Downgrade Windows 8 to Windows 7

sumitletsrock · Nov 24, 2012

SIR I HAVE MADE MY FACTORY RECOVERY DISCS.........
SIR I CAN ALSO MAKE THE RECOVERY DRIVE PARTITION BUT HOW TO INSERT RECOVERY IMAGE IN IT WHICH IS FACTORY MADE???
ALSO SIR WHAT IS OCCUPYING THE drive 0 partition 2 in the above mentioned???????

theog · Nov 24, 2012

sumitletsrock said:
SIR I HAVE MADE MY FACTORY RECOVERY DISCS.........
SIR I CAN ALSO MAKE THE RECOVERY DRIVE PARTITION BUT HOW TO INSERT RECOVERY IMAGE IN IT WHICH IS FACTORY MADE???
ALSO SIR WHAT IS OCCUPYING THE drive 0 partition 2 in the above mentioned???????

Only Windows 8 files, not need for Windows 7.

Do want Windows 8 or Windows 7?

sumitletsrock · Nov 24, 2012

I WANT TO INSTALL WINDOWS 7 BUT ALSO WANT TO KEEP RECOVERY FOR WINDOWS 8.....................
AS HP SAYS THAT DRIVERS FOR WINDOWS 7 MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE, SO I WANT TO CHECK OUT ENSURING MY SAFETY BY KEEPING RECOVERY......................................
THANKS SIR...........

z3r010 · Nov 24, 2012

Please do not post ALL IN CAPS again, any further posts made that way will be deleted.

theog · Nov 24, 2012

sumitletsrock said:
I WANT TO INSTALL WINDOWS 7 BUT ALSO WANT TO KEEP RECOVERY FOR WINDOWS 8.....................
AS HP SAYS THAT DRIVERS FOR WINDOWS 7 MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE, SO I WANT TO CHECK OUT ENSURING MY SAFETY BY KEEPING RECOVERY......................................
THANKS SIR...........

By installing Windows 7, HP Recovery will be made unusable.

JS1987 · Nov 28, 2012

Hi, thanks for your comprehensive write-up. I am trying to downgrade from my factory OEM laptop that came pre-installed with Windows 8 (NON pro) to Windows 7 on my Fujitsu Lifebook AH532.

I followed your instructions and my uEFI BIOS setting is set to Secure Boot (after completing Step 2, it shows True). In following Step 3, I was able to restart to change UEFI firmware settings after following the Toshiba youtube tutorial. I resetted the firmware and saved and exited just like the in the video. When I go back in the firmware settings to Security->Secure Boot Configuration settings, everything is disabled and I cannot edit those settings. I am unable to change the Secure Boot Control setting from disabled to enabled. When I click any key, it just beeps informing me that I cannot edit these options.

I tried skipping this step and by following Steps 4 and 5 to directly boot from the Windows 7 DVD but it says access denied and I am unable to boot from disc.

Any ideas? Thanks!

Dave76 · Nov 28, 2012

Have you checked for a UEFI update?

JS1987 · Nov 28, 2012

Dave76 said:
Have you checked for a UEFI update?

Thanks for the suggestion. I just reinstalled my BIOS driver from the manufacture's website since there was no updated one. There was no download available for UEFI update. Am I looking at the wrong place? Any tutorials to update UEFI or if I need to update it?

Dave76 · Nov 28, 2012

If your System Specs were filled out I could find it.

Check your OEM or motherboard support site for UEFI/BIOS updates.

theog · Nov 28, 2012

Dave76 said:
If your System Specs were filled out I could find it.

Check your OEM or motherboard support site for UEFI/BIOS updates.

JS1987 said:
Dave76 said:

Have you checked for a UEFI update?

Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion. I just reinstalled my BIOS driver from the manufacture's website since there was no updated one. There was no download available for UEFI update. Am I looking at the wrong place? Any tutorials to update UEFI or if I need to update it?

Dave76 said:
Have you checked for a UEFI update?

JS1987 said:
Hi, thanks for your comprehensive write-up. I am trying to downgrade from my factory OEM laptop that came pre-installed with Windows 8 (NON pro) to Windows 7 on my Fujitsu Lifebook AH532.

I followed your instructions and my uEFI BIOS setting is set to Secure Boot (after completing Step 2, it shows True). In following Step 3, I was able to restart to change UEFI firmware settings after following the Toshiba youtube tutorial. I resetted the firmware and saved and exited just like the in the video. When I go back in the firmware settings to Security->Secure Boot Configuration settings, everything is disabled and I cannot edit those settings. I am unable to change the Secure Boot Control setting from disabled to enabled. When I click any key, it just beeps informing me that I cannot edit these options.

I tried skipping this step and by following Steps 4 and 5 to directly boot from the Windows 7 DVD but it says access denied and I am unable to boot from disc.

Any ideas? Thanks!

If you re-enabled Secure Boot, you can not install Windows 7.

Step 3) Reset BIOS to default, and reboot to BIOS make sure Secure Boot is disabled.

Step 5) press enter on the UEFI DVD drive

If you do not Boot from the UEFI DVD drive, you can not install Windows 7.

JS1987 · Nov 29, 2012

Thanks, theog for your response. I will try to find a way to enable Secure Boot...

Thanks, Dave76. I tried checking the Fujitsu and Motherboard site and couldn't find an update. I updated my system specs and here is more info copied and pasted from the Win8 System Information option:

OS Name Microsoft Windows 8
Version 6.2.9200 Build 9200
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Manufacturer FUJITSU
System Model LIFEBOOK AH532
System Type x64-based PC
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-3110M CPU @ 2.40GHz, 2400 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date FUJITSU // Phoenix Technologies Ltd. Version 2.04, 9/18/2012
SMBIOS Version 2.7
Embedded Controller Version 255.255
BIOS Mode UEFI
BaseBoard Manufacturer FUJITSU
BaseBoard Model Not Available
BaseBoard Name Base Board
Platform Role Mobile
Secure Boot State On
PCR7 Configuration Binding Not Possible
Windows Directory C:\windows
System Directory C:\windows\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume3
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 6.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 5.86 GB

Do you know if there is another BIOS update avail? Thanks!!

theog · Nov 29, 2012

JS1987 said:
Thanks, theog for your response. I will try to find a way to enable Secure Boot...

Leave Secure Boot DISABLED.

theog said:
If you re-enabled Secure Boot, you can not install Windows 7.

Step 3) Reset BIOS to default, and reboot to BIOS make sure Secure Boot is disabled.

Step 5) press enter on the UEFI DVD drive

If you do not Boot from the UEFI DVD drive, you can not install Windows 7.

Dave76 · Nov 29, 2012

Latest version is 2.08, 25-10-12.

Downloads for LIFEBOOK AH532
Download the PDF Instruction file.

Sudsmcduff96 · Nov 29, 2012

Nice tutorial.

Will be doing this on my new laptop once I get it, as long as there are Windows 7 drivers available.

theog · Nov 29, 2012

Sudsmcduff96 said:
Nice tutorial.

Will be doing this on my new laptop once I get it, as long as there are Windows 7 drivers available.

You are welcome.

southwales · Nov 30, 2012

Reinstall Win 7 UEFI & Legacy Boot

Hi theog,

I was just reading your tutorial on “How to Downgrade Windows 8 to Windows 7, great job!

I was also reading another great tutorial published by Brink on how to do a “Dual Boot installation for Windows 7 & 8”. Unfortunately I think I’m somewhere in between what you and Brink have in your tutorials.

A little bit background info; working on a new Dell PC that was bundled with Windows 8 OS. For legacy hardware/software reasons I thought I’d do a clean install of Windows 7 PRO, and then setup a dual boot configuration for Windows 7 & 8.
Got a new retail copy of Win 7 Pro and a set of restore disks from Dell and I thought I was good to go.
At startup the system will bypass the Windows 7 DVD and go to Windows 8 on the HDD. So I checked/changed the BIOS to boot 1st from the internal ODD, but it still goes to Windows 8.
That’s when I found out about the UEFI boot mode referenced in your tutorial.
Did an F12 and the Boot Mode is set to UEFI, Secure Boot ON. I don’t have any prior experience with UEFI vs. Legacy Boot Mode, Secure Boot OFF, so before I created a world of problem for myself I thought I'd consult a high authority.

Hope you can make some recommendations, offer some guidance, a tutorial would be great.

Thanks in advance for your help.

theog · Nov 30, 2012

Hi southwales

Welcome to EightForums.

If you would like dual boot Windows 8 & 7 on a PC with uEFI & Secure Boot.

You need to set Secure Boot to DISABLED,than boot the Windows 7 x64 DVD, using the uEFI DVD Drive.

you can than follow the Dual Boot tutorial.

southwales · Nov 30, 2012

Hi theog,

Thank you for the quick responce and all your help!

Any thoughts about doing a Windows 7X32 setup, what would that require? I'm only thinking about some of my older hardware drivers that are not available in 64.

Regards,

theog · Nov 30, 2012

southwales said:
Hi theog,

Thank you for the quick responce and all your help!

Any thoughts about doing a Windows 7X32 setup, what would that require? I'm only thinking about some of my older hardware drivers that are not available in 64.

Regards,

Sorry to say, a PC without uEFI & Secure Boot.

uk00121 · Dec 1, 2012

LOVE the tutorial, very clear and easy to follow. Worked like a champ.....until I got into Windows 7.

I have a new HP P2-1310 that came with OEM Windows 8 installed and no media.

Your directions works super slick and the Win8 came off, Win7 went on, but now I have no network drivers. HP website for the model only provides Win8 drivers. Any suggestions?

Downgrade Windows 8 to Windows 7

Attachments

New Member

My Computer

VIP Member

My Computer

New Member

My Computer

BOFH

My Computers

VIP Member

My Computer

New Member

My Computer

Team Member

My Computer

New Member

My Computer

Team Member

My Computer

VIP Member

My Computer

New Member

My Computer

VIP Member

My Computer

Team Member

My Computer

Member

My Computer

VIP Member

My Computer

New Member

My Computer

VIP Member

My Computer

New Member

My Computer

VIP Member

My Computer

New Member

My Computer