Windows 7: Secure Boot Arrives

It's looking like more of a protective feature than a BIOS lock.



Reading the articles and experiencing our first case here, it appears MS and the OEM's have softened considerably so that Secure Boot can now be simply disabled in BIOS setup to install another OS, perhaps even without bypassing EFI itself.

We still need more cases to see how other BIOS's handle it.

Well, I for one can tell you that Lenovo's laptops that come with windows 8 have secure boot enabled.
Disabled it and put 7 on it, but yeah.

cant install windows 7 in the preinstalled windows 8 laptop

Heck, I would have paid morethan that to get one with Windows 7.

I've figured that out already. The problem is, I could not make restore disks for windows 8, for a factory restore.
As would have I, if I would have known things would have gone down the way they are going.

You can also save a backup image as an alternative .

Did you contact your OEM tech support which is included free in the first year? Please let us know what they say.

I would also not tell them you reinstalled as this can void the tech support but not the hardware warranty.

ok, let's pretend for a moment that it wasn't a dirty trick.

It does prevent the computer from booting OSs that haven't payed a fee to MS to be included in the list.
Fedora has payed so it won't trigger this annoyance. Likely other big linux distros will pay and will be added.

So, to bypass this nonsense a virus or whatever just has to disguise itself as Fedora, which isn't that hard to do as Fedora (and any other linux distro that pays the fee) is Open Source.

The only OSs left out from that blanket are more obscure linux distros, older Windows OSs, and of course Apple's own OSs (hackingtosh springs to mind). And if the BIOS does not allow addition of certificates OR cannot disable this feature, you're out of luck.

How does that make a computer more safe? It's just an annoyance for common users, not unlike the usual DRM.
Would be more interesting if it did help keep down the number of pirated Win 8.

Win8 appears to have been developed on the Ipad or SmartPhone model of locking down the device, selling the OS low so you can make more money from the Apps. Hence the rise of MS Store.

This might be fine if it was limited to touchscreen devices. It's trying to force it onto desktops for an unintuitive, unproductive desktop experience that's at issue, and forcing it onto all new PC's being sold now is potentially disastrous. We must wait for almighty market forces to correct it asap while vindicating the best OS ever. My guess is that's already happening.

point is, this feature just gives the impression of being locked down. Not that for Apple is different, there is just lack of other compatible OSs (and reasons to install them)) on Ipad/phone.