Windows 8 question.

I basically own Apple computers. I have a Imac and a laptop. I started going back to a university last year and needed a windows laptop. I went to a second hand Computer store and got a pretty nice HP laptop that would do everything I needed it for. When I bought it Windows 7 pro was installed on it as the operating system... The computer had been rebuilt somehow with Windows 7 loaded on top of what possibly could have been a non functioning computer. A little over a year ago I decided to download a beta version of Windows 8 and installed it I guess on top of Windows 7. Well a year passes and now I get a message saying my trial period has ended and I need to buy Windows 8. It works fine for what I need to do but right now I just do not have the extra 80$ or so it will take. It boots up in win 8 and will stay on for roughly a hour then it restarts.

Here is my question.. I cannot seem to find the previous operating system. I am clueless about Windows and have screwed up older computers when I thought I knew what I was doing. It allows me to either use Win 8 or basically start in 'safe mode' and there does not seem to be any other options. My question is do I need to take it in to someone to fix? Or is there a way for me to erase/delete win 8 off my system and revert back to win 7 which was actually working fine. I suppose if it comes down to it that it will be just be cheaper to buy the Win 8 rather than taking it to anyone to look at. Is there anything someone with little knowledge of computers can do to restore the previous operating system or am I screwed?

reply to post by GArnold


Is your HD partitioned? Maybe Win 7 resides on a partition of your HD. I don't see how you would be able to install a beta (trial) version of Win 8 over the previous OS. You should do a restore from a point before you dowloaded Win 8.

After having done a quick search, it is supposedly impossible to revert back to Windows 7. Which leaves with the only option as to reinstall from scratch the original Windows 7 version you received with your laptop when you purchased it.
There should be either a Windows 7 sticker somewhere on your laptop with the accompanying Serial number. This number should let you legitimally install a fresh copy of your operating system, either by ways of system restore preconfigured by the fabricator of the laptop, or by inserting the DVD-Rom provideded by your reseller/vendor.

There are a multitude of options which could apply. I suggest your contact the shop where you bought your laptop and ask your specific situation. They can probably reinstall it for you, but I think that would cost you the same as the $80,= for the upgrade.

Ask your peers. Usually people know people who can assist you asses what you should do, or help you for a beer or 2..

Cheers!

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Originally posted by definity
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Thank you everyone for taking the time to answer my question. I really appreciate all the links and advice and time. I misquoted what the machine does when it boots up. It gives me a choice of Win 8 or system restore. I think I have a win 7 product key somewhere.. in hindsight it might just be better to swollow my pride and buy win 8. I have for the most part liked it. I only have very minimal programs on the windows machine but it is super fast business edition of a HP laptop. I play Backgammon professionally and have a analyzer (a neural net bot) that can roll out x amount of games and determine the best moves at whatever the score is in the match. It has the ability in fast calculations of looking 5 ply (5 moves ahead). It is just frustrating that it keeps shutting down and restarting. Quite a lot of the backgammon software is designed only for Windows and the platforms you use to connect to backgammon sites are also windows exclusive. You can play on FIBS (First International Backgammon Server) with a app on apple but the analyzer will not work.

I'm guessing you don't have a Windows 7 CD? If you do you can just format the main hard drive and re-install.

A lot of newer systems however have the installation CD's on a small partition of the main hard-drive, which may be why it gives you the option of a "system restore" at the boot-up.

Whatever you decide to do however make sure you back up all your important stuff 1st

Originally posted by Mister_Bit
I'm guessing you don't have a Windows 7 CD? If you do you can just format the main hard drive and re-install.

A lot of newer systems however have the installation CD's on a small partition of the main hard-drive, which may be why it gives you the option of a "system restore" at the boot-up.

Whatever you decide to do however make sure you back up all your important stuff 1st

Thanks.. No I do not have a Win 7 CD. When I got the computer it had some funky way of starting up to get to Win 7. Thats why I thought the computer may have been non functional at some point. I wish I could remember the date I downloaded Win 8 and could use restore to go back to say a day before that. 80 dollars is not much money obviously but to a student like myself who had to cut my hours to go back to school it is like 2 weeks of food.

Here is the Windows 7 ISO files. It's legal to download www.mydigitallife.info... Just download Windows 7 Home Premium x84 (32-bit) or x64 (if you have a 64 bit CPU.) Just burn the ISO to a blank DVD (Windows 8 & 7 have this feature built in just double click the ISO file and it will burn it to a DVD.) Then you should have the Windows 7 license key on the bottom of your laptop.

Back up all data you need before installing as it will be wiped out. To do a clean install during setup select Custom Install then format the partition Windows 8 is on and then proceed through the installation steps.