Windows 7 turned into Windows 8, how did it do it?

[bizee]

I have Windows 7 on my computer. I took some Windows updates the other day, and I always look at them first, and I did not see anything saying "Windows 8", and they all looked like normal updates, so I let them happen. I don't have a time frame but it seems like the next time I started my computer I saw the boot screen coming up looking like Windows 8 (blue square instead of colored squares). At first I thought this was weird, as my computer then booted into Windows 7. Then I noticed my desktop icons (google chromes) had lost their color and were now plain white. I managed to search online to find out how to make them colored again, however next boot they were plain white again. Then I tried rebooting and attempted hitting F8 to go into Advanced Boot Options and nothing happened. After hours of searching to try and solve this, and finding nothing, I eventually ended up in "msconfig" and noticed my operating system (and there was only one choice) was Windows 8. So I searched how to get into Advanced Boot Options in Windows 8 and found that F8 does not work for this operating system, which verifies that I have Windows 8. I then tried to force the system into Advanced Boot Options by holding the power button in to shut down my computer and upon starting it back up, it came back into Advanced Boot Options, at which time I tried "Last known Good Configuration", and needless to say that did not work. I tried doing that again, shut off using power button, starting and this time I only got Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, and Safe Mode with Command Prompt. Tried a few more times and kept getting same. This apparently from I understand is what happens with Windows 8. BUT my computer boots up in Windows 7.
Question 1: How the hell did my computer go to Windows 8
Question 2: Can I reverse this? (I tried doing system restore to 3 days before this happened and it did not work)
Question 3: Is my only option to reinstall Windows 7? (I am pretty sure it is)

Anyways, I am in dismay as to how this happened.

 

[AddRAM]

Go to your computer properties page, it will tell you what version of windows you`re running.

 

[bizee]

That says Windows 7 Ultimate.
msconfig says Windows 8.
Boot up does not behave like Windows 7, it behaves like Windows 8.
Hope you read entire description of what is happening.

 

[Layback Bear]

Reading you first post is like reading War and Peace.

Please post on of these. Using this tutorial by Brink.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html



and one of these.

 

[bizee]

Just as I described in my war and peace, this will show exactly what I said, Control Panel/System shows Windows 7, and msconfig shows Windows 8. I didn't make this up.

 

[Ranger4]

Could you post a screen shot of your Disc Management please. Click on the Start Button & in the search slot type in Disc Management, then select it from the list above where you typed. Take a screen snip including all the info shown in that window & post it back.
As your System Configuration shows Windows 8, it is shown on Drive or partition F. Normally the main OS is on Drive C, which is where Windows 7 should be if this is your main OS.
Do you have Windows 8 actually installed on your computer.

 

[AddRAM]

I was just about to ask him the same thing, why is it showing Windows 8 on F ???

 

[Layback Bear]

Disk Management would be great. Might tell us something. Good idea.

Also could you do this tutorial by Brink. It would let us know what we are working with.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/180324-system-info-see-your-system-specs.html

What operating system did your computer come with?

bizee you got lots of help coming now get back to us as soon as you can.

 

[Golden]

Sounds like a dual boot scenario. Disk Management will clear that up.

 

[AddRAM]

Well we know he`s running Windows 7 Ultimate as per his screenshot.

 

[bizee]

My main drive is F: as I had 2 other hard drives wired into my system but took them out when this problem arose. I had 1 drive as C: and it contained movie downloads, and I had another drive X: which contained everything from pictures to personal letters etc. I kept my operating system on what I named F: separate instead of partioning a drive to do the same.

 

[bizee]

I personally have never installed Windows 8 on my computer, only the Windows 7 you see in my screenshot. I hope this is what you wanted. If not let me know what else.
Here is System Info:

 

[bizee]

Sorry for my method, but I am trying and appreciate your help.

 

[bizee]

Nettwork 2 of 2 (couldn't edit so I pasted detail instead) Ralink Technology, Corp., 802.11n Wireless LAN Card, Ethernet 802.3, Wireless Network Connection,

So this attachment is Network 1 of 2

 

[bizee]

Here is the rest

 

[Brink]

I have Windows 7 on my computer. I took some Windows updates the other day, and I always look at them first, and I did not see anything saying "Windows 8", and they all looked like normal updates, so I let them happen. I don't have a time frame but it seems like the next time I started my computer I saw the boot screen coming up looking like Windows 8 (blue square instead of colored squares). At first I thought this was weird, as my computer then booted into Windows 7. Then I noticed my desktop icons (google chromes) had lost their color and were now plain white. I managed to search online to find out how to make them colored again, however next boot they were plain white again. Then I tried rebooting and attempted hitting F8 to go into Advanced Boot Options and nothing happened. After hours of searching to try and solve this, and finding nothing, I eventually ended up in "msconfig" and noticed my operating system (and there was only one choice) was Windows 8. So I searched how to get into Advanced Boot Options in Windows 8 and found that F8 does not work for this operating system, which verifies that I have Windows 8. I then tried to force the system into Advanced Boot Options by holding the power button in to shut down my computer and upon starting it back up, it came back into Advanced Boot Options, at which time I tried "Last known Good Configuration", and needless to say that did not work. I tried doing that again, shut off using power button, starting and this time I only got Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, and Safe Mode with Command Prompt. Tried a few more times and kept getting same. This apparently from I understand is what happens with Windows 8. BUT my computer boots up in Windows 7.
Question 1: How the hell did my computer go to Windows 8
Question 2: Can I reverse this? (I tried doing system restore to 3 days before this happened and it did not work)
Question 3: Is my only option to reinstall Windows 7? (I am pretty sure it is)

Anyways, I am in dismay as to how this happened.

Hello Bizee,

Please post a screenshot showing the Boot tab in msconfig to see what it says.

 

[3D Jed]

Many years ago at college some guy claimed his XP machine had reverted to W2000, but he had just accidently clicked classic theme.

 

[Layback Bear]

Hello Brink.
Post #5 is what msconfig/boot was at that time.

***bizee do you know Bradley?
http://www.sevenforums.com/members/bradley74.html

 

[bizee]

Like Layback Bear says, see msconfig boot tab in Post #5.

And "no", I do not know Bradley.

 

[Brink]

Sorry Bizbee, I missed it in post #5.

Well, it's obvious you are booting into Windows 7, so it appears that something just changed the OS name in Windows Boot Manager.

See if using the tutorial below to change the OS name back to Windows 7 may sort this for you.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/5110-dual-boot-change-os-name-windows-boot-manager.html