Windows 7 forum: Want to install Win7 on a Win8 Laptop, have a few questions

Why would you buy Windows 8 when there are still laptops with Windows 7 available? You will have to buy a license for Windows 7 after you purchase that laptop. Also, if you have never tried this before, you WILL have problems getting the drivers and making them work. This is better left to a professional. If I were you I would look for what you really want before jumping into this...

I can supply a link where a maker has already done that. Be sure to check for driver and HELPER APP support first.

What is a HELPER APP? Example follows. For example on a Dell you install the drivers for everything but the WiFi may still not work. You need the QuickSet utility (helper app) to turn it off and on.
Bob

I feel the same way you do about Windows 8. I just turned on a new computer yesterday that had Windows 8 on it for the first time, and damn I was lost. Then I started searching the web and found some free programs that can give you back the classic start menu and essentially turn Windows 8 back to Windows 7. Trust me that it is far easier to keep Windows 8 and modify it than to completely start from scratch with Windows 7. I've done the format/reinstall thing before with many computers, and without the right drivers and programs, you're dead in the water and have a nice new paperweight.

Windows 8 Pro supports a downgrade right to go to Windows 7. If you have regular Windows 8, you will need your own product key.

You might also need to disable the Windows 8 secure boot feature, because some computers have it hard-coded into the bios and it will only accept Windows 8 installs unless you disable, hopefully you can on the new laptop.

I found a good article that gives more detailed steps so I don't have to write it out.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2015107/downgrading-from-windows-8-to-7-what-you-need-to-know.html

In order to boot from from the Windows 7 disc, when the computer first turns on the bios loads, there is normally an option to hit like F12 that says Boot Options, and then it will let you choose the CD. Sometimes the bios is set up to try and boot from a CD if possible first before going to the hard drive. You can also set the boot priority in the BIOS.

As far as the hard drive and SSD is concerned, your laptop probably has a regular hard drive that has a SSD cache that makes commonly used stuff faster. It is very rare to have two different hard drives in a laptop. The hard drive and system will automatically move files to the SSD that it accesses the most and will prioritize that. You can tell this is the case because when you go to Computer, it will only show 1 hard drive, not two. Don't worry about this, the computer will take care of that for you.

As far as the drivers, I've heard of people having issues finding drivers for Windows 7 when 8 was pre-installed. Try going to the makers website and the support page and see if you can download them before hand. Windows 7 also does a really good automatically installing drivers it needs on install and start up.

Hopefully this helps!

I agree with a previous poster. If you get Start8 or Classic Start, Windows 8 will look and work like Windows 7. Everything I've loaded and tested so far works with Windows 8. Just be aware that the games that came standard with every prior release are no longer there.

If you try to install Windows 7 on a computer that came with Windows 8, you're just asking for trouble. It's a bit like trying to put a Ford motor in a Chevy. You can probably do it, but you're sending Murphy an engraved invitation to strike.

Good luck.

Outlook.com, Hotmail.com and Live.com. All three sites was blocked by MS. I have Recovery Disks and with www.killdisk.com, cleaned all out and back to WIN7 Home Edition