Backing out of windows 8?

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Daughter bought a laptop that came with Windows 8 and hates it (Windows 8, not the laptop). She can't seem to find advice on how to downgrade back to Windows 7. Anyone know of any resources?

This belongs in the Computers section.

Downgrading to Windows 7 isn't the easiest thing in the world.

I'm assuming it doesn't have a CD drive.

You need to get a Windows 7 ISO from somewhere, not necisarily pirated, and use Windows 7 USB download tool, and burn it to an ISO.
Usually a 4gb flash drive is okay.

Also, you need to enter the bios, and change the boot mode from UEFI, to "Legacy Boot"

Then it should install.

I'm telling you, I know from experience, that the hardest part will be locating all the drivers, as all the laptops I've done, don't have the W7 drivers, and that can take hours, if not days.

IMO, she's best with sticking with W8.
W8 isn't that bad at all, should she take just an hour or two to learn the basics of the OS.

(Thread downgraded from Random to Computers)

Your daughter should just spend a little time learning Windows 8. There’s a learning curve but once you get used to it it’s way better.

Also, make sure she’s run all the updates and is running the latest version (Windows 8.1) where MicroSoft added the start menu back in.

My parents bought a new desktop with Windows 8 last year because their old one crashed & we couldn't figure it out at 1st but I found an program called Classic Shell which can set up the start menu like Windows 7 & it made it easier to work with. I haven't used it much but I still prefer Windows 7 but I can at least figure out how to navigate & do things now

How long does it take to upgrade to 8.1 ?

You get it from the Windows store (just click the store tile). It takes around 30 minutes.

It’s worth learning the new navigation gestures too, you can find plenty of tutorials on YouTube. It’ll only take a few minutes and it’ll make you much happier.

I h8 Windows eight! It didn't even have solitaire! I love solitaire!

You can customize Windows 8 so that you're sent directly to the desktop after a startup, rather than being sent to the start menu. Also, be sure to upgrade to 8.1. Now that I've learned to use Windows 8, I'm never going back to Windows 7. Besides, all the drop shadows, glass effects and all that has aged about as well as Fred Durst.

It has solitaire and minesweeper, they're under the games tile. You have to download them.

You need to disable "fast boot "first(windows 8 doesnt actually switch itself off completely to achieve a faster boot and you need it to turn itself off completely)

After that put on a cd/usb with the OS you wish to install and install it just as you would install everything else

Thanks. She doesn't need to learn to "like it" - she doesn't like it nor does she want Windows 8. She admits she should have checked out Windows 8 before buying it, and now seriously regrets not having done so. End of story.

She's got the shell thing, but there are still features (like some weird widget toolbar that insists on popping up if she goes up to the corner of the screen) she can't get rid of. She contacted Microsoft and they were like "oh, you'll like it" and she was like "no, I DO NOT like it, and I want it gone" and they said, sorry, it has to stay. She seriously regrets not having spent the extra hundred dollars and having gotten one with Windows 7, but says she didn't realize Windows 8 was going to be so lame. And is also pretty ticked off that Microsoft has the nerve to try to tell her what it is she wants by insisting on all the "crap" social media, etc., programming on the machine. Patronizing didn't begin to describe the tone of the message they sent.

It does have a disk drive. I have windows 7. I have all my backup disks. But I'm running a PC. Would backing up my machine (full) and then reloading to hers work? I don't know enough about computers to know if a Dell laptop would run programs from a Dell PC or not. She is wondering if she's just going to have to get someone to wipe the disk and then load the Windows 7 software, but it sounds like, from what Spongy said, she doesn't need to? She's only had the machine a month (a Black Friday special), and has not loaded anything on it other than Firefox.

Thanks.

Maybe she could try to install a Linux distribution.

+1


Alternatively there are some good windows 7 emulators

http://www.pokki.com/windows-8-start-menu

also look at these how to pages

http://blog.laptopmag.com/make-windows-8-like-windows-7

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/pictures-story/461-best-start-menu-for-windows-8.html

if it doesnt have pinball then i will install win 7 when i get my new laptop

+2 on the Linux Distro. For somebody fresh from Windows, I would suggest something with the KDE Desktop environment, as it's close enough to Windows in design and function. LinuxMint KDE edition, (whichever version is based on Ubuntu 12.04) will get you a version based on Kubuntu LTS without the added hassle of having to download Flash and other necessities. --Just be sure to disable Secure Boot in the computers' BIOS/UEFI Firmware.

That being said, if she simply must have Windows 7, theonly thing that I can suggest is to look for a copy of Win7 Professional on eBay. --Again, Secure Boot will have to be disabled.