I wasted the better part of two days trying to give win 8 (8.1) a fair shake, even bought the "dummies" book. I give up! How can I lose 8 and install 7 pro 64 (or close) on my new nextbook, please, and thanks!
BC
Windows 8 can be a bit difficult to use compared to Windows 7. It can be tamed though.
Start Button:
If you install Classic Shell (free) or Stardock's Start8 ($3.99) or similar software then you can have the Start button as it was in Windows 7 and boot directly to the Desktop. You can still play with Metro stuff but it's not forced on you.
Windows 7 Gadgets:
Windows 7 Gadgets are also available if you want them: 8GadgetPack - Gadgets for Windows 8
UAC:
I find UAC extremely annoying. If you do too then to (mostly) disable UAC, Press Windows key + R to open the Run window.
Type msconfig and press Enter.
Click on the Tools tab.
Select Change UAC settings and click Launch.
Move the slider all the way to the bottom then click OK.
Some parts of UAC will still be alive, so to completely disable it you need to change a registry key.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
Key: EnableLUA
Set the value to 0
You cannot use any Metro Apps or the App Store when UAC is disabled. If you've gone this far, you can also disable all hot corners so you will not get any of the Windows Charms popups. Just check the Classic Shell and Start8 options to do this.
Essentially you need to boot into BIOS setup, on Security tab disable Secure Boot to install another OS, on Advanced tab enable CSM or Legacy BIOS. Then boot the Win7 installation media from the boot menu. Does it offer a UEFI DVD drive or USB drive choice to boot? If so then choose that, if not choose the Legacy one. Choose Custom install, at the Drive Selection screen delete all partitions, then create New as you please or just click Next and the install will do it for you and begin.
Illustrated steps here: Downgrade Windows 8 to Windows 7
and here: Clean Install Windows 7
Pointers here to get and keep a perfect Win7 install are the same for Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7
If you haven't purchased Win7 yet you could trial the excellent pre-beta preview of Windows 10 which is already so stable I installed it into a Dual Boot and haven't been back to Windows 7 for two months. Windows 10 Technical Preview - Clean Install
If you have any problems, report back the exact step and any verbatim error message. Some BIOS' require more settings related to UEFI, Legacy BIOS, CSM so these may need to be adjusted. Camera snaps will help a lot. Screenshots and Files - Upload and Post in Seven Forums - Windows 7 Forums
Well, of course it wouldn't be as simple as I had hoped! What I would like to be able to do on a machine that I bought and paid for is to unload whatever OS the factory pre-installed and load my preferred OS with a minimum hassle. MY MACHINE, MY PREFERRED OS!! Guess that's just not possible these days, huh?
The nextbook people seem to have made it as difficult as possible to have MY machine operate as I want it to. I realize that's not a problem you good folks can help with. I'm done ranting and ready to try to find ways to improve the operation of this computer, and I appreciate whatever help I can get from this forum.
Past experience tells me that I need to make a startup disk bfore I get too carried away with tinkering with the machine. I bought an "OTG cable" to connect the computer to a thumbdrive, but do not know how to proceed.
Any guidance or encouragement is much appreciated.
Thanks
BC
If you have no more interaction with the detailed steps I took the time to write out than to rant at volunteers trying to help you then you should take it to a shop.
With patient cooperation we have never failed to help get a perfect install much better than any preinstalled OS or install a shop would do. It requires making the adjustments I gave you and then following the steps in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7
Greg, I am truly sorry that you took offense at my post. I thought the rant was clearly aimed at nextbook. It was most certainly NOT intended for the very volunteers I'm asking for help. I have done volunteer work and supervised volunteer staff for many years. My most sincere apologies to anyone who was offended.
I do appreciate the effort that you put into the tutorial. I read it, but still have questions. However mostly I am frustrated at the difficulty I am having getting at the guts of this machine so I can make it behave like I want it to. The very skimpy owner's "manual" works from the premise that the machine is fine "as-is" and will do anything the owner could want to do. That a person who bought and paid for a nextbook might be unhappy with the pre-installed OS seems not to compute with the manufacturer.
At present, I am stuck at making a system repair "disk" on a thumb drive. From my readings in this forum and years of amateurish hacking with few disastrous results, it seems like solving this issue is the best start to following your tutorial.
Again, any help, guidance and/or encouragement is greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
BC
If you're abandoning Windows 8 then you don't need a repair disk for it which I don't' think is even offered. If you think you might want to go back to it then you should make Recovery media as specified in the Manual. You can also always Clean Reinstall just Windows 8 using Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 ISO - Download or Create to Clean Install - Windows 8 .
But first confirm the settings in BIOS setup which I asked you about in my first post and still have received no response. You can access these UEFI Firmware Settings - Boot to from inside Windows 8 to find Secure Boot to disable on the Security tab, and then CSM or Legacy BIOS to enable on the Advanced tab. Then on Boot tab under Boot Priority Order set the UEFI DVD drive as first boot device. When ready to install Win7 you'll save these changes and exit, reboot with Win7 DVD in drive, when prompted "Press any Key to boot DVD."
Then follow these same steps to Clean Reinstall Windows 7.
At the drive selection screen delete all partitions to create new as you wish, or just click Next and let the installer create and format your install partition along with the necessary boot partitions it wants.
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