How To Revert Back To Windows 7 From Windows 8.1

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When downgrading from Windows 8 to Windows vii, in that location are essentially two different, merely similar, paths. If yous have a Windows 8 Professional key, yous can download to Windows 7 Professional for free if you meet a few other requirements. Otherwise, you'll demand an unused Windows 7 central to downgrade. Regardless of whether y'all demand to get an unused key or not, the general process is the aforementioned.

1. 1

   Check your version of Windows eight to run into if you qualify for downgrade rights. "Downgrade rights" are designed for businesses and permit you to revert to Windows 7 for complimentary. In order to use the downgrade rights, you'll demand to encounter a few requirements. The first of these is that you're running Windows 8 Professional. The computer has to have come with Windows viii Professional installed out of the box.^[one]

   • Printing ⊞ Win and type winver to encounter the version of Windows you are running. If you are using any version of Windows 8 besides Professional, you lot don't qualify for downgrade rights. Y'all'll demand an unused Windows 7 retail key to downgrade.
   • If you upgraded from Windows viii to Windows eight Professional, you do not qualify for downgrade rights. You'll need an unused Windows seven retail central to downgrade.
   • In that location are no downgrade rights for retail versions of Windows viii. If y'all installed Windows viii on a computer that used to have Windows vii (or other older version), you exercise non have downgrade rights. You lot'll demand an unused Windows 7 retail key to downgrade.

2. two

   Obtain a valid Windows 7 Professional product key. Whether or not the cardinal you obtain needs to be unused depends on if you accept downgrade rights:

   • If you don't have downgrade rights, you lot'll need a valid Windows 7 product key that is non currently being used past whatsoever other computer. If you upgraded from Windows 7 and are downgrading back to it, you can use your original Windows 7 central. If you bought a computer with Windows 8, you can purchase Windows 7 keys for fairly inexpensive from various resellers online.
   • If you have downgrade rights, yous'll need a real Windows 7 Professional product key, but it doesn't accept to exist a new fundamental. The fundamental can be currently in apply by some other machine. It doesn't have to be your own key either. You'll just be using information technology to become past the activation screen.

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3. 3

   Ensure that your computer has Windows seven drivers available. If you bought the calculator with Windows viii installed, it may not be fully compatible with Windows seven. You'll need to check the drivers for all of your hardware to ensure that it volition all work when you downgrade, since Windows 7 drivers may not be available:^[2]

   • If y'all take a prebuilt estimator (HP, Dell, Acer, etc.), visit the manufacturer'south support site and look up your computer'south model. Y'all can usually find the model printed on laptop keyboards, or on a sticker affixed to the bottom or back of the figurer. In the "Drivers" or "Downloads" department of the back up site, check for Windows 7 compatible drivers. If at that place are no Windows seven drivers available, your hardware may not piece of work correctly after downgrading.
   • If y'all built your own computer, or have a custom-built computer, you'll need to bank check each piece of hardware manually. Press ⊞ Win and type devmgmt.msc to open the Device Director. Go through your listing of hardware and visit each one's support site. Check for Windows 7 drivers for the piece of hardware you have from that manufacturer. If Windows vii drivers aren't bachelor, that piece of hardware may not work when you downgrade.

4. four

   Make a driver disk (optional). If you want to salvage yourself some time afterwards the downgrade, you tin put all of the Windows vii drivers yous'll demand on a USB drive and so set it aside until you're finished. This volition permit you to quickly install all of your necessary drivers. The most important commuter to include is your network adapter, as this will ensure that you can get online and download any other drivers.

5. 5

   Detect or brand a Windows 7 Professional installation disc. You lot'll need this disc to downgrade to Windows 7. Information technology doesn't take to be your disc, as whatsoever Windows 7 Professional installation disc will work. If you don't have a disc, you tin make one using software available for gratuitous from Microsoft:

   • Visit the Microsoft Windows 7 download folio and enter the key from the previous step to download the ISO file.
   • After downloading the ISO file, insert a blank DVD or 4GB+ USB bulldoze.
   • Download and install the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool.
   • Run the tool and select your Windows 7 Professional ISO as the "Source." Choose either your bare DVD or USB drive as the "Destination." The tool will then copy or burn the ISO, creating an installation disc or drive you can utilise.

6. six

   Back up all of your important files. Downgrading to Windows 7 is essentially like installing a fresh operating system, which will delete all of the data on your drive. Make sure all of your of import files are safely backed upwards to a USB bulldoze or the deject before you start the downgrade process. See Support a Reckoner for more detailed instructions on backing up your data efficiently.

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1. 1

   Enable the legacy boot function in the UEFI settings bill of fare. This is required for computers that came with Windows viii installed, only not for computers that were upgraded to 8 subsequently. The UEFI is the interface that controls your computer, and is the modernistic version of a BIOS. Windows seven doesn't support UEFI, so you'll need to prepare your UEFI settings to support the older BIOS method. The procedure is a different depending on your calculator, simply generally you can do this:

   • Press the ⊞ Win+C or swipe in from the right side of the screen to open up the Charms bar.
   • Select "Settings" and so "Change PC Settings."
   • Click "Update and recovery," so select "Recovery." Click "Restart Now" underneath the "Avant-garde Startup" header.
   • Select "Troubleshoot" when your estimator reboots, then "Advanced options."
   • Click "UEFI Firmware Settings" and then click "Restart."
   • Notice the "Legacy boot" or "BIOS style" in the UEFI settings and enable it. Its location will vary by manufacturer.

2. 2

   Insert the Windows seven installation disc or USB bulldoze and reboot. You lot'll see the traditional BIOS startup screen after rebooting, since you enabled it in the UEFI settings.

3. 3

   Kick from the disc or bulldoze. The process for this will vary depending on your computer. Many computers volition display a "Kicking" fundamental during startup that will allow you to select a drive to boot from. If you don't run into this, you'll need to press the BIOS or SETUP central. This will open your BIOS/UEFI card. From here yous can select the "Boot" carte du jour and and then choose your installation disc or drive.

4. 4

   Beginning the Windows 7 installation process. Printing a key on your keyboard when prompted to begin the Windows 7 installation procedure. It will take a little while to load the initial setup.

5. 5

   Go along through the Windows 7 installation. Cull your language and region settings in the commencement few Windows that announced.

6. 6

   Select the drive that has Windows 8 installed when prompted. During the installation process, you'll exist prompted to select a drive to install Windows 7 on. Cull the drive that currently has Windows 8 installed on it. Recall, this will delete everything that is currently stored on the bulldoze.^[3]

7. vii

   Enter the Windows vii Professional key you found when prompted. Towards the finish of the installation process, yous'll exist prompted to enter your Windows vii product cardinal. Enter the fundamental you obtained in the start section. If you have downgrade rights, this key does not have to be an unused key.

8. 8

   Complete the installation and load the desktop. Afterward entering the key, Windows seven will finish installing and you'll eventually be taken to the desktop. If you are using your downgrade rights, there'south a good chance that you'll receive an "Activation Failed" message afterward Windows loads.

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1. 1

   Open the Activation window if it doesn't open automatically. Windows 7 will attempt to automatically actuate when you load the desktop for the get-go time and you're continued to the net. If yous used an unused Windows vii key during installation, activation should happen automatically without issue. If you lot are using your downgrade rights, your automated activation probable failed.

   • If the Activation window doesn't appear, click the Start bill of fare, type "Activate," and then click "Activate Windows."

2. 2

   Call the phone number that appears if activation fails. When yous're using your downgrade rights, y'all'll need to telephone call the Microsoft activation hotline and provide your Windows 8 Pro fundamental to prove that y'all are allowed to downgrade for free.^[4]

3. iii

   Enter the code provided by Microsoft to activate Windows. if Microsoft is able to verify that you are entitles to downgrade privileges, you'll be given a special code to enter into the Activation window that will activate your re-create of Windows 7.

   • If y'all're downgrading multiple computers, you tin can use the same key during the installation of each, just y'all'll have to call Microsoft to activate each one individually.

4. 4

   Install your drivers. Once you lot're activated, you tin focus on installing your drivers. If you made a commuter disk before, plug it in and starting time installing the drivers on it. If you didn't make a deejay, run Windows Update and permit information technology to check for and download any available updates. Once this is finished, you can become back to the Device Manager and manually update any lingering hardware by correct-clicking it and select "Update Driver Software."

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Add together New Question

• Question

  Tin you lot employ the upgrade selection instead of the custom option to install Windows 7?

  

  You cannot use the upgrade option to downgrade to Windows 7 from Windows eight/10.

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• Just because you want to downgrade to Windows seven doesn't mean yous should. Sure hardware features may rely on Windows 8 drivers to office.

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