How To Format Windows 8.1 To Windows 7

If you're fed up with the Windows 8 operating arrangement that came on your new laptop, and just want to switch dorsum to Windows 7, I've got good news, and bad news. The good news is that it is possible. You can remove Windows 8, install Windows 7, and go well-nigh your life as if Windows 8 never happened. The bad news is that it's a complicated endeavor.

In add-on to the expected BIOS wrangling, drive formatting, and reinstalling device drivers, Microsoft has really added extra layers of complexity. The BIOS has the added obstacle of the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). Drives are partitioned and protected so that it's difficult to repossess all of the infinite on your difficult drive. And finally, manufacturers are spotty at all-time when it comes to offering Windows 7 drivers and rarely back up users in making the switch. The issue is a snarled Gordian Knot of complications, merely in that location'south not necessarily a sword available to simplify the effect. This guide, however, should help you navigate the many twists and turns.

If you don't want to remove Windows 8 completely but still want to have your familiar Windows 7 experience, want to avoid compatibility issues with programs and games, or need a feature that's gone missing in the new Bone, there are other options. Your best bet is really running Windows 7 on a virtual automobile—and we tin can suggest several.

If y'all're ready to embark on the journey dorsum to Windows 7—it feels wrong to just call it a downgrade—so assemble your supplies, muster your courage, and permit's dive in.

A Few Words of Warning
Microsoft does offer downgrade rights, complete with back up services and a clear downgrade path to Windows 7, but but for systems with Windows 8 Pro. If you've just got plain one-time Windows 8—and most mainstream systems practise—you're on your own. Switching betwixt the two operating systems is still very achievable, but you'll be doing it without Microsoft's approving.

Related to this, you may also run into problem getting back up from your manufacturer, equally most do not provide legacy support for Windows 7 on systems that were factory-shipped with Windows 8. This extends to drivers. You'll need to do your homework as to what your devices are, what drivers they require, and whether or not there are Windows 7 drivers available. Unfortunately, this volition vary from model to model, and even from one configuration to the adjacent.

Drivers, Fill-in, What You Need

Do Your Commuter Homework
Beginning by opening the device managing director in your control panel. It will provide you with a list of all the different devices institute on the system, from touchpad and keyboard to networking and Wi-Fi adapters. Don't skip this step, because you tin't utilise the device without a working driver—pregnant that without the proper drivers, you can hands find yourself stuck with a nearly unusable machine.

Past earthworks into the properties of each device individually, y'all should be able to notice the specific part model name, and data about the drivers. Some searching online volition assist y'all detect whether or non Windows 7 drivers are available for each part, just you will frequently need to track do each driver individually. The one exception to this is when the manufacturer offers 2 versions of the same model PC—both a Windows viii configuration, and a Windows 7 version.

The showtime place to cheque is the PC manufacturer's production support page. By looking upwards your specific PC model number, you should be able to locate a list of all the needed drivers for the laptop'south hardware. If you're lucky, the manufacturer support page includes drivers for both Windows 8 and Windows vii, giving you everything you need for your entire PC. With one of our test PCs, this was all nosotros needed to do, because all the device drivers were available.

If not, yous'll need to accept information technology one device at a time. Find the name of the manufacturer for each device and search for that visitor's website, which should have its own driver download page. If even this doesn't seem to help, you can ever fire upward your search engine and search for "[Device name] + Windows 7 Commuter." That should bring up enough of resources.

Exist enlightened, however, that for some newer devices, drivers may not exist available for Windows 7 and older operating systems. If this is the case, you may be out of luck—which is why you lot're looking all of this upward beforehand.

Backing Up
Support everything. Tech journalists ofttimes preach the importance of regularly backing up, but this is more than the usual grooming confronting hypothetical disaster—you're about to overwrite your difficult drive. Everything on that drive will be gone. Files, programs, and the original operating organization, all gone. But considering y'all desire to ditch Windows 8 now doesn't mean yous won't change your mind in the future. Additionally, you may desire a way to revert back to Windows 8 should y'all ever demand to accept reward of the warranty—there's worry that some manufacturers will void the warranty on the arrangement if Win 8 is removed.

The learn how to back up your PC to a separate partition of drive, check out "The Beginner'due south Guide to PC Backup" and our guide to external hard drives.

What You Need
First, you'll need Windows 7 installation media, either on disc or on a USB Cardinal. Yes, Microsoft still sells it(Opens in a new window), as does Amazon(Opens in a new window). In addition to your installation media, you'll need a valid Windows 7 Product Key, the 25-digit alphanumeric code used to activate your copy of Windows. If you're installing from a brand-new copy of Windows, you're fine to use the product key that was included, but if you're using an older copy (or a copy of a re-create) you'll need to pay for a new valid fundamental.

Y'all will also demand a USB key (split up from your installation media) with drivers loaded on information technology. This is the result of the aforementioned homework—you actually don't want to install Windows 7 without it.

Disable UEFI and Enable Legacy Boot

Disable UEFI and Enable Legacy Kicking
Dissimilar past PCS, which would permit you access the BIOS at startup, you'll demand to beginning enable Advanced Startup Mode.

Open Settings by going to the Charms Bar and clicking on the Gear icon.

Go to "Alter PC Settings" at the bottom right corner of the screen, below the icons. On the left, curlicue down and select "General Settings." On the right, curl down through the settings options to observe "Advanced Options."

This will close out of the standard Metro interface and open up upwardly a bluish screen with several tiles. Select "UEFI Firmware Settings"—you may need to kickoff select "Tools and Settings" and then "Advance Options"—and and so follow the prompt to restart and change settings.

Upon rebooting, the arrangement should produce a startup carte. Select "BIOS setup." Under the "Organisation Configuration" tab, find "Boot Options." (In some instances, Kick Options volition instead be found under the "Security" tab.)

Once into the Boot Options menu, you lot will get-go detect "Secure Boot" and disable it. Still in the Kicking Options bill of fare, find "Legacy Boot" and modify it to enabled. Y'all will now exist able to boot into your Windows vii installation media. Depending upon whether y'all will be installing it from a disc or a USB key, you will want to change the Legacy Boot Order so that either the optical drive or USB device take priority. Finally, leave the BIOS, saving changes.

Commence Installing Windows 7

Commence Installing Windows 7
With Legacy Kicking enabled and your kicking club changed, you should now exist able to boot into your installation media to begin installing Windows 7.

The commencement thing you'll run across is a prompt to begin installation.

Start the installation process, cull your language and region, and press "Install Now" to begin the procedure.

You'll exist asked to concur to Microsoft'due south software license, and so to cull between an Upgrade or Custom installation. In this case, you'll desire to choose Custom.

The side by side step is to choose the destination drive for the installed Bone. At the very least, you lot'll want to install Windows 7 to your C: drive. If you want to wipe Windows eight completely off of your system, this is the fourth dimension to do it. Select the various partitions on the hard drive and go through the process of deleting each, and consolidating the free space. This all handled in the installer, which gives y'all the pick to delete or format each partition equally it's selected. But beware—this is the Rubicon of OS installation. Once those drives are gone, they are gone, and rebooting the organisation without finishing the Windows 7 installation volition leave y'all with a PC that has no operating organisation. Next, the installer will become through the process of extracting and expanding all of the necessary installation folders. Kick dorsum and relax for a while, because this role is automatic. During this process, the PC will besides restart on its own—don't panic, that'southward merely part of the installation process.

Finally, your laptop volition boot into Windows, and you should see a more familiar version of the Windows logo come up up.

One time you boot into Windows, you'll be asked to provide a 25-digit Product Key. You tin can go along without one, but you'll be forever hounded by warnings about using a pirated version of Windows, even if it'southward a brand new store-bought copy.

Install Drivers from USB primal
Once you've got Windows 7 installed on your system, it's time to install your drivers. As a rule, I always get-go by installing networking drivers—once you've got your Wi-Fi or Ethernet connectedness upwards and running, y'all tin hunt down the balance and troubleshoot online as needed.

Once you've got your drivers installed for everything else (trackpad, graphics processing, USB iii.0 ports, Bluetooth, etc.) do one final reboot. Viola! You lot've now got a pristine Windows 7 PC, ready and waiting for all of your software and files.

Hopefully, this piffling guide has helped yous to navigate the minefield of switching from Windows 8 to Windows vii without the loss of a limb. Enjoy your Start Menu, and bask in the light of a tile-gratis existence, free to use Windows as you always have. With whatever luck, the side by side version of Windows volition be a picayune easier to adjust to.

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Source: https://www.pcmag.com/news/how-to-uninstall-windows-8-install-windows-7-on-your-pc

Posted by: ortiztaide1983.blogspot.com

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