Solved downgrading from Win 10

[CosmicJest]

Hello,

I'm not sure which forum I should be in to ask this question, so I'll start here and hope someone can help me.

I have an HP Envy laptop that's 4-5 years old. It came with Win 8 and disks to downgrade to Win 7. Last July (2015) I upgraded to Win 10, and a few weeks ago I upgraded to Anniversary Ed.

I have had nothing but trouble for over a year with Win 10, and I want to leave it behind and get back full functionality on my computer.

Is it even possible after all this time to roll back? Can I roll back to Win 7 when it was never even installed on the laptop? Do I need to roll back to Win 8 first, and then downgrade to Win 7? Do I go straight to the Win 7 disks and do it that way? What's the best way to proceed? Or am I SOL and stuck with Win 10?

 

[torchwood]

Hi CosmicJest,
You've got the GOLD>> the W7 discs <<, You should also have a product key,
it might be 7 HomePremium HP 4FG99-BC3HD-73CQT-WMF7J-3Q6C9, but i doubt it.
There should be a key on the packaging.
DO NOT POST IT.

You can perform a clean install, remember to back up your personal data first,
No need to rollback to 8.

Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7
Clean Install Windows 7

Roy

 

[CosmicJest]

Thanks torchwood! I'll give it a go tonight!

 

[Digital Life]

Before you try to install Win 7 it is very important that you download all of the win 7 Drivers to a usb drive or something else that win 7 can read. If you have USB 3 on that computer you may need to burn a CD or dvd with the drivers on that.

 

[torchwood]

Shouldn't be neccessary as he has the original OEM disc, they will all be on there.

Roy

 

[Megahertz07]

I do agree with Roy.
After all these years and 2 OS's, you have a lot of trash. With a clean install it will run much better.
Remember that your entire disk will be formatted, so backup your data on an external disk.

 

[CosmicJest]

Gadzooks! I don't have the Windows 7 disk! However, I've ordered one online and should have it next week. I'll post back after the deed is done. Can't wait to get back to Windows 7!

 

[Megahertz07]

I don't think you need one.
Most all OEM manufactures provide a application to build a installation disk.
Look at the HP software on the laptop for a Factory recover disks.
Some of them can restore to factory by BIOS.
Remember that your entire disk will be formatted, so backup your data on an external disk.

Look at this link HP Support document - HP Support Center

 

[CosmicJest]

That's a handy link, thanks Megahertz07.

CORRECTION:
What I posted originally wasn't quite right. What came with the laptop was OEM Win 8 disks, not a Win 7 disk. I'm still pretty sure it was downgradeable, but since I can't find the disk I thought I had, perhaps I'm mistaken. I no longer have ANY disks nor system image for this computer - only my current backups of documents/media/installation files.

I'll start with trying a factory reset to see if I can at least get back to Win 8 - at this point, with as much damage as Win 10 has done, most anything is preferable to the state the laptop is in right now.

sml156 suggested downloading Win 7 drivers to a flash drive - how would I go about finding all the drivers for my particular laptop?

 

[torchwood]

Hi Cosmic,
In that case UNLESS you can get the discs directly from HP AND a W7 product key, your stuck with 8/10.

Roy

 

[Megahertz07]

The win 7 drivers you'll find on the HP site:Product Support - HP Support Center

Witch license (win 7 or 8) you have on the COA stick under the laptop?

 

[CosmicJest]

I don't see anything on the bottom or under the battery except for a Windows 8 sticker. No sticker of authenticity or anything with a product key.

Apparently there are no Win 7 drivers available for my laptop. Does that mean I'm dead in the water with my Win 7 downgrade?

 

[Barman58]

Most Win 8 licence keys were actually encoded into a TPM chip on the motherboard so the system restore from HP, either on the Recovery partition on the Harddisk or on disks from HP, (they were available from HP if you lost your disks but may no longer be available), should use the embedded key

 

[Digital Life]

I don't see anything on the bottom or under the battery except for a Windows 8 sticker. No sticker of authenticity or anything with a product key.

Apparently there are no Win 7 drivers available for my laptop. Does that mean I'm dead in the water with my Win 7 downgrade?

If you do not mind wasting a day to find out if Win 7 works only to find out it does not then go for it, If you want to run an OS that you know works then don't.

 

[Megahertz07]

I would say that your computer, once win 7 is installed, will find the drivers.
As you said that the Win 7 factory recovery is on the way, wait for them.

 

[CosmicJest]

I found the original factory reset flash drive I made when the computer was new! I decided the first step I should take was to restore the computer to its original state, so I went ahead and used the flash drive. I've never done a factory reset before, so was a bit nervous, but it pretty much went off like clockwork - took all evening, but I ended up with a fresh install of Win 8, including hard drive wipe, so it should be nice and clean (except for bloatware).

Meanwhile, I poked around on an old Win 7 computer I have. While doing so, it occurred to me that between using Win 8 for a few years and then Win 10 for the last 15 months, that I've really grown accustomed to the newer GUI. So I spent some time considering whether I truly wanted to try a Win 7 downgrade on this computer that was built for Win 8. I decided that the smarter option is probably to stay with the native OS, so I think when the Win 7 disk arrives I'll send it back.

I've been SO frustrated with Win 10 :banghead: both at home and at work, where I am responsible for overall maintenance of our small network. I just wanted everything to work again - at least on my home computer! I appreciate the guidance, suggestions, and links provided. Thank you.

 

[Megahertz07]

I would keep the arriving disks. They are gold.
If you want to make win 8 to look like Win XP or Win 7 (start menu) install Classic shell. I think you going to love it.
Classic Shell - Start menu and other Windows enhancements

 

[CosmicJest]

Classic Shell was the first thing I installed this morning! Can't live without it!

I bought an XP disk just before MS quit supporting XP, but I never used it and ended up giving it away. However, I don't have any recovery for my Win 7 computer, so perhaps you're right and I should hold onto Win 7 when it comes...just in case.

 

[Megahertz07]

"Meanwhile, I poked around on an old Win 7 computer I have."
Why don't you do a factory restore on it. Than you'll have a spare computer that you can take anywhere without been worried of being lost or stolen.

 

[CosmicJest]

Well, I thought about that last night, actually, because it's a mess. It's old enough to have had several users and lots of s/w installs/uninstalls. But...can't find the original system backup & the Recovery drive is empty. So I guess I could use the new disk on that computer when it gets here.

So...do you agree that it's best to stick with the OS that a machine comes with, for the least amount of headaches with things not working right?