WTK Windows 10 downgrade on preinstalled laptop

Coppershot · Postby **Coppershot** » March 2nd, 2016, 8:23 pm

A friend looking to buy a new laptop but it comes with windows 10 preinstalled.
For various reasons, is it possible to downgrade to windows 8.1 on a new laptop preinstalled with wndows 10??

All the info im getting is about downgrade option (before 30day) for users that previously had windows 7,8 and 8.1 that upgraded to windows 10.

bluesclues · Postby **bluesclues** » March 2nd, 2016, 8:47 pm

you would need to look in devices for the name and model of the various components.. video driver, wifi card, lan driver, chipset etc. then search for them individually on the manufacturers website for a windows 7/8.1 version. this is if the windows 10 drivers supplied with the laptop arent already backward optional.

maj. tom · Postby **maj. tom** » March 3rd, 2016, 6:31 am

No you can't. Can't downgrade if it was never there before.

Buy/pirate a copy of Windows 7 or 8.1 and reformat your HDD and install it if you want 8 so bad above 10. But unless you running specific software made for 7 or 8, why would you NOT want Windows 10? The way Microsoft is pushing/forcing 10 on all devices leaves you behind in the compatibility/security/updates game.

Is it simply a matter of resistance to change by the perception that something new is worse than something you are just too used to?

S_2NR · Postby **S_2NR** » March 3rd, 2016, 6:37 am

I can understand. Windows 10 is a mess which pushed me to switch to osx. In short, no you cannot downgrade since the hardware would be designed for 10.

skylinechild · Postby **skylinechild** » March 3rd, 2016, 7:53 am

downgrade IS possible.... pm sent

Les Bain · Postby **Les Bain** » March 3rd, 2016, 8:28 am

Not complaining, just asking for a reason:

Microsoft is pushing Windows 10 hard, but my Dell desktop (factory installed 64 bit Windows 7, now 6 years old) has yet to receive the upgrade notification. My wife's laptop and even my 7 year old netbook I use solely for storage now got the notification.

Windows updates are regularly done although not automatically.

The wife upgraded to 10 then downgraded a week after so is not like I want Windows 10. I just feeling....left out?

Coppershot · Postby **Coppershot** » March 3rd, 2016, 2:11 pm

and this bs

Beware, latest Windows 10 Update may remove programs automatically
By Martin Brinkmann on November 24, 2015 in Windows - Last Update: November 24, 2015 202

Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system may uninstall programs -- desktop programs that is -- from the computer after installation of the big Fall update that the company released earlier this month.

I noticed the issue on one PC that I upgraded to Windows 10 Version 1511 but not on other machines. The affected PC had Speccy, a hardware information program, installed and Windows 10 notified me after the upgrade that the software had been removed from the system because of incompatibilities.

There was no indication beforehand that something like this would happen, and what made this rather puzzling was the fact that a newly downloaded copy of Speccy would install and run fine on the upgraded system.

According to reports on the Internet, Speccy is not the only program affected by this. Others report that programs like CPU-Z, AMD Catalyst Control Center or CPUID were removed as well during the upgrade.

http://www.ghacks.net/2015/11/24/beware-latest-windows-10-update-may-remove-programs-automatically/

Windows 10, no thanks
The friend not tech savy, trying to save him the headache of buying windows 10 and photoshop and games magically being removed etc

Coppershot · Postby **Coppershot** » March 3rd, 2016, 2:14 pm

I actually suggested he go linux, but he wants photoshop so I suggested OSX but the price steep and he not tech savy, so no hackintosh either.

original_lollybob · Postby **original_lollybob** » March 3rd, 2016, 2:37 pm

my word...

misinformation eh

if the person didnt buy the machine as yet... they can simply ask if the seller will offer a downgrade license.

if they already have the machine.. download an ISO of 8.1 and install it. The new PC will have a product key. Use that...

S_2NR wrote:I can understand. Windows 10 is a mess which pushed me to switch to osx. In short, no you cannot downgrade since the hardware would be designed for 10.

What? so in essence the newest PC hardware cant run an older OS... makes complete sense

Coppershot wrote:Windows 10, no thanks
The friend not tech savy, trying to save him the headache of buying windows 10 and photoshop and games magically being removed etc

again... what?!

DTAC · Postby **DTAC** » March 3rd, 2016, 2:52 pm

Why on Earth would anyone want to downgrade to Windows 8.1. It's utter crap. Going back to Windows 7, I could understand but 8.1??? That makes no sense.

original_lollybob · Postby **original_lollybob** » March 3rd, 2016, 3:03 pm

DTAC wrote:Why on Earth would anyone want to downgrade to Windows 8.1. It's utter crap. Going back to Windows 7, I could understand but 8.1??? That makes no sense.

cause windows 10 is evil and wants to eat your children in the night :roll:

S_2NR · Postby **S_2NR** » March 3rd, 2016, 3:44 pm

original_lollybob wrote:my word...

misinformation eh

if the person didnt buy the machine as yet... they can simply ask if the seller will offer a downgrade license.

if they already have the machine.. download an ISO of 8.1 and install it. The new PC will have a product key. Use that...

S_2NR wrote:I can understand. Windows 10 is a mess which pushed me to switch to osx. In short, no you cannot downgrade since the hardware would be designed for 10.

What? so in essence the newest PC hardware cant run an older OS... makes complete sense

Coppershot wrote:Windows 10, no thanks
The friend not tech savy, trying to save him the headache of buying windows 10 and photoshop and games magically being removed etc

again... what?!

Two words.
Driver compatibility.

I am speaking from experience here. If you cannot understand that well...

cueball1990 · Postby **cueball1990** » March 3rd, 2016, 3:52 pm

Microsoft is not offering support for windows 8 anymore. Windows 8 is sheit to begin with. Windows 10 is stable and it doesn't uninstall your programs. I've been using it since release and had no problems. If you wanna downgrade go windows 7. If not tough luck

src1983 · Postby **src1983** » March 3rd, 2016, 3:59 pm

Using Windows 10 for work and it seems to be going great

Coppershot · Postby **Coppershot** » March 3rd, 2016, 4:04 pm

I just trying to help out a friend.Btw found this, useful for those concerned about privacy issues
http://bgr.com/2015/08/14/windows-10-spying-prevention-privacy-tools/

wagonrunner · Postby **wagonrunner** » March 3rd, 2016, 4:39 pm

DTAC wrote:Why on Earth would anyone want to downgrade to Windows 8.1. It's utter crap. Going back to Windows 7, I could understand but 8.1??? That makes no sense.

THIS