Ordered new laptop with Win 8 but plan to install Win 7 - partitions?

[jayrap]

These are the same frustrations many of us feel having watched Win7 become wildly popular before being smothered in its crib without a sign of age. And UEFI challenges everything we've learned and helped develop here for installs and repairs. This is why we have been working with you feverishly on this, and last night the Admin read the thread to see if anything in the Win8 tutorials he's writing could apply.

Let's hope a new HD installed with the installer booted in Legacy non-EUFI labeled mode will work correctly to Clean Install Windows 7. You do have a second HD slot on that Laptop, correct? Because Win7 cannot be installed to an external.

Thanks for sticking with me (and theog) this last week and a bit - I appreciate your help.

Unfortunately, my laptop only has a slot for one internal HDD - another laptop from Acer similar to this one apparently has 2 HDD spaces. I needed this one though as I needed the GPU for CAD work... and games. The CPU is good (only on average, slightly slower that my desktop's AMD Phenom II x4 955BE -made me realize how behind the times my gaming PC is).

I hope this works. I need it to work - my CAD assignment's deadline is on Wednesday and I'm far behind - if I'm spending £6000 a year for my course then I need to get the work in to made it worth it. I could install the CAD software on my desktop but that wouldn't make it portable - that's what I did with the previous student licence but I couldn't take it with me.

 

[gregrocker]

If you don't intend to Dual Boot these HD's then you should have asked us about buying another HD just to swap out a brand new one. This is a waste. You can save a Win8 backup image in addition to making the Recovery Disks and have two methods to reimage it to the HD if you decide you ever need to go back to UEFI and Win8. There's no reason to have a brand new HD sittting around doing nothing. I would cancel the order while you can or return the HD, make your Win7 backup image to external, Recovery Disks, then follow the steps to Bypass UEFI to Install WIn7 setting Legacy BIOS, booting into installer Command line to run Clean command followed by Convert MBR, partition and install.
http://www.sevenforums.com/installa...reinstalled-windows-8-laptop.html#post2178898

 

[jayrap]

If you don't intend to Dual Boot these HD's then you should have asked us about buying another HD just to swap out a brand new one. This is a waste. You can save a Win8 backup image in addition to making the Recovery Disks and have two methods to reimage it to the HD if you decide you ever need to go back to UEFI and Win8. There's no reason to have a brand new HD sittting around doing nothing. I would cancel the order while you can or return the HD, make your Win7 backup image to external, Recovery Disks, then follow the steps to Bypass UEFI to Install WIn7 setting Legacy BIOS, booting into installer Command line to run Clean command followed by Convert MBR, partition and install.
http://www.sevenforums.com/installa...reinstalled-windows-8-laptop.html#post2178898

Originally I wanted to dual-boot but now after the number of days it's been since making this thread, I've given up.

Order has been placed. Should I cancel? Maybe I should, however, the frustration has just got to me really bad.

If I image the drive to an external USB HDD with existing data on it will that be ok? My father has a drive but it's got all of his stuff on it. I've run out of USB sticks. I might not be able to borrow it in time. These are desperate times.

Also, I want both W7 and W8 available to me - 2 separate hard drives may sound silly, but on the premise of "I paid for it, so I'm not getting rid of it" I want both to be ready when I need them. Windows 8 may be something I dislike, but if I ever want to actually use the thing for whatever reason, I'll just swap out the drives. Expensive? Yes - goes against what I'm trying to achieve in my budgeting, but less hassle - less illness from fatigue and stress.

 

[gregrocker]

Don't let the frustration cloud your thinking. There's no reason to bust your budget if you don't plan to dual boot with the two drives. An image of the drive as it is now will set it back exactly as it is now. To size it down you can uninstall programs or move data off.

Yes I would absolutely cancel the HD order as its a waste, as we could have told you if you'd said it wasn't for dual booting.

Did you make your Recovery disks yet? That provides a route back to factory condition: Acer Support - Answers, E-Mail, Chat - How do I restore my computer using the eRecovery Management program?
Acer Support: Frequently Asked Questions list for Recovery media and Restoring a system to factory load

You can also order Acer Recovery disks from Acer if ever needed, but you'll probably want to Clean Reinstall anyway since the factory image is full of corrupting bloatware and grossly inferior to a Clean Reinstall. So having the image and Recovery disks is only a precaution in case you need to suddenly ship it back under warranty and they require it.

I wonder how many who could have helped were turned away because your specs are not listed and conflicted with the title of the thread. I just had to go back to the first post to see the Acer model.

 

[Golden]

Hi,

Did you know that you can run Windows 8 from a USB flash drive? If that fits your needs, you could run Windows 7 from the primary HDD, and when you need Windows 8, run it from the USB?

Windows 8 To Go - Setup on a USB Flash Drive or USB Disk

I am happy to be corrected by Windows 8 gurus if I have misunderstood the Windows 8 To Go concept.

Regards,
Golden

 

[jayrap]

Don't let the frustration cloud your thinking. There's no reason to bust your budget if you don't plan to dual boot with the two drives. An image of the drive as it is now will set it back exactly as it is now. To size it down you can uninstall programs or move data off.

Yes I would absolutely cancel the HD order as its a waste, as we could have told you if you'd said it wasn't for dual booting.

Did you make your Recovery disks yet? That provides a route back to factory condition: Acer Support - Answers, E-Mail, Chat - How do I restore my computer using the eRecovery Management program?
Acer Support: Frequently Asked Questions list for Recovery media and Restoring a system to factory load

You can also order Acer Recovery disks from Acer if ever needed, but you'll probably want to Clean Reinstall anyway since the factory image is full of corrupting bloatware and grossly inferior to a Clean Reinstall. So having the image and Recovery disks is only a precaution in case you need to suddenly ship it back under warranty and they require it.

I wonder how many who could have helped were turned away because your specs are not listed and conflicted with the title of the thread. I just had to go back to the first post to see the Acer model.

I would change the thread title if I knew how.

What I'm about to say next is going to sound very stubborn and I understand you'll probably have that sort of "Oh I give up on him" feeling... which I'd expect and think you'd be fully entitled to do so, but I'm just going to let that order arrive and install Windows 7 onto that. After all, If I drop the laptop when I'm out and about and damage the new HDD, at least I'll have the other one still about. I always save my work onto USB drives and the main HDDs as I'm often using computers at uni too.

The existing HDD can be my emergency HDD.

I apologize as it probably feels like you've been talking to a brick wall these last 5 posts or so.

I hope others who want to achieve what I wanted to achieve can still get help from you guys.

Also laptop is this:

Acer Aspire V3-571G
Intel Core i5 3210m
8GB DDR3-1600
GT 630M 1GB
750GB WD Scorpio Blue SATA II

BIOS version was v2.02 when I got it - yesterday updated it to v2.11

If an admin can change the title of the thread then they can do so to make it relevant the posts in here.

 

[gregrocker]

That wasn't my point. You title of the thread is excellent since it describes the issue succinctly. The problem is that when you put your specs for the thread in question in a post and not the Specs box in bottom left corner of post, those with knowledge of your issue may instead see another's PC specs there and move on. So I hope the lack of specs listed correctly where they should be didn't turn away someone with knowledge of your issue.

Your decision to have a backup HD with the other OS if perfectly fine. I always tailor my help to those wishing to save money, and you earlier said you are a student about to bust his budget with the extra HD expense. I also don't like to waste money - mine or others.

Do you have a Win7 install already set up which you like or love? We can help you apply its image to the new HD so you hit the ground running at school Monday. You would save a Win7 backup image of your favorite install externally, then apply it using Paragon Adaptive Restore CD freeware.

 

[jayrap]

Hi,

Did you know that you can run Windows 8 from a USB flash drive? If that fits your needs, you could run Windows 7 from the primary HDD, and when you need Windows 8, run it from the USB?

Windows 8 To Go - Setup on a USB Flash Drive or USB Disk

I am happy to be corrected by Windows 8 gurus if I have misunderstood the Windows 8 To Go concept.

Regards,
Golden

I'd rather not bother to be honest - I've made up my mind, before I go stressing over this anymore. I've run out of the ability to put effort into this anymore - however much or little required. I'm going to wait until Saturday, hope that the snow doesn't disrupt my order and get my work out the way. I'm playing the stressed out, stubborn role now. It'll calm my pulse down and let me rest.

 

[jayrap]

That wasn't my point. You title of the thread is excellent since it describes the issue succinctly. The problem is that when you put your specs for the thread in question in a post and not the Specs box in bottom left corner of post, many Gurus with knowledge of your issue will see instead another's PC specs there and move on. So I hope the lack of specs listed correctly where they should be didn't turn away someone with knowledge of your issue.

Your decision to have a backup HD with the other OS if perfectly fine. I always tailor my help to those wishing to save money, and you earlier said you are a student about to bust his budget with the extra HD expense. I also don't like to waste money - mine or others.

I'll add those then, but as far as I'm concerned for now, I'm done with this (I hope).

I hope others with a similar... well the same problem can get a working solution.

Thanks for the last few days of helping me, and also thanks to theog

Jon

 

[Golden]

Thats OK - its tough stressing when you are paying through your nose for studies. Take a break, then come back if you need more help