Can not revert to Win 7 from Win 8

[m1a1mg]

OK, here's the story. I have an HP Dv7 laptop. I've had it about a year. I upgraded to Windows 8, but I have recently decided I want to revert back to Windows 7. That's when the problems started. Nothing wants to work properly. I can only go to select sites on IE, and even fewer site on Mozilla or Chrome. My LAN only works sporadically. The wireless shuts off whenever it wants. Any download or install that takes more than a couple of seconds will time out. Windows Update does not work at all. I've tried going to the Intel Driver Update page, but it causes IE to crash. Mozilla or Chrome won't even go to the site.

Right now I am only working with the Intel Chipset Installation Utility and the LAN driver installed. It's just completely buggy. This is my 4th attempt at reinstall. I actually had it fairly stable last night, but this morning it's buggy again.

I bought it used from someone and they had already deleted the restore partition. The funny thing is, I have done a clean install of this machine with Windows 7 PRIOR to installing Windows 8. It's like Windows 8 changed something in the machine. Heck, I've even flashed the BIOS to try that.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I'm hoping I'm just being stupid and missing something.

 

[theog]

Try Cleaning the HD Drive, using the CLEAN command (no need to use CLEAN ALL) in Step One in this tutorial:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/91339-ssd-hdd-optimize-windows-reinstallation.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html?ltr=C

For UEFI/BIOS firmware:
How to install Windows 64 bit on a UEFI BIOS:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...e-firmware-interface-install-windows-7-a.html

 

[gregrocker]

Second that, Clean the boot sector of code which can interfere and cause numerous problems.

Then follow these exact steps to get a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7.

You will get and keep a perfect install to the exact extent you stick with the tools and methods in the tutorial.

 

[m1a1mg]

I only get two partitions in step 8 of UEFI.

 

[gregrocker]

Are you booting into UEFI installer choice on Boot Menu?

Will it proceed with install to the large partition?

 

[m1a1mg]

It did install to the large partition. I'm not sure what I did wrong with the UEFI, but it is working better now.

Strangely, I installed the HP Support program and it installed files that were not available on the website. Even more strange, because I had done a clean install before.

Thanks for the assistance. I'm crossing my fingers that it will all work now.

 

[gregrocker]

If HP Support Asst went wild you may have to Clean Up Factory Bloatware.

They also have a Minimal Recovery on the latest HP System Recovery which leaves out most of the bloatware, except for the HP Connection Manager which can be uninstalled to default to Win7's superior connection manager.

 

[m1a1mg]

Thanks. I'm just chasing down one rogue driver. Everything is working well. I can only guess that I wasn't getting the SSD completely clean of Windows 8.