Win 7 from OEM disk, fresh over Win 8 on new machine

[Montyesque]

I ordered a new laptop online for my retired mother, and made sure it came with Windows 7, which I'm sure she will prefer over Windows 8 as she's coming from XP. But the seller made a mistake in the listing, and the machine I received was the correct model but with Windows 8. It was a good price and I can't find another at the same price, so I want to keep it and install Windows 7. I contacted the seller who said sorry about the mixup, he would either refund me $100 and I could buy my own copy, or he'd buy a copy himself for me and send it to me. I got him to send me a copy, and we agreed on Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. Well, the DVD arrived today and its an OEM disk, 32-bit, and the packaging has clearly been opened before. The Product key and Product License Certificate of Authenticity appear on the label.

I don't really care about 32-bit vs 64-bit as I don't think my mother is going to be doing anything taxing. But is it possible to install Windows 7 on a new Windows 8 laptop from an OEM disk that was meant for different hardware? (I know it's not intended to be used like that, but if it's possible to do it I won't feel bad as I'm overwriting the Win 8 that the machine *does* have a license for.)

And if the Product key and Proof of License have been used before will that prevent it from being usable again?

If I do it, should I leave the Win 8 install on a small partition of the drive, just in case?

I looked over the tutorials here but didn't find one that applied.

I've been chasing this seller down for a week now and I know I could just send everything back to him and start over, or request the correct software be sent, but I spent hours and hours shopping for the right machine and I'd rather just fix it if possible.

The laptop I ordered is a Samsung Series 7 NP700Z5C-S01US 15.6-Inch and it has 6 GB of RAM, a 750 GB HD at 7200 rpm and an i7 at 2.3 GHz. The one I received is a Series 7 NP700Z5C-S02UB instead--the same but with 8 GB of RAM, a 1 TB HD at 5400 rpm and an i7 at 2.4 GHz.

Many many thanks for advice.

 

[TwoCables]

If it's been opened before, then I'm betting that the Product Key has been used before which means there's a chance that you'd be wasting your time installing it.

I recommend making Windows 8 look and feel like Windows 7 by using one of these (don't combine any of them):

• Classic Shell
• Start is back
• Classic Start 8
• Start8 (by Stardock)

I haven't tried any of these, so I can't make any good recommendations. All I can do is just recommend that you look at each one and decide for yourself.

 

[Ztruker]

Make an image backup of the drive to an external USB drive, that way you can always get back to where you are now.

Once you have that, go ahead and install the Windows 7 that was sent to you. If it won't activate you can beat on the seller or restore Windows 8.

I use Start8 by Stardock with Windows 8 and am very happy with it.

 

[SIW2]

I would be tempted to go back to the seller and say an opened box is not acceptable. Make sure you get a fresh copy of 7 - oem will be fine.

Once you have that, go ahead and install the Windows 7 that was sent to you. If it won't activate you can beat on the seller

 

[Montyesque]

Ztruker - thanks for this suggestion, I'll try exactly that and hope that the seller of the OEM DVD was honest about it never having been used.

For cloning the Windows 8 install to a USB drive in case its needed, please excuse the noob question (I haven't been a Windows user for some time, sorry): am I right in thinking I only need enough space to clone the OS and associated stuff? The clone doesn't have to include every single zeroed-out bit from the HD as it is currently? So if I'm right I can use a 16 GB stick to clone a 1 TB HD that is empty apart from the OS?

I see that Windows 8 can still create a system image, though this functionality is hidden. I'll use that to back up the original Windows 8 install to my flash drive.

 

[theog]

   Information

We always assume you have made your Recovery Disks using the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Media Creator app the first day you had your new PC.
& made the Startup Repair CD.
Recovery Drive - Create with USB Flash Drive in Windows 8
System Repair Disc - Create in Windows 8
​

You can use the Samsung version of
Recovery Drive - Create with USB Flash Drive in Windows 8



Did you make the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disks?

How to make Recovery disc:
Support - Notebooks NP700Z7CH | Samsung Laptops#
How to Order Recovery disc.
Support - Notebooks NP700Z7CH | Samsung Laptops




Downgrade Windows 8 to Windows 7

 

[Montyesque]

Theog - that is extremely helpful. Thanks, and sorry to post such basic questions. The last Windows I installed and used daily was 98. But your tutorial is so clear I'm not worried at all about doing this.

 

[gregrocker]

You'll want 64 bit Win7 to use all 6gb of RAM otherwise 2+gb is wasted. You can find the installer and use it with your Product Key in Step 1 of Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7. The steps in the tutorial will give you a perfect install.

However on a Windows 8 machine you must first turn off Secure Boot in the BIOS setup. Tap the key given on first screen for BIOS to take a look and report back what choices there are for that and Legacy BIOS, which you may wish to enable if you dont' want to mess with the UEFI BIOS yet.

Watch this video to better understand the new UEFI BIOS vs. Legacy BIOS: Technical Note: UEFI BIOS vs. Legacy BIOS - YouTube

If you want to install in UEFI BIOS you'll have to use 64 bit anyway (which you should anyway) following these steps for UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - Install Windows 7 with - Windows 7 Forums. If you choose to use a flash stick installer it must be set up this way: UEFI Bootable USB Flash Drive - Create in Windows.

If you wish to skip UEFI BIOS for now and install normally to an MBR disk here are steps to Bypass UEFI to Install WIn7