treated myself to a new laptop, as the old one was getting a bit slow, and also physically a bit tatty.
new came with windows 8. tried it. HATE IT >:(
I have found in the restore section that I can delete my files, but leave the operating system intact, or recycle my laptop which clears the whole drive.
I'm more than happy with windows 7 which is on the old laptop, so could I recycle the new one, then load windows 7 onto it from the old laptop ?
if I can, am I right in thinking that I copy my hard drive onto an external hard drive, and then use that to install onto the new laptop ?
I'm afraid I'm a bit of a dinosaur, but I like what I know and am comfortable with, and that is NOT windows 8.
cheers
alan
If it's just the "Apps" screens & functionality you don't like, you can tell it to boot up straight to your desktop which appears just the same as it did in Windows 7. I am running Windows 8.1 , but running it as though it was Windows 7.
Quote from: class37025 on September 29, 2014, 04:47:51 PM
treated myself to a new laptop, as the old one was getting a bit slow, and also physically a bit tatty.
new came with windows 8. tried it. HATE IT >:(
I have found in the restore section that I can delete my files, but leave the operating system intact, or recycle my laptop which clears the whole drive.
I'm more than happy with windows 7 which is on the old laptop, so could I recycle the new one, then load windows 7 onto it from the old laptop ?
if I can, am I right in thinking that I copy my hard drive onto an external hard drive, and then use that to install onto the new laptop ?
I'm afraid I'm a bit of a dinosaur, but I like what I know and am comfortable with, and that is NOT windows 8.
cheers
alan
Hi
You will need your original Windows 7 disc to re install the operating system. It will not work by simply copying it over as the hardware will be completely different.
I also have a new Laptop with Windows 8 on but I have actually found it just as easy to use as 7. Download the classic start menu from here www.ninite.com (http://www.ninite.com) and you will then get back the familiar menu. Mine also came with a program to boot straight to the desktop instead of the start screen.
Cheers
Paul
thank you both, I'll give that a try this evening.
needless to say, no windows 7 disc, as came installed on the old laptop.
last disc I remember was back when I had XP Pro.
cheers
alan
Quote from: class37025 on September 29, 2014, 05:15:09 PM
thank you both, I'll give that a try this evening.
needless to say, no windows 7 disc, as came installed on the old laptop.
last disc I remember was back when I had XP Pro.
cheers
alan
If it came installed on the old laptop then you are not licensed to use that copyu on any other machine. I't;'s called an OEM license and it is tied to the machine you bought it with.
When you buy copy of Windows you are licensed to run an earlier version instead. Get onto Microsoft and tell them that you which to buy media to revert to Windows 7. They will charge you a nominal fee for P&P.
Cheers
Dave
Hi Dave,
so I would be actually running windows 7, rather than windows 8 looking like 7 ?
cheers for that, I'll get onto them and try that.
cheers
alan
Quote from: class37025 on September 29, 2014, 07:45:43 PM
Hi Dave,
so I would be actually running windows 7, rather than windows 8 looking like 7 ?
cheers for that, I'll get onto them and try that.
cheers
alan
It dawned on me that P&P is probably no longer relevant as they probably don't provide a CD these days :) Indeed a little googling shows that the process has changed now...
Take a look at this, which is relevant if you have an OEM license (that is Windows came pre-installed on your laptop)
http://www.microsoft.com/OEM/en/licensing/sblicensing/Pages/downgrade_rights.aspx#fbid=2mfWfEwnVJt (http://www.microsoft.com/OEM/en/licensing/sblicensing/Pages/downgrade_rights.aspx#fbid=2mfWfEwnVJt)
Cheers
Dave
Hi Dave,
just had a 'chat' with Microsoft, who told me I would need to buy a licence for windows 7, together with the disc, and then install it on the new machine. they said they no longer sell windows 7 and suggested amazon.
I'll check the link you kindly supplied and se how that goes.
many thanks
alan
:hmmm: :dunce:
so it looks as though I get a laptop with windows 8 installed, which is the OEM - got that
then I need a copy of windows 7 and its licence - not got that
then install 7 as well as 8, and the laptop effectively has both on, but runs 7, with 8 available for later use if required ?
have I got it right :confused1:
Looks like it depends on the version of Windows you have and the rights associated with that. In any case it looks like you need to approach the manufacturer of your machine rather than Microsoft. This used to be quite simple, seems the license has been 'improved' since I last looked.
Cheers
Dave
its a Compaq, so I'll get in touch with HP tomorrow and see what they say, and if they can help.
thank you for your help, and I'll update this after I've spoken to them.
cheers
alan
What with windows 8 and Ios8 I thought 666 was the Devils number not 8
I think I'll go back to talking writing and an Abucus it's easier.
Bob
Quote from: Bob Tidbury on September 29, 2014, 08:37:09 PM
What with windows 8 and Ios8 I thought 666 was the Devils number not 8
I think I'll go back to talking writing and an Abucus it's easier.
Bob
Crayons - they're so much simpler :)
Cheers
Dave
Quote from: DCCDave on September 29, 2014, 08:41:05 PM
Quote from: Bob Tidbury on September 29, 2014, 08:37:09 PM
What with windows 8 and Ios8 I thought 666 was the Devils number not 8
I think I'll go back to talking writing and an Abucus it's easier.
Bob
Crayons - they're so much simpler :)
Cheers
Dave
and not so sharp :smiley-laughing:
Win 7 disc with licence here, probably cheaper than MS or Compaq.
http://itrevive.co.uk/windows-licences/64-bit-software-and-keys.html (http://itrevive.co.uk/windows-licences/64-bit-software-and-keys.html)
Hi
I got fed up with Windows 7 because it started to run slow with endless updates. I have changed to freeware - Linux Mint 17 Qiana. It comes with everything I need - and for free. Office suite, email, browser, pictures editor, video player etc. It can even run some Windows programmes through an app called 'wine'.
I would never touch windows 8 so if you don't want a touch screen facility try Qiana. Just put Linux Mint 17 into your search box and take a look. There are full instructions on how to download it online at :
http://www.linuxmint.com (http://www.linuxmint.com)
Cheers
Mac :beers:
Put the Bash fix in yet ? ::)
Quote from: PaulCheffus on September 29, 2014, 04:59:53 PM
You will need your original Windows 7 disc to re install the operating system.
I've read elsewhere that by reformatting the hard disk to remove Windows 8 and then installing Windows 7 it may invalidate the computers warranty. This would be OK if you've got a mate who can help you out if things go wrong but disastrous, and expensive, if you don't.
For the record I've been thinking about getting a laptop and backdating it to Windows XP and Office 2003 to maintain compatibility with my desktop computers.
Nigel
My current PC is an Intel i7 chip Toshiba Satellite which is running Windows 8.1, but I still have my old Acer Laptop which has Windows 7 Professional installed on it and I am glad that I kept it.
Some of the software that ran on the Acer simply will not run under Windows 8, and when I put a video clip on this Forum of my Layout, I have to put the mini-disk from my old Sony Camcorder into the Acer first to read it as the new PC with Windows 8 won't recognize it at all.
I have to import the video files from the mini-disk onto to the Acer hard drive, then copy them onto a flash drive which then goes in the new PC where I use AVS Video Editing software to create the final video which is then uploaded to YouTube.
I only acquired a new Laptop because I was running out of disk space and needed more memory as well as a faster chip as the Acer was beginning to run slow despite me having done all I could to speed it up.
My Toshiba P855-34P has 16gb of RAM, an i7-3630QM CPU, and a 1TB hard drive,
so on paper it should be fairly quick although it doesn't seem all that much faster than my previous less powerful Acer, but part of that could be down to the Operating System.
Quote from: macwales on September 30, 2014, 11:26:20 AM
I got fed up with Windows 7 because it started to run slow with endless updates.
No reason that updates should slow it down, are sure it's not something else?
Linux, for the record, has just as many updates as Windows.
And before I'm accused of being a Windows fan-boy I run Linux too.
Cheers
Dave
Hi
After three years of Windows 7 Starter - my last Windows updates were taking up to 15 mins, coming in thick and fast. Qiada updates take less than 5 mins. Then there were browser (Firefox) , email client, pdf reader etc all separate updates. The mintupdate single update system includes all updates so applications such as Firefox do not update separately. It also updates stuff that windows applications never get unless you buy the latest version. Windows adds updates to files and seems not to remove any. It just gets bigger and bigger. One windows update corrupted my OS! All my files had to be recovered - took 1.5 days.
So fed up I bought a SSD and loaded Linux.
However I could have continued with my old HD and ran my netbook as a dual boot Windows and Linux.
Running Linux Mint 17 Qiada is free so no expense of buying a new windows O/S if anyone wants to ditch a Windows operating system its an option worth considering.
And a big plus for me is the free software. An office suite and a photo editor would be a £100 on their own. All the Linux programmes can read my windows files.
Not pushing Linux but a friend pointed me to its recent improvements and it puts the user in control so I went for it. Glad I did.
All this is discussed on the Linux Mint site in the operating instructions available for download. I would suggest anyone thinking of swapping should consult this first.
Cheers
Mac
Quote from: Buzzard on September 30, 2014, 12:22:16 PM
Quote from: PaulCheffus on September 29, 2014, 04:59:53 PM
You will need your original Windows 7 disc to re install the operating system.
I've read elsewhere that by reformatting the hard disk to remove Windows 8 and then installing Windows 7 it may invalidate the computers warranty. This would be OK if you've got a mate who can help you out if things go wrong but disastrous, and expensive, if you don't.
Hi
Not sure that is correct as I might want to install Linux and what you are saying is I can't do that without invalidating my warranty.
I looked for a Laptop without an OS but there doesn't seem to be any available so I bought one with Windows 8.1 with the plan that if I didn't get on with it I would install Windows 7. So far I have been happy with 8.1 after installing the classic menu.
Cheers
Paul
Update :
had a 'chat' with HP this morning, with the upshot that they say "don't recommend installing a different OS, and cannot confirm all corresponding drivers would be available"
did tell me how to change Win8 to look like Win7, and I'll add the instructions here -
you can make your windows 8 computer look more easy and user friendly.
Enable Start menu on Windows 8:
1.Right-click on the Taskbar and click Toolbars and then New toolbar.
2. Browse to C:\Program Data\Microsoft\Windows and select Start Menu and choose Select Folder.
3. You should now have the Start menu available on Main desktop screen.
Top 10 Windows 8 Tips that will help you:-
http://www.computerhope.com/tips/tip200.htmDownload (http://www.computerhope.com/tips/tip200.htmDownload) the start menu:-
http://www.iobit.com/iobitstartmenu8.php (http://www.iobit.com/iobitstartmenu8.php)
don't know if any help to anyone.
I'll look at Linux later, especially if it has the free 'office' software, and can read my existing excel and word files.
looks like that's this evening planned :no:
cheers
alan