Need assistance re-installing Win 7 on a Toshiba Laptop

Nimiq1

OK, so Laptop is not mine but I have offered to try to get it running again.

Initial issues were a very slow performance and I do mean slow, took over 45 minutes to boot from off.  Browsing was impossible, took forever to load next page etc.  Tried a restore, to the oldest one on the machine, took all night, no difference.  So decided the only way was a fresh Windows Installation.  This is where it gets odd.  It was running Windows 10, the sticker on the base said 7.  Found out that a neighbour had attempted to speed it up during the Summer by installing Win 10.  Obviously did not work.

So, tried the obvious, the Toshiba Recovery Partition, nope, it was now a data storage partition, the drive also had 2 other partitions, one with the OS and the other with Doc's, Files etc.

Now, this is what I did.  I have a full Disc of Win 7 Home Premium, same as was on the Laptop initially, so my logic says, install this, then hop on the Internet to get updates and the relevant drivers etc and all will be good. Hmm, not quite.

So, fresh Win 7, running fine.  Cant connect to the Internet, no drivers, for LAN or WLAN, no issues, head over to Toshiba to download them.  Get drivers.  Try to install, error, needs DOT.NET V4.0.30319, so find this on Microsoft site, install it, try drivers again.  This time it starts the process, but a dialogue box appears with options to also install McAfee and something else, I decline, looks to be installing but just hangs, forever.  4 hours, still hanging.  Try again, accept the optional downloads, looks to be installing, then up pops a box saying a third party installer failed and the process needs to close.  Tried with none checked, one checked, other checked, both checked, all installations fail.

So, I am at a loss.  Open to any suggestions.

As this Laptop is only used for browsing and e-mails, even considering a Linux Distro, not that I have ever used Linux.....

Any ideas please.

Thanks for reading

EDIT; might help if I mention it is a Toshiba Satellite C850D-107 Laptop

EndlessWaves

If it's windows 10 compatible then I'd go for windows 10, it'll have the drivers included in the installation and is often faster on slow hardware.

As to the issue, it could be a faulty piece of hardware combined with a driver that doesn't fail gracefully, hence the issues when it was installed and when you tired to install it.

You could try installing the drivers one by one.

Nimiq1

How would I know if it will run Win 10?
Can't install drivers as I said they all come with 3rd party add-ons that fail to load as they want to go to the Internet to download, this includes Network Drivers that will get me to the Internet....lol

EndlessWaves

Try grabbing the drivers from the individual hardware manufacturers (e.g. the network chip company) rather than Toshiba.

As it was running Windows 10 I'd assume it's compatible unless it was put on there in a strange way, or the only could say that stuff didn't work even if you were willing to wait for it.

Nimiq1

Well, god knows how 10 was put on it, it makes/made no sense to me.  Anyway, found a WiFi Dongle, which has allowed me to access the Internet and I am now updating Win 7.  176 Updates....lol

So far so good.  Thanks for the pointers though, appreciate any input.

Nimiq1

176 done, reboot, then another 57....lol  Then 7 and so it goes on......
I will get there I hope.

Faust

Lot of effort for an OS where support will end in 11 months time.  As others have said W10 would be better and it's still free providing you have a valid copy of W7