How to get rid of windows 8 and install windows 7?

[Largey]

Just bought myself a new laptop and i absolutely HATE windows 8. I cant stand the elementary format of it. Can someone please walk me through how to go from windows 8 back to windows 7 PLEASE?!

[Darrian]

If the laptop came with Windows 8 then you aren't going "back" because you never upgraded. If you want to install Windows 7 you're going to have to buy yourself a Windows 7 install disc if you don't already have one. You can probably still find an OEM copy on Newegg for probably somewhere in the vicinity of $100 for Pro. Then you can boot off the disc, wipe your hard drive and install Windows 7. There are other ways of getting Windows 7, of course, but that can't be discussed.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

first of all do you have a windows 7 disk and key?

all you should have to do is go into the metro control panel and look for the option to disable secure boot (not even sure if you have to do this) then all you should have to do is pop in your Windows 7 disk and reboot into the installer

if I may ask, what is it that you don't like about Windows 8? if it's only the new start screen may I recommend Start8 rather than downgrading to 7?

If the laptop came with Windows 8 then you aren't going "back" because you never upgraded. If you want to install Windows 7 you're going to have to buy yourself a Windows 7 install disc if you don't already have one. You can probably still find an OEM copy on Newegg for probably somewhere in the vicinity of $100 for Pro. Then you can boot off the disc, wipe your hard drive and install Windows 7. There are other ways of getting Windows 7, of course, but that can't be discussed.

why would he need to do that and spend so much more. new windows 8 computers have downgrade rights for which they don't need to pay more http://lifehacker.com/5974318/downgrade-your-new-windows-8-computer-to-windows-7-for-free

[Largey]

first of all do you have a windows 7 disk and key?

all you should have to do is go into the metro control panel and look for the option to disable secure boot (not even sure if you have to do this) then all you should have to do is pop in your Windows 7 disk and reboot into the installer

if I may ask, what is it that you don't like about Windows 8? if it's only the new start screen may I recommend Start8 rather than downgrading to 7?

why would he need to do that and spend so much more. new windows 8 computers have downgrade rights for which they don't need to pay more http://lifehacker.co...dows-7-for-free

Everything is to public for me and its to simplistic and just doesnt go well with me

[Brandon H Supervisor]

Everything is to public for me and its to simplistic and just doesnt go well with me

what do you mean too public? and I'm guessing when you say simplistic you mean the full screen start screen apps?

check out start8 that i posted, besides the lack of glass effect in the theme, with start8 installed it's just like running windows 7 except you still get the good improvements that were made to the desktop

[Sadelwo]

OP, why don't you just use Start8, Classic Shell or one of the million other Start Menu programs? If the interface is your concern get one of those and be done with it. All my software and games run super fine on 8, file copy is awesome, takmanager is pretty powerful and there are other many gems in the OS to be found, not counting the incredible stability of the platform. I wouldn't downgrade just on the basis of looks which can be changed when the OS itself has so much going for it.

[Darrian]

I agree, he should give Windows 8 a try w/Start8. Didn't know he could get Win 7 for free, and if he can do so then more power to him.

I don't know wtf he means by too public, or simplistic (a lot of people think Win 8 in its default state is more difficult than before to navigate lol).

[mrp04]

I agree, use one of the many available (and free) options to get a start menu back if you really hate the start screen that much.

But just to let you know, you don't need to use the full screen apps. Just unpin them all from the start screen and just use the start screen the same you would use the start menu, to search and launch programs. Once your on the desktop interface, it won't take you back to the modern UI unless you want to go there. I don't even know the last time I launched a modern app on my desktop computer. I just stick to the desktop UI which is the same as 7.

[DavidM]

Just bought myself a new laptop and i absolutely HATE windows 8. I cant stand the elementary format of it. Can someone please walk me through how to go from windows 8 back to windows 7 PLEASE?!

I understand, I finally got tired of Windows 8 on my laptop today, I went back to Windows 7 on my desktop about a month ago.

Everything is to public for me and its to simplistic and just doesnt go well with me

I will have to agree with the others, please give Windows 8 a good couple of weeks, unless your laptop is "mission critical"...

I had to go back to Windows 7 due to the lack of the ability to change the font. Segoe UI either looked too small or too fuzzy and was giving me headaches. I need a mono spaced font or it just looks like it runs together, but barring that I liked Windows 8 with Classic Shell/Menu.

Good Luck.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

I understand, I finally got tired of Windows 8 on my laptop today, I went back to Windows 7 on my desktop about a month ago.

I will have to agree with the others, please give Windows 8 a good couple of weeks, unless your laptop is "mission critical"...

I had to go back to Windows 7 due to the lack of the ability to change the font. Segoe UI either looked too small or too fuzzy and was giving me headaches. I need a mono spaced font or it just looks like it runs together, but barring that I liked Windows 8 with Classic Shell/Menu.

Good Luck.

this is a little off topic but you can still change font in windows 8, it's just nowhere near as easy as 7 as you can only do it through the registry in 8 for whatever reason

[Largey]

This thing is beautiful. But the download link isnt working now .-.

[Boo Berry]

Yeah, I recommend looking at Start8 or StartIsBack. That way you can completely avoid the start screen stuff if you don't want that stuff.

[Largey]

I bought start8 and i absolutely love it!

[Brandon H Supervisor]

I bought start8 and i absolutely love it!

glad you like it. much easier solution to having to reinstall a new OS :)

[DavidM]

this is a little off topic but you can still change font in windows 8, it's just nowhere near as easy as 7 as you can only do it through the registry in 8 for whatever reason

Yes, but #1, I shouldn't have to "hack" a new font into place and #2, using a mono space font screws up the sizing of menus and text boxes.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

Yes, but #1, I shouldn't have to "hack" a new font into place and #2, using a mono space font screws up the sizing of menus and text boxes.

touche

[Eric Veteran]

[Thread cleaned]

Stay on topic and do not derail threads with unrelated discussions, especially when someone is requesting assistance.

[+BudMan MVC]

"If the laptop came with Windows 8 then you aren't going "back" because you never upgraded. If you want to install Windows 7 you're going to have to buy yourself a Windows 7 install disc"

Not so sure about this statement - http://www.microsoft...ade_rights.aspx

I have not bothered too look great detail, but from that page and this sure looks like you have the legal right to downgrade if your PC came with w8

Now the media to do so might be an issue? But lets forget the legal aspects and just get to the tech side. I ran into with a laptop just recently from asus. Now they clearly had the drivers on the website for the laptop for w7 x32 and 64. But it was a bit of a pain to actually get w7 installed with the bios changes and no optical drive, etc.

So its easy enough to create a w7 usb boot drive. But had to make some changes in the bios to boot the usb, and then turn off secure boot, etc. Its prob best to look up the details of putting w7 back on your specific laptop. I found some great instructions for the specific laptop I was working with a simple google.

I would have to guess you will find pretty much every single computer shipping with w8 -- someone is going to want to put w7 back on it, and more than likely there will be instructions on how to do that out there.

I kind of breezed over the thread - what is the specific laptop? If its asus x501a I could walk you through since I just did it on that model ;)

I have no desire to run w8 - I will run it via vm to play with the things I need to play with to understand it to a point where I can help users with it, etc. Many users are in the same boat - If you have the legal right to downgrade, you would think makers could make users very happy with the ability to install either when you first boot the thing up. They could play with it for a while, but if they want to go back - click click and they should be able to put w7 on it. It sure looks to me this what MS says about it - Seems clear cut from my above page snip. But a PC with w8, have legal right to downgrade it and at my choice later move it to w8 if so desired.

This should be something every pc maker does when shipping new PCs with the lastest and greatest OS on it. Let the user decide which they want to install.

[Largey]

"If the laptop came with Windows 8 then you aren't going "back" because you never upgraded. If you want to install Windows 7 you're going to have to buy yourself a Windows 7 install disc"

Not so sure about this statement - http://www.microsoft...ade_rights.aspx

I have not bothered too look great detail, but from that page and this sure looks like you have the legal right to downgrade if your PC came with w8

Now the media to do so might be an issue? But lets forget the legal aspects and just get to the tech side. I ran into with a laptop just recently from asus. Now they clearly had the drivers on the website for the laptop for w7 x32 and 64. But it was a bit of a pain to actually get w7 installed with the bios changes and no optical drive, etc.

So its easy enough to create a w7 usb boot drive. But had to make some changes in the bios to boot the usb, and then turn off secure boot, etc. Its prob best to look up the details of putting w7 back on your specific laptop. I found some great instructions for the specific laptop I was working with a simple google.

I would have to guess you will find pretty much every single computer shipping with w8 -- someone is going to want to put w7 back on it, and more than likely there will be instructions on how to do that out there.

I kind of breezed over the thread - what is the specific laptop? If its asus x501a I could walk you through since I just did it on that model ;)

I have no desire to run w8 - I will run it via vm to play with the things I need to play with to understand it to a point where I can help users with it, etc. Many users are in the same boat - If you have the legal right to downgrade, you would think makers could make users very happy with the ability to install either when you first boot the thing up. They could play with it for a while, but if they want to go back - click click and they should be able to put w7 on it. It sure looks to me this what MS says about it - Seems clear cut from my above page snip. But a PC with w8, have legal right to downgrade it and at my choice later move it to w8 if so desired.

This should be something every pc maker does when shipping new PCs with the lastest and greatest OS on it. Let the user decide which they want to install.

Actually i attempted to do the same thing with a windows 7 boot disc i spent a few hours trying to do so, and i just gave up then i came back onto here and found Start8 a program that masks windows 8 interface to feed the people who wish to depend on the solely the Desktop feature that windows 8. This program allows you to boot to desktop at all times, and will adjust some apps that are made for the other interface to fit your desktop :)

[+BudMan MVC]

Well it sure shouldn't take hours ;) It took minutes once looked in the bios and changed the settings required to allow it to boot the USB and not dick with secure ****. Longest part of the process was installing the drivers from the maker once got w7 installed and booting.

And the way the drive was partitioned was crazy - how many freaking parts do you need for "recovery" I really don't get the point of the HDD recovery **** to be honest. If the machine is not booting, then let me boot from media to run tools, restore the OS, etc. I don't need 6 freaking partitions on the disk to allow for recovery and tools. Which are completely useless to me if the part of the machine having an issue is the HDD ;)

If your still looking to put 7 on it - what is the specific hardware?

[*RedBull*]

As I was saying... can't go back to something you didn't have. Format and install Windows 7 is your only option if you want to "go back". What did you not like about Windows 8? I have no problems and it works for me. But I feel your pain so here's a picture of a grey donkey.

[*RedBull*]

As I was saying... can't go back to something you didn't have. Format and install Windows 7 is your only option if you want to "go back". What did you not like about Windows 8? I have no problems and it works for me. But I feel your pain so here's a picture of a grey donkey.

Actually, Budman is probably right. You should follow what he said.

[-T- Member]

I dunno why so many have a boner over the start me u, I went back to work today after a couple months off, and hated using the clunky old thing. Granted it was XP and I hate having to use that most of the time anyway.

Glad to see start8 made you happier without reverting away from the OS

[Torolol]

if you have the win7 install disc,

and you absolutely sure that you wont be needing any metro-apps,

and you doesn't mind experimenting with your current windows 8 installation,

you might want to try: Windows 7 explorer for Window 8

[Darrian]

Not so sure about this statement - http://www.microsoft...ade_rights.aspx

There's a difference between downgrading and going back. He didn't start with Windows 7, so he can't go back to it. I'm not sure why that needed clarification.