USB flash drive. Yeah I know it’s kinda difficult before a big move, so if you have any other questions, just shoot ;)
Yeah I’m really nervous lol. My standard Viliv X70EX EXP is not the same as the Premium version…
* 1.2GHz Intel Processor
* DDR2 533MHz 1GB
* 16GB Solid State Drive
* Windows XP Home edition, 5.5 Hours Battery Life
* 7-inch WXVGA (1024X600) Touch screen
Would it still be able to handle Windows 7?
Also my System Properties are:
* Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 3
* CPU Z520 @ 1.33 GHz
* 1.33 GHz, 0.99 GB RAM
(Should have bought the Premium version but I don’t really need the 3G.)
Yeah, it’ll work, sorta slow though.
OK…is there anything I can do to make it run faster before installing Windows 7?
This is the exact model I have: http://www.amazon.com/Viliv-Promotion-X70EX-7-Inch-Net-Tablet/dp/B002MZZX6M/ref=pd_cp_pc_1
All X70’s are similar, minor differences in CPU, SDD, 3G, so the same installation may apply on all X70 models. Since Atom CPU is for engery-saving purpose, don’t expect very good performance.
It’s me again George… I have purchased Windows 7 Ultimate and downloaded the ISO file and about to prepare the USB install. I assume I am to enter the BIOS and follow these steps here?:
http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-install-windows-7vista-from-usb-drive-detailed-100-working-guide/
(Not sure how important it is to enter the BIOS. You seem to imply that as optional.)
I’m going really slow with this because I want to make sure I get everything right since I’ve never done this before.
Oh I think I understand. That’s what the install tool does…duh. :)
Uh oh. Got a problem. Windows cannot be installed on Partitions 1 OR 2. Please help!
I want a clean install.
Partition 1 – Total Size 9.9GB – Free Space 1.4GB – Type System
Partition 2 – Total Size 5.0GB – Free Space 5.0GB – Type OEM (Reserved)
Delete or Format Partition 1?
I’m going to wait for your response before doing anything.
I DID IT GEORGE!!! Got tablet, wifi, bluetooth and everything working great and it runs even better than XP did! (Wasn’t interested in installing the Cube.) I figured out the problem I had with the partitions. I deleted both so I’m hoping I can create a W7 image for recovery.
I’m tickled pink because I almost returned my Viliv X70 and I’m sure glad I didn’t because it’s so much easier to use now! I made a donation as promised in appreciation for all your help.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
A fan forever!
@Mari, I was out for real life business so I missed your progress. Glad you made it. Congrats! Yes, the 2 partitions need to be deleted, you made the right choice, and this reminded me adding the partition thing into the post, and thanks for the donation. P.S. You don’t need to enter BIOS to set up the boot device, because you can select boot device during boot.
George I installed my printer and other programs on my Viliv but there’s only 685 MB free of 14.8 GB on my “C” drive. :O I didn’t have a choice to install some programs such as my printer onto my SD card but I’m using Firefox and Thunderbird, Microsoft Origami Experience Pack 2, Norton 360, Adobe Flash Player 10, and a few others. Should I uninstall and reinstall to my SD card? My program files only have 934 MB total.
Well, that depends on your personal needs, if you don’t have enough free space, moving big applications to SD card may be a good idea. I’m using a 32GB SSD so I’m not having this problem at the moment.
I think I’m going to return this model and buy the 32GB SSD. Do you think I can install Windows 7 that I purchased on the new model?
I have the 32GB SSD model now & had no problems installing the W7 ISO on the new model. I didn’t even have to call Microsoft. Got plenty of free space now! :)
George
thank you very much for the guide.
i have a couple of issues though:
1- is there a gps switch or something
2- the camera software does not work, how did you get it working. the camera works though with msn.
3-can the C button be mapped to do something… even better if all the buttons can be mapped
There’s no GPS switch afaik, neither hardware, nor software. The vilivCAM works for me, have to use vilivManager to turn on the camera first. I have no idea whether or not the buttons could be mapped.
also i only get a percentage of how much battery i have left. i can’t get it to give me time
Well, you gotta call Microsoft and ask them why them don’t tell you battery time instead of percentage and if there’s a registry hack to turn on that remaining time display thing :-)
thanks for the quick reply, i did not even see it last night, i though that i would get an email or something so did not even bother refreshing before posting again :S.
the C button on it’s own does nothing for me now… is that the case with yours as well.
how about the battery meter, percentage left or time?
thanks
I have a W7 Disk and DVD drive connected thru USB. I hold B and boot up, I click the USB Drive and enter. The unit simply loads up goes to the normal home screen (I am not sure if this is what should happen or not). When I load up the W7 install disk and it begins and I click through a few screens, where i end up with a message that states “Windows cannot be installed to Disk 0 Partition 1″ from here I have nowhere to go, but to exit out. In some forums I note they state to go into advanced options, but I don’t have any advanced options. What in gods name am I missing.
Joe, you didn’t erase the old partitions and create a new one, do you ? You have to delete them to proceed. In step 1, I wrote “in the partition step, you’ll see 2 partitions, delete them, then create a new partition to install“, be warned that you’ll lose your AMI Rescue feature after the partition modification.
Do you know if the HID/Galaxy driver will work with the Viliv S7? Thanks
Well, I don’t know, because I have no idea if S7 and X70 use sam type of touch screens. But from what I can see, they don’t have a same driver version on official site, so I wildly guess they’re not compatible.
I have managed to get everything else working, however I have not managed to get the modem to work, I cannot find the drivers on the website. I have run the manager which apparently has the drivers on it with the modem switched on, they Are still there as devices with no drivers. I have not managed to get the modem and wifi switched on simultaneously, I have run the registry patch.
Have you got any ideas or do you know of a link to the modem drivers?
Many thanks
John
p.s. I have managed to dictate most of this using Dragon 10 which works really well and pretty fast.
managed to get the manager to work, and managed to download a modem driver which was actually for the Acer this seems to work okay although I can’t test properly yet as where I live there is no data signal. Is the GPS on permanently then? And does anybody know whether you can change what be buttons do, for instance I would like the menu button to activate the cube.
Thanks
John,
Not sure why you’re using Dragon when Windows 7 has a good voice recognition software built in.
I’ve tried both for a disabled client of mine and he and I prefer Windows 7 voice recognition.