New computer and windows 7

By Dane
in Microsoft (Windows)

 Share

Recommended Posts

Grand Master

Dane

Posted
  • Author
Posted

The only reason I could see a problem is drivers....if the computer you buy is using hardware that only has windows 8 drivers available then there could be trouble ...spec out a pc, call the company and ask them if the one your interested in can be downgraded to 7

I thought about that, I was just asking incase they wouldn't be able to downgrade it.

Grand Master

sc302 Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

I have downgraded a couple of computer to win7. Drivers can be a pain, but if you know the manufacturer of the driver and the win 8 driver isn't working (which happened to me a few times) I was able to go to the manufacturer site and get the driver for 7.

Mentor

Athlonite

Posted
Posted

The only reason I could see a problem is drivers....if the computer you buy is using hardware that only has windows 8 drivers available then there could be trouble ...spec out a pc, call the company and ask them if the one your interested in can be downgraded to 7

and what hardware today is win 8 exclusive um none pretty much if it can run win8 it'll run win7 you just need to go to the manufacturers sites to pick up current drivers for the likes of mobo, nic, sound, sata (Raid or AHCI) and guru3d for the latest in GPU drivers everything else will most likely use the generic MS drivers that come in an win7 install

Grand Master

Dane

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks everyone for the replies!!

Windows 8 is still lighter and faster than 7, is there a reason you need to downgrade?

I have played around with it since it was first publically available. I cannot get used to it. I have used windows since 3.1. This is the only OS I cannot get used to. So if I can "downgrade" I think it helps.

Grand Master

Inertia

Posted
Posted

Thanks everyone for the replies!!

I have played around with it since it was first publically available. I cannot get used to it. I have used windows since 3.1. This is the only OS I cannot get used to. So if I can "downgrade" I think it helps.

Use windows 8 and a start menu replacement App (stardock start8 is what I use) and just use Windows 8 desktop and dump metro.

The experience is the same as 7, but the performance is a bit better and the gui a bit more modern. Win8 is actually a brilliant desktop OS once you get rid of the fugly interface MS thinks everyone will want to use for some reason.

Grand Master

Astra.Xtreme

Posted
Posted

I downgraded a new HP Envy for somebody and everything seemed to work except for the USB drivers. Only one of the USB ports would work for some reason. Pretty strange.

I do remember that I had to pull out the hard drive and format it before the Windows 7 installer would recognize it. It seemed like HP tried really hard for you to not to be able to downgrade. The BIOS (or UEFI) was really dumbed down compared to any other laptop I'd seen before. Even getting it to boot from my USB stick wasn't a simple task as it should have been.

If you have a spare hard drive, I'd suggest throwing that in and seeing if you can get all the quirks worked out before you overwrite Win 8.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Posts

    • It's about to become harder to turn off your Samsung TV, thanks to Instagram

      By Aditya Tiwari · Posted

      It's about to become harder to turn off your Samsung TV, thanks to Instagram by Aditya Tiwari Meta announced that its Instagram for TV app has arrived on Samsung TVs in the US as part of its latest expansion, giving users one more way to scroll through Reels. The social media giant often comes under scrutiny for the "addictiveness" of its features, which leads people to spend excessive time on the platform. Interestingly, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri described spending 16 hours on the platform as "problematic use" but not "clinical addiction." Mosseri also compared scrolling on Instagram to binge-watching a show on Netflix. Instagram for TV is now available on Samsung TV models released in 2020 or later. The app is already available on Amazon Fire TV and Google TV in the US, which together account for the majority of connected TV devices. The company said it will test several new features to improve the living room and family experience while using Instagram on the big screen. Watching vertical videos on a big screen isn't something many would be excited about. Probably that's why Meta is testing a dedicated home for horizontal videos. Creators will get the opportunity to design content for TV screens and get more ways to reach audiences, according to Meta. If you found an interesting Reel while doomscrolling on your phone, you'll be able to cast it to your TV. The feature is available for testing on Instagram for TV on Google TV and Amazon Fire TV, and it will also support videos from the Saved tab. Instagram for TV will be testing Channels organized around user interests, across genres such as comedy and sports, as well as content from favorite creators. Moreover, you can watch Stories on your TV. While Instagram is known for short-form videos, it's knocking on more doors to keep the audience hooked. The company said it's exploring new content formats for the big screen, including long-form creator content to cover topics in detail, episodic series to build suspense across multiple episodes, and creator live sessions on TV. All of the new updates put Instagram in competition with established giants like YouTube (and Netflix), which already have a robust presence on the big screen. In recent updates, Instagram added the ability to write an individual caption for each carousel image, manually re-order posts, and a paid version of the app.
    • Valve finally confirms Steam Machine prices, starts at $1049 for 512GB option

      By Ready2018 · Posted

      I know RAM and storage prices are high right now, but I think it would have been better to have 1TB as the base level storage, especially as it's supposed to be for gaming. Plus a 2.5gbe ethernet port rather than only 1gbe.
    • Microsoft releases major feature updates for stock Windows 11 apps

      By Neeo · Posted

      I have installed the debloated version of Windows 11 25H2 Pro. I obtained the apps from store.rg-adguard.net. The size of the Photos app window is quite problematic for me; it consistently displays in a 16:9 aspect ratio, resembling a movie theatre screen, and cant remeber its last size and position. The Snipping Tool cannot capture the taskbar. When I select "Window" in capture mode, it allows me to capture menus or individual windows, but I am unable to capture just the taskbar. This functionality was available in version 24! I am on the same version numbers (latesst).
    • Valve finally confirms Steam Machine prices, starts at $1049 for 512GB option

      By RaidenX · Posted

      Think I'll stick to my desktop PC and PS5
    • Valve finally confirms Steam Machine prices, starts at $1049 for 512GB option

      By Jdoe25 · Posted

      I'm already seeing my steam library, still swallowing the 16 Gb of RAM, then looking at the SD storage expansion and saying "what?".

  • Recent Achievements

    • Dedicated
      tuben earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • Week One Done
      mnsgroup earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Conversation Starter
      sumytbe earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • One Year In
      B4dM1k3 earned a badge
      One Year In
    • One Year In
      DarkWun earned a badge
      One Year In

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      511
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      203
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      97
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      82
    5. 5
      neufuse
      67
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!