Downgrade a laptop to Win 7

[nikev216]

just ordered a new laptop, it comes with windows 10 activated, can I install windows 7 on it instead I have my original disc, and will everything work ?

 

[oscer1]

Hi

before you even try to go to win 7 on the laptop I would check to see if they have drivers for win 7 for the laptop.

 

[Digital Life]

Probably should of asked that before you gave them your money. I agree with oscer1 advice.

 

[Megahertz07]

Generally speaking, if you can disable Secure boot on BIOS, you can install. It doesn't mean it will be an easy task.
Before you begin, make the Factory recover disks (launch from BIOS). If it fails to install Win 7 you can restore win 10.
Can you give us the brand and model of the new laptop?

 

[fireberd]

I agree with the others that its iffy at best. Do your homework and make backups before you even attempt to do it.

You say you have your Win 7 disc. If its an OEM that came with a new PC, it is "legally" only licensed for the PC it was delivered with.

 

[Barman58]

I've just checked the cost and availability of Windows 7 currently on sale - assuming that your existing copy is not a re-usable retail copy, which is by far the most likely here in the UK - the price varies greatly from <£10 to >£200.

Interesting thing is that my Bitdefender Anti malware suite blocked all of the websites as dangerous

Now that Microsoft is not selling any more fresh copies this would suggest to me that it will be very difficult and possibly expensive to Downgrade from a current Windows 10 system to Windows 7

 

[mrjimphelps]

You can get Windows 7 here:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/DWQypg/microsoft-os-glc00182

Other legitimate retailers sell it as well, such as Newegg:
https://www.newegg.com/Operating-Systems/SubCategory/ID-368

Newegg specifically identifies their product as "OEM", which means that you need to have been the one who built the computer in order to legally use the software on that computer. PCPartPicker doesn't say if what they are selling is OEM or retail. ("Retail" means that you can legally move your Windows 7 license around from computer to computer without restriction, as long as it is used on only one computer at a time.) PCPartPicker's entire operation is selling you the parts and then you build your own computer; so my guess is that they too are selling the OEM version of Windows 7, which means that you can't legally buy it from them and then install it on your store-bought laptop.

Some Windows 10 computers have come with "downgrade" rights, that is, they have included a Windows 7 license so that you can legally downgrade to Windows 7. Since your laptop is new, this is probably not the case.

Since your laptop is new, there are likely restrictions on its ability to get Windows 7 updates. There are published "hacks" to work around this restriction, but you need to be aware that your laptop likely is restricted in this way.

 

[Barman58]

OEM actually means as it always has - Original Equipment Manufacturer, which translates to - you must sell the completed PC and OS to a third party to qualify to purchase an OEM licence. Microsoft have not always been too strict on this condition of purchase in the past but they are entitled to refuse, licensing support or sale at their discretion.

Both the suppliers quoted are not really useful to a user outside of the US as by the time you add in import duties and international shipping the price is too high

Also of course local legal definition in Germany and some other countries state that a licence cannot be tied to a hardware package and becomes the property of the purchaser and thus resellable in the future


EDIT

Newegg do have an outlet in the UK - but they do not carry Windows 7 as for as I can see

 

[mrjimphelps]

In other words, "OEM" means that you built and then sold the computer, not that you built and then kept the computer for your own use? Makes sense.

For example, a company which needs, say, 20 computers couldn't build those computers, install OEM Windows on them, and then keep the computers for their own use; but if they built them to then sell to someone else, they could install OEM Windows on them.

With the cost of computers being so cheap these days, it doesn't make much sense to build your own computer and then pay the additional cost of "retail" Windows; you would probably pay about the same if you bought a ready-made computer from, say, Dell, with their OEM copy of Windows installed on it.

 

[Barman58]

It's a strange thing as Microsoft were at times strict on this and at times they were very lax.

The basic licensing system was split three ways ...

• The volume licensing used by Corporate customers, governments and Schools and Including the MAK licences for remote devices that could not be connected to the Key Management Servers often enough to make them viable for business use ( laptops Remote comms stations Etc)
  
• The Retail licences which were transferable as you stated as long as they were only installed /Active on one system at any one time ( interpretations varied as to whether an installed but unused system was legal or not.
  
• OEM Licences which were not transferable under any circumstances - these included those using SLC embedded keys from major OEMs and those small system builders with a key that would normally include the OEM letters in the Key . These were reusable within reason on the same hardware where one or two of the monitored hardware failed but not the Motherboard without a call and agreement with Microsoft.

There are are set of licences that are a strange brew and those are those that were issued as part of several Microsoft schemes including Technet MSDN and specialist Schools packages which were not VL strictly but acted like a Retail MAK key

Also "Installed" included all Devices whether Physical or Virtual so Window7 system with a Windows 7 Virtual machine would need two licences as to use the VM you needed the licence for the Host and a licence for the hosted OS

 

[mrjimphelps]

Also "Installed" included all Devices whether Physical or Virtual so Window7 system with a Windows 7 Virtual machine would need two licences as to use the VM you needed the licence for the Host and a licence for the hosted OS

Are you allowed to move your OEM license from the host OS to a guest OS in a VM on the same machine? In other words, you are no longer using the OEM license as the host.

In my case, I started with OEM Windows 7 as the host system on my computer. I then installed Linux Mint as my host system, and installed VMWare Workstation Player on that machine within the Linux host OS.

So, would I be allowed to use the VMWare tools to make a virtual copy of the original Windows 7 OEM hard drive (that drive is stored away, with Windows 7 OEM still installed on it), and then load it as the OS in a guest VM on that same machine?

 

[Barman58]

I'm not sure - As there is just one copy of the licence in use then it should be acceptable - if however the "hardware" is seen as different by the device/software than the originally registered hardware, (a lot of VMs can be set-up to have different hardware configs to test things or just use Default hardware emulations), then the licence may fail to activate, ( the system would see this as being moved to another system), and then would need a call to Microsoft to explain the reason, which is mostly just a formality.

The interesting thing to see is what will happen in 2020 when Windows 7 reaches EOL, Will microsoft withdraw this type of phone support for those copies where Paid support does not exist, which could stop the use of a lot of systems in VMs or even real systems where components fail

 

[nikev216]

Generally speaking, if you can disable Secure boot on BIOS, you can install. It doesn't mean it will be an easy task.
Before you begin, make the Factory recover disks (launch from BIOS). If it fails to install Win 7 you can restore win 10.
Can you give us the brand and model of the new laptop?

thanks ...

Laptop is a Jumper EZBook 3 Pro from China, it has Win 10 pre-installed on an eMMC drive but there's also an empty M.2 slot. I will research the drivers, maybe install Win 7 onto an M.2 SSD, if it boots and everything works, I'm happy. If it doesn't the Win 10 eMMC drive is untouched. Either way I'm not too worried, this is my first laptop, I wanted something cheap and cheerful, worst case scenario is I'm stuck on Win 10, (or Linux, which does work with this laptop).

 

[Megahertz07]

You will have to add USB 3.x, sata drivers and M.2 drivers to win 7 installation disk.
Read my tutorial. Create a Windows 7 USB flash installation with new drives for new MB's - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Moving from Win 10 to Win 7 is an upgrade, not a downgrade.

 

[Megahertz07]

Be careful when you choose the M.2 drive. Some of them use the PCIe Gen 3 others don't.
Samsung has the best M.2 drives but they are expensive.
See if there are Win 7 drivers to the one you choose.
M.2 2280, Internal SSDs, SSDs, Components - Newegg.com

 

[zanoni]

thanks ...

Laptop is a Jumper EZBook 3 Pro from China, it has Win 10 pre-installed on an eMMC drive but there's also an empty M.2 slot. I will research the drivers, maybe install Win 7 onto an M.2 SSD, if it boots and everything works, I'm happy. If it doesn't the Win 10 eMMC drive is untouched. Either way I'm not too worried, this is my first laptop, I wanted something cheap and cheerful, worst case scenario is I'm stuck on Win 10, (or Linux, which does work with this laptop).

I have the same laptop and same problem. I wanna install w7, but I can not to do anyway

 

[zanoni]

Be careful when you choose the M.2 drive. Some of them use the PCIe Gen 3 others don't.

Do you know something about EZBOOK 3 PRO my friend brazilian too?