$15 Windows 8 upgrade - can you revert back to Win7

I bought an Win8 notebook, but i did not like the Metro/Modern interface so i returned it and bought an Win7 Lenovo Z580 , I read you can upgrade to Win8 for $15 and i though i would give Win8 another go, but can i re-install Win7 if i change my mind, the win7 key is not canceled/blocked or anything is it, has anybody done this.

Thanks

John.

 

Yes it's extremely simple and no your Win7 key is not canceled, you can use it on another system if you wish.

Just make sure you create the backup media using the Lenovo tools, or even better using cloning software like Acronis True Image 2013 (or 2010+) and simply clone your whole HDD/SSD before you blow away the W7 Pro installation.

This way if you don't like Windows 8 you can return to a nice working copy of Windows 7 in approx 10-15min and everything will be like you never installed Windows 8.

However, in the same way that you recommend not flashing to new firmware when it first comes out, I also recommend not jumping to a new OS when it first comes out . I would give it at least 6 months on the finial release for drivers and software support to mature.

 

Thanks, so is the Win8 you received an upgrade meaning it installs over Win7, or can you do an clean install with it.

Also read the second line of my signature

John.

 

The Windows 7 key from the Lenovo notebook can't b used on another system as it's an OEM key (tied to your Lenovo)

And to answer your second question, John, you can perform a clean install of windows 8 and I recommend doing so.

 

Hi.

I was not asking about using the key on another notebook, i just wanted to know if i could revert back to Win7

Good to know i can do a clean install though.

Thanks

John.

 

I bought the $15 dollar upgrade, and created an iso during the process (as opposed to letting the utility do an automated upgrade of my system). A conventional Microsoft 25 character key was provided via email and displayed on the receipt. That should allow for a clean install, NP. Sometimes I like to hear a lot of yeses so... I chimed in.

 

If you purchase a Win8 upgrade, you cannot do a clean install without a workaround.

For example, I had Win7 with my X230T. I purchased the Win8 upgrade for $14.99. Downloaded the ISO and created a DVD. Booted from the DVD and did a fresh install. The new install of Windows 8 rejected the purchased key, saying it was ineligible.

The workaround is (copied from another site, haven't tried this myself yet):

Open regedit. Navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Setup/OOBE/
Change MediaBootInstall from 1 to 0
Open Command Prompt (cmd - run as administrator).
Type
slmgr /rearm
hit enter


Tinderbox, I'm in a similar situation - reverting my system back to Win7 using the recovery media disc from Lenovo. So far everything seems to be working fine. Will update if I run into any issues.

 

I read that too. I haven't done the install yet, so I didn't mention it.

 

No you cannot go back, it writes over the boot manager, even if you have a recovery partition, you can't go back to use it because the boot manager was modified for Windows 8. Case in point always, always oh did I forget always make factory recovery discs, that is the only way to go back.

 

***EDIT: Nevermind, this post is irrelevant. I didn't see what was posted above on the registry edit. Essentially, this is what I'm referring to below***


FWIW, a clean install with any Windows upgrade disk can be done with a simple registry edit (change value from 1 to 0). Google. It's all over the internet. I did it today with a new SSD on my Dell XT2 XFR. Simple, really. Also have done it many times in the past.

Disclaimer: I do (and did) have full versions of the previous Windows version I'm upgrading from. I just think it's silly you have to install it, then go right behind it and upgrade it. I wish there was a way to just enter the key of your older version when you are using the upgrade disk (to validate). But oh well, fixed easy enough.

 

I think katalin was talking about the part where I said you could use your Win7 on another system. What he/she didn't think about is you could simply clone your system using Acronis and restore it on completely different hardware with no issues, they have a $30 plug-in that lets you restore on totally different hardware. If you are into VM's you could always clone your Lenovo W7. Basically if you ever wanted to use the Lenovo Win7 install on different hardware I believe there is a few simple ways of doing it.

Regarding your question, like katalin said. You can do a totally clean install using the $15 upgrade IOS and reg key. You do not need to have any version of windows already installed. I have done it on a new VM with no OS so anyone that says it can't be done is wrong. What happens to some people is they get a activation error once it's installed but there is a very easy 2min registry fix so it shouldn't be an issue and this doesn't happen to everyone.

 

I always use Acronis to make a copy of a new notebook, I remove the hdd and put it in an external hdd case and make image to 2TB storage driver before i ever turn the norebook on, Acronis compresses the hdd down too 30-40gb as most of it is empty space, I have done 30+ notebooks like this and it always works, becuse of all the empty spce i can clone a 1TB hdd to an 60gb ssd and always works, but there is a problem with lenovo hdd`s that i have not see before, if the C: os partition size is even off by even 1mb the lenovo recovery will not work, i suppose the only way around this it to do a bit for bit copy, so a 500gb hdd make a 500gb image, not the 30-40gb that i am use too, if anybody knows how to get around this limitation please tell me.

Thanks

John.

 

Suppose I'm using 46GB of a 320GB HDD for my C: drive, and I want to transfer it to a new 128GB SSD. After creating a clone/backup image of the drive (using Acronis), I always use a tool (like EaseUS Partition Manager) to physically reduce the actual size of C: down to, say, 80GB, which is clearly smaller than the size of the new SSD. The current size of C: reported by Windows is only a "logical" value.

Then, I use Acronis to clone the System_DRV partition and the "reduced" C: parttion to the SSD. (The new C: will occupy all remaining space on the SSD.)

 

That isn't the only way. You can always clean install if you have the proper media and key.

 

Kaso, I just use Acronis to resize. When I cloned from the 500GB factory HDD to my 225GB SSD Acronis gave me the option to resize each partition. This is using the latest 2013 version of True Image with the Plus Pack.

 

That's handy.

 

I meant had he directly upgraded Windows 7 stock image with Windows 8, there was no way of going back to Windows 7 without using recovery media or doing a clean install.

 

Well, that is incorrect, too. You can undo the install. It's the reason windows.old is there unless you use the maintenance features to have that removed.

I would never do an undo for long term use, but it is possible.