Downgrading OEM Windows 8 to 7: Anyone done it?

[mickey]

Hi, spotted a laptop that I like that comes with pre-installed Windows 8. I know you can switch the Windows 7 GUI, but I'd rather use the good old Windows 7.

What's the process that one needs to follow to downgrade to Win7 and how many phone calls/emails/GB downloads would it take?

[Ticktock]

It's simple to do.
1. You buy Windows 7.
2. You install Windows 7.
3. You resist all change.

Having any version of Windows does not give licence rights to any previous versions.

[DimPrawn]

You are not licensed to downgrade an OEM version of Windows 8 to 7.

To be honest you are better off sticking with the version installed, as it will have all the drivers working etc and applying the free update to Win 8.1

Windows 8.1 - What's New, IT Pro Features, Devices, UI | TechNet

[mickey]

It's simple to do.
1. You buy Windows 7.
2. You install Windows 7.
3. You resist all change.

Having any version of Windows does not give licence rights to any previous versions.

W7: still not cheap; the laptop comes with a preinstalled W8. Simple still?

[mickey]

You are not licensed to downgrade an OEM version of Windows 8 to 7.

To be honest you are better off sticking with the version installed, as it will have all the drivers working etc and applying the free update to Win 8.1

Windows 8.1 - What's New, IT Pro Features, Devices, UI | TechNet

There's an article on the MS site that says legally you can but obviously they make it as complicated as possible.

Don't have a link to hand.

So, anyone done it?

[mickey]

Why would you want to do that? Windows 8 loads faster, runs faster and is more stable than windows 7... Honestly ...

Also you get more standard O/S features with Windows 8. --> Why not try it for a couple of days before wiping it? <--


The Metro app launcher thing is pants, but the rest of it is pretty much windows 7, but slightly better.

If its the start button being missing, do this ... move your mouse to very top right corner, or bottom left corner, move the cursor down when the ghost box apears. Click on the search icon and type in what you are looking for. It breaks the search into apps, setup files and regular files.

For the control panel and other stuff. Move your pointer down to the very bottom left corner, when icon apears, right click and you will get a pretty useful menu.

Shutdown is either Alt-F4 from the desktop or Settings, Power from the menu as described above.

I'm not getting the hysteria over Windows 8 at all.

Might give it a try then?

[Ticktock]

W7: still not cheap; the laptop comes with a preinstalled W8. Simple still?

Still not cheap? So? You never said it had to be cheap.
As far as I know, the only time dual Windows licences have ever been available has been towards the end of an OS life, when you used to be able to buy, for example, a notebook with WinXP pre-installed and upgrade rights to Win7. I can't remember if the same thing was done for Win8 just before release.
And yes, it is still simple to do a clean install of Windows 7 - as simple as it is to install on a new HDD, or to do a clean install when you previously had WinXP, or Linux, or anything. You put the disk in, you choose whether or not to create a partition, and install.

As others have said though, why would you want to?

[DimPrawn]

There's an article on the MS site that says legally you can but obviously they make it as complicated as possible.

Don't have a link to hand.

So, anyone done it?

Legally you can with a retail boxed version of Windows. So if you went to PC World and bought Win 8 in a shiny box for X million pounds (I'm sure some rich/strange people must do this), you get a downgrade licence as part of the retail "I accept the 300 pages of legal bumpf".

With the OEM version you don't.

Simples!

[doodab]

Actually it's nothing to do with retail vs OEM, it's to do with which edition you have.

Windows 8 Pro comes with downgrade rights to Windows 7 Pro & Vista Business. Boggo Windows 8 doesn't.

Understanding downgrade rights

[mickey]

Thanks Shrimp, Doodab