How to remove Windows 8 and install windows 7?

[PLSG08]

Hey guys!

Recently my Aunt bought a PC with pre-installed Windows 8 and she got pissed off with the UI and interaction with it. She asked me to install windows 7 again (she's paying me to do it so why not?)

Now the problem is that how could I install Win7? I was planning on creating a new partition (I still need to learn how to do this) and install windows 7 there, then Once I boot in windows 7 I'll just format the drive where windows 8 was installed.

would that work?

thanks for the help guys!

[Bo$$]

Back it all up, Run windows 7 setup, format the drive before the install (during setup), and boom perfect setup.

What laptop is it?

[Drone]

Why remove? If they can't live with that ui just install classic shell

[PLSG08]

It's an HP (nearly everything with HP is on win8 now) Do I really need to back everything up? even if she hasn't installed anything yet? she's was only using it for days and got pissed with it.

[BarbaricSoul]

no, if your not worried about saving anything she's done on the laptop, you don't have to worry about backing anything up.

[PLSG08]

Well thanks for the tips guys!

@Drone: would that remove the Metro UI?, since that is the reason why she wanted win8 gone

[Bo$$]

Originally Posted by PLSG08

Well thanks for the tips guys!

@Drone: would that remove the Metro UI?, since that is the reason why she wanted win8 gone

http://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-com...rom-windows-8/

Called RetroUI try googling that before you reset

[PLSG08]

Originally Posted by Bo$$

http://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-com...rom-windows-8/

Called RetroUI try googling that before you reset

Hmm that's quite good...

[Bo$$]

Originally Posted by PLSG08

Hmm that's quite good...

Have a go with that before you install windows 7 may save you the bother

Watch some youtube clips before you buy it

[Drone]

Originally Posted by PLSG08

Well thanks for the tips guys!

@Drone: would that remove the Metro UI?, since that is the reason why she wanted win8 gone

Yes it will turn off Metro. No need to uninstall Windows 8. Four reasons why:

1) HP no longer supports Windows 7

2) There won't be service pack 2 for Windows 7

3) Windows 8 is more optimized than 7. No need to go back.

4) No need to waste your time.


This brings back start menu and turns off Metro

And these 11 alternative apps to built in metro apps.

[BarbaricSoul]

Originally Posted by Drone

Yes it will turn off Metro. No need to uninstall Windows 8.


This brings back start menu and turns off Metro

And these 11 alternative apps to built in metro apps.

Having to do all that, plus learn Win 8 seems like a waste of time to me. I'd probably just do the reinstall.

[vawrvawerawe]

Easy.

1) Back up all your data
2) stick in the Windows 7 DVD
3) Install. Delete partitions and everything during the beginning of the install.

ALTERNATE METHOD:

1) Back up all your data
2) Completely wipe the HDD using the latest version of GParted Live (you have to burn it to a CD and boot into it. You could use it on USB if you are an advanced user)
3) After you finished wiping it, place in the Windows 7 DVD and boot up the PC and install as normal.

[T4C Fantasy]

Originally Posted by BarbaricSoul

Having to do all that, plus learn Win 8 seems like a waste of time to me. I'd probably just do the reinstall.

learn windows 8? theres nothing to learn when u do that, and it takes what? 2 minutes... its worth the time trust me

and depending on your pc specs the windows 7 install can take up to anywhere from 8 minutes to 45 minutes, aka a waste of time, I factured 2 minutes in by how long it takes to download and install pokki, or start8 or w/e u only need 1, he mentioned alt aps because some are fitted to others tastes more

1.) ask your aunt for 20 dollars
2.) spend 5 on start8 < best start menu for windows 8 by far and only one worth paying for
2a.) if money is the issue then pokki is a free alternative, pokki is kind of ugly but it has its own app ecosystem and it can coinside with start8 if u want it to. and pokki is not the best free alternative, I cant tell you that and neither can anyone else, but I would prefer you choose classic shell, last time I tested it, it was kind of bugy but not the kind of buggy that frusterates you.. just the kind of buggy that annoys people like me because everything I use must work seamlessly
3.) download and install <-- 2 minutes
4.) done

start8 starts up to desktop, gives windows 7 like start menu, and lets you customize the hell out of it because of course that's the way stardock is and tada! Windows 8 Ultimate

off note: anyone else like start8 1.01 beta a lot more then the final version, omg the tutorial is so stupid and cluster fucked the beta was just; BAM! heres your start menu u fat bastard! that's the way I like it.

[vawrvawerawe]

Originally Posted by T4C Fantasy

learn windows 8? theres nothing to learn when u do that, and it takes what? 2 minutes... its worth the time trust me

Yeah, it's not hard to learn. It's about preference. Like me, for example, I prefer to despise Windows 8 and love Windows 7.

[BarbaricSoul]

Originally Posted by T4C Fantasy

learn windows 8? theres nothing to learn when u do that, and it takes what? 2 minutes... its worth the time trust me

Damn, that like completely contradics everything I've heard and read about making the swith from 7 to 8.

[T4C Fantasy]

Originally Posted by BarbaricSoul

Damn, that like completely contradics everything I've heard and read about making the swith from 7 to 8.

yes because they like to stick with the crowd, u know what I do? I don't listen to anyone, and I don't read news about windows, because its all about getting their blogs/forums with a lot of hits and popularity and in a sense bring the hate groups together.

what I do; is install it, play around with it, and enjoy it, and I gotta say.. Microsoft did a good job, I use the start menu on my desktop for working on the gpu database here at tpu, currently im at my parents house upgrading their pcs to windows 8 and staying a few days.

im on a Athlon Dual-Core QL-60 cpu
1.75gb ddr2 ram laptop no start menu mod just on it to explore internet

and I boot up in 15 seconds sometimes less

* what I meant by nothing to learn is, there is nothing to learn about windows 8 at all (After) you install any of the start menus.*


PLSG08 im going to help you by providing direct links to everything you need which will be just 1 of the 2, the free option and the buy option
Buy: http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/

Free: http://sourceforge.net/projects/clas...atest/download

[vawrvawerawe]

Originally Posted by BarbaricSoul

Damn, that like completely contradics everything I've heard and read about making the swith from 7 to 8.

For computer savvy, relatively easy but might not like it. For the computer illiterate, there may be a significant learning curve.

[Wrigleyvillain]

Yeah Metro sucks but I like pretty much everything else I've seen and heard about 8. But of course we think that funky UI is crap; it wasn't designed for the likes of us and our hardware. Metro alone is not a valid reason to dump 8, imo. There are ways to replace it as has been documented if you can't spend the time to learn it.

[Solaris17]

Originally Posted by BarbaricSoul

Having to do all that, plus learn Win 8 seems like a waste of time to me. I'd probably just do the reinstall.

i would too.

[BarbaricSoul]

Well, personally, I have my reasons for not jumping on the Windows 8 bandwagon.

1. I like the look of 7
2. I like the UI of 7
3. My computer is a 24/7 cruncher and I've heard of people having problems getting the Bionic crunching client to work properly on 8(serious deal breaker for me)
4. Why would I "upgrade" to 8, only to customize it to look like 7?
5. Boot times are meaningless to me. My computer, like I already stated, is a 24/7 cruncher. That means I don't shut it down, it doesn't hibernate, and it runs at 100% load all the time. Currently, my 2600k computer has been 17 days, 5 hours, and 42 mins since it's last reboot(that's only because of a reboot after updating my Bionic crunching client).
6. I am 100% satisfied with Windows 7

So because of those 6 reasons, I seriously doubt I'll "upgrade" to Windows 8 anytime soon.

[Kreij]

I upgraded to Win 8 for two reasons;
1) So I could learn it and possibly help people if they need it.
2) It was $15, including Media Center

Other than that, from a usability standpoint it's the same after you add a couple of icons (for me anyway).
Also, if your Aunt does not like the Modern UI she is only one click (or touch) away from the desktop.

I will say from a cold boot, 8 takes longer to get to the desktop than 7 did for me.

[T4C Fantasy]

Originally Posted by BarbaricSoul

Well, personally, I have my reasons for not jumping on the Windows 8 bandwagon.

1. I like the look of 7
2. I like the UI of 7
3. My computer is a 24/7 cruncher and I've heard of people having problems getting the Bionic crunching client to work properly on 8(serious deal breaker for me)
4. Why would I "upgrade" to 8, only to customize it to look like 7?
5. Boot times are meaningless to me. My computer, like I already stated, is a 24/7 cruncher. That means I don't shut it down, it doesn't hibernate, and it runs at 100% load all the time. Currently, my 2600k computer has been 17 days, 5 hours, and 42 mins since it's last reboot(that's only because of a reboot after updating my Bionic crunching client).
6. I am 100% satisfied with Windows 7

So because of those 6 reasons, I seriously doubt I'll "upgrade" to Windows 8 anytime soon.

I have 3 great reasons why you should just for the reasons u stated,

1.) windows 8 uses less reasoures, meaning more points getting crunched per hour aka donating more time for a better cause.

2.) the latest client works absolutely perfect in windows 8 since build 7.0.31 and 38 is now available for windows http://boinc.berkeley.edu/dev/forum_...id=6698&sort=5

3.) I have a 3770K and I too was satisified with windows 7 100%, but the thing is.. its a false 100% because u just don't know what your missing until you have it, if someone would have told me hey man when I boot up to windows and my pc tells me the weather, the latest sports scores, other news, and over 500 apps I would say who cares I don't need all that shit im fine with the shit I have now... but its nice to have it.. and withing having to install it... windows 8 does this all for you immediately.

[PLSG08]

Well Guys I told my aunt about the alternatives and she's willing to cope with it. (I still did get paid tho :P )

Now about win8, seeing me as getting a laptop with pre-installed Win8, I just want to boot to the desktop. So far I haven't heard anything bad about windows 8 (except for metro) but I think metro is kinda funky. I just want to be greeted by the lovely desktop.

Oh well I still have 2 weeks of shopping and 4 weeks to wait for the damn computer to arrive so I'll just do my research

Thanks for the help guys!

[Bo$$]

try this method for boot to desktop http://www.extremetech.com/computing...to-the-desktop

[Kreij]

I just let my computer go to sleep instead of shutting it off and jump right back to the desktop as soon as I move the mouse. The only time I see the MUI is if I restart the computer, which is not all that often.