Downgrade Windows 8 to Windows 7

Downgrade Windows 8 Preinstalled to Windows 7

How to Downgrade Windows 8 Preinstalled to Windows 7​

This tutorial will show you how to downgrade your Windows 8 Preinstalled with or without Secure Boot to Windows 7.

We always assume you have made your Factory Recovery Discs using the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Media Creator app the first day you had your new PC, and made a Startup Repair CD/DVD/USB.

• Recovery Drive - Create with USB Flash Drive in Windows 8
• System Repair Disc - Create in Windows 8

Did you make the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disks?

You can order OEM Recovery disks from your OEM manufacturer's website.

You can use the Windows system image.

System Image - Create in Windows 8

Recovery Drive - Create with USB Flash Drive in Windows 8

System Repair Disc - Create in Windows 8




1) Open an elevated Power Shell in Windows 8.

2) Type confirm-SecureBootUEFI






If TRUE, your uEFI BIOS is set to Secure Boot, go to step 3 below.

If FALSE, your uEFI BIOS is not set to Secure Boot, NO need to reset uEFI BIOS. Go to step 4.



3) Reset BIOS to default, and reboot to BIOS make sure Secure Boot is disabled.
NOTE: Check your manufacturer's uEFI/BIOS firmware manual for settings.

   Note

You may also need to
Make sure CSM is ENABLED, & set to UEFI boot.

enable Boot Menu.

enable BIOS password.

Technical Note: UEFI BIOS vs. Legacy BIOS - YouTube

On some OEM manufacturer's the CSM setting are

UEFI = Windows 8 only
Legacy = All OS.
UEFI & Legacy = All OS.



To install in Legacy Mode:
SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation - Windows 7 Help Forums
Clean Install Windows 7 - Windows 7 Help Forums

Startup Options Menu - Boot to in Windows 8
Secure Boot - Enable or Disable in UEFI

   Note

How to reset your UEFI Bios Firmware from Windows 8


Toshiba How-To: Resetting your UEFI Bios Firmware on Windows 8 - YouTube





NOTE: Example above, uEFI-BIOS is from a Fujitsu P400.

New AMI Fujitsu uEFI-BIOS, plus other OEM manufacturer's.




AMI | American Megatrends Inc. : Aptio® V Launch Hardware Showcase

American Megatrends Presents Showcase of Windows® 8-ready Hardware with Aptio® V UEFI BIOS Firmware at “Touch the Future with Aptio V” Launch Event

On Friday, October 5th, 2012

4) Boot from your UEFI 64-bit Windows 7 DVD or USB using the one time boot menu.

   Note

If you do not have a UEFI 64-bit Windows 7 DVD or USB, then you can create a UEFI USB using the tutorial below.

UEFI Bootable USB Flash Drive - Create in Windows

5) press enter on the UEFI DVD drive




6) Follow this tutorial:


UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - Install Windows 7 with - Windows 7 Forums

   Note

For PC's with the 32gb MSATA IRST acceleration cache.
Install Windows on MSATA (SSD) Drive - Windows 7 Help Forums
Install Windows on System with MSATA and ISRT - Windows 7 Help Forums

A) Delete all partitions. (in Drive Options)





B) Remake partitions. (in Drive Options)


How to Clean the HD Drive, using Step one in this tutorial:
SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation - Windows 7 Forums





& than Reboot PC to install.







All Done.

DO NOT ENABLE SECURE BOOT AFTER INSTALLING WINDOWS 7, WINDOWS 7 WILL NOT BOOT.​

   Note

When dual booting with Windows 8 Preinstalled & Windows 7

Follow Step one to five in this tutorial:
Downgrade Windows 8 to Windows 7

   Warning

If you shrink a partition before deleting the OEM Recovery partition, the partition & the new partition may be converted to Dynamic partitions.

Than follow this tutorial: (installing in uEFI mode.)
Dual Boot Installation - Windows 8 and Windows 7 or Vista

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Enable or Disable Secure Boot in UEFI
• How to Do a Clean Installation with Windows 7
• How to Do a Dual Boot Installation with Windows 8 and Windows 7 or Vista
• How to Delete "Windows 8" in your Dual Boot with Windows 7 or Vista
• How to Delete "Windows 7" in your Dual Boot with Windows 8
• How to Upgrade from Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista, or XP to Windows 8 or 8.1
• How to Do a Clean Install with Windows 8 Upgrade
• How to Do a Clean Install of Windows 8 or Windows 8.1

 

[Brink]

Great tutorial Ray.

 

[theog]

Thank you, Shawn.

 

[gregrocker]

Superb tutorial, Ray. We'll use it a lot over at 7F to UPgrade Win8 to Win7.

 

[SIW2]

Nice tut Ray.

The problem with all this - is that it is a bit challenging for the average Joe.

Many people don't even know disk management exists, or powershell ( my dad for example - he has been using a pc several hours a day for over 20 years ). They would be apprehensive about doing anything in Bios setup.

These are the kind of things that act as barriers.

People will just put up with what they been have given - too difficult and (they think ), too risky to do anything about it.

 

[Hopachi]

Great tutorial Ray!

Found the link thanks to gregrocker's post in another thread here.

I now know where to look in case of trouble. I printed this just in case.

I got my first UEFI machine, it's been about 3 weeks now, you know. HP envy, there's Insyde UEFI BIOS, F9 for boot menu...
All good.

 

[theog]

Superb tutorial, Ray. We'll use it a lot over at 7F to UPgrade Win8 to Win7.

Thank you,Greg.

 

[whs]

I bet this tut will become very popular. Great job Ray.

 

[theog]

Nice tut Ray.

The problem with all this - is that it is a bit challenging for the average Joe.

Many people don't even know disk management exists, or powershell ( my dad for example - he has been using a pc several hours a day for over 20 years ). They would be apprehensive about doing anything in Bios setup.

These are the kind of things that act as barriers.

People will just put up with what they been have given - too difficult and (they think ), too risky to do anything about it.

Yes, some problem barriers.
Thak you, si

 

[theog]

Great tutorial Ray!

Found the link thanks to gregrocker's post in another thread here.

I now know where to look in case of trouble. I printed this just in case.

I got my first UEFI machine, it's been about 3 weeks now, you know. HP envy, there's Insyde UEFI BIOS, F9 for boot menu...
All good.

Thank you, Hopachi.

HP info:
Windows 8 FAQ: Can I downgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 7? - HP Support Forum

 

[theog]

I bet this tut will become very popular. Great job Ray.

Thank you, whs. Going in to uEFI BIOS, will be the biggest problem.

 

[area 66]

Great tutorial, As I can see , they make it very hard on some system to install other thing than Windows 8

 

[theog]

Great tutorial, As I can see , they make it very hard on some system to install other thing than Windows 8

Thank you, area 66. Have fun in the shop downgrading.

 

[area 66]

I can always build PCs for my customers, my concern is the laptop , I was looking on Dell..ca yesterday, and for a home user, they just have notebook in French with Windows 7, all the rest is with 8 ( of course the Latitude is still available with 7 in English )

 

[theog]

I can always build PCs for my customers, my concern is the laptop , I was looking on Dell..ca yesterday, and for a home user, they just have notebook in French with Windows 7, all the rest is with 8 ( of course the Latitude is still available with 7 in English )

Fujitsu with twin load. Windows 7 & Windows 8 Pro
http://lifebook.uk.ts.fujitsu.com/p...ok-u772.html?gclid=CKShm4jf2LMCFWbKtAodlkQA7A


A litte read:
Dell will keep selling Windows 7 PCs after Windows 8 launch

Downgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 7 - Laptop General Hardware Forum - Laptop - Dell Community

 

[whs]

Dell has some Windows 7 systems on clearance: Windows 7 Clearance | Dell

 

[azasadny]

Great job! Thanks!

 

[Golden]

Good work Ray! It should really be called "Upgrading Windows 8 to Windows 7"

 

[theog]

Good work Ray! It should really be called "Upgrading Windows 8 to Windows 7"

Thank you.

Upgrading Windows 8 to Windows 7

 

[Dave76]

Nice work Ray, I'm sure this will get a lot of use.