Remove Pre-installed Windows 8 and Install Windows 7 Home Basic

[stished]

Hi

I just bought a Dell 15z 5523 Ultrabook (i7-3517U Processor, 8GB DDR 3 1600 Mhz RAM, 256 GB SSD, Nvidia GeForce GT 630M 2GB card etc.) pre-installed with Windows 8, not PRO.

I have been using it for a couple of weeks and I just hate it. I know I know, some of us don't want to learn new things or be forced to change our ways just because of some corporate's whim....

That being said, I have searched quite a bit online, and still haven't found a reliable resource which can help me remove Windows 8 completely and install Windows 7 Home Basic. Have received a lot of contradictory advise.

Dell did not give me a Windows 8 installation disk. Just a drivers CD. I have the old Windows 7 Home Basic installation disk and drivers. Also, I have already activated 8.

If someone asks me to stick with Windows 8 or give benefits of 8 over 7 or tell me to install stuff like Classic Shell it would be a total waste...

Can someone give me a step by step guide or a link which has everything explained?

Regards

Stished

 

[Ketchup]

The biggest hurdles you are going to encounter is the expense of Windows 7 (maybe) and installing drivers.

It is hard to say what error you will encounter, mainly because there are so many different driver/ system configurations out there. So I don't know that you will find a truly helpful guide in doing this.

The short answer is to look on Asus' site for windows 7 drivers, buy a copy of 7, and post any issues here during the install for any problems you encounter. Lots of helpful people in here.

 

[Bubbaleone]

The 15Z 5523 was designed specifically for Windows 8. Windows 7 64bit isn't even listed (only Windows 8 is listed) as a supported OS on the Dell Drivers and Download page for the 15Z 5523. Meaning that if you plan on installing Windows 7 Home basic; Dell doesn't even have any Windows 7 drivers for that machine, and many Windows 8 drivers aren't compatible with Windows 7. I'm not saying you can't do it; but I am saying it's going to be a technical challenge to even find compatible Windows 7 64bit drivers. You're going to be downloading, installing, testing, and uninstalling a lot of drivers. I'd be sure to not mistakenly format the hidden Dell Windows 8 recovery partition, when you install Windows 7.

 

[stished]

Ok Bubbaleone...

Sounds as though I'm going to be stuck with Windows 8. I think I'll mess up my system if I fiddle around too much.

Not sure about the recovery partition. Can I try installing Windows 7 Ultimate? Though on the website it did not show Windows 7 drivers, only 8. Dell Customer Care is useless.

The main issue is that I use Native Instruments Traktor Pro 2 and Ableton Live both of which have compatibility issues with Windows 8. Also, I want to save space, since my SSD is only 256 GB and I don't want to waste 33 GB only on Windows 8 (not sure about Windows 7 size). Plus, I hate the Metro screen and the bloatware (total waste of precious SSD) .

What do I do?

Can you guys help me with the following as well:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2302779

Much appreciated.

This has been a very sad week for me..

 

[cboath]

I know you say it'll fall on deaf ears, but you can force windows 8 to function very much like 7. All the previous desktop apps are still there, they're just defaulted to the metro apps. Swith the file associations back to the desktop apps and you'll be nearly at win7. The only thing you'll need metro for is to click the desktop tile upon launch.

 

[Bubbaleone]

....The main issue is that I use Native Instruments Traktor Pro 2 and Ableton Live both of which have compatibility issues with Windows 8...This has been a very sad week for me..

If I was you I'd just cheer up and wait until NI finishes the Windows 8 patch rather than risk trashing a state of the art notebook: Windows 8 Tuning Tips for Audio Processing

Note: At time of writing, Windows 8 is compatible with the current KOMPLETE and MASCHINE product lines. TRAKTOR 2.6.0 is not compatible with Windows 8. Native Instruments is currently working on a Windows 8 compatible Update.

And, Ableton has this to say: Is Live compatible with Windows 8?

Live Versions: 8.3.4 - 9
Operating System: Windows 8

Both Live 9 and Live 8 (as of Live 8.3.4) are compatible with Windows 8.

Live supports Windows 8 Desktop Mode only. The Modern UI is not supported.

This means Live will run on Windows 8, but not on Windows RT.

 

[sm625]

There is nothing so bad about win 8 that makes it worth it to go back to 7. Wow. Seriously. Just get a start menu replacement and whatever other 3rd party tools you need to make it like 7.

 

[Snoop]

There is nothing so bad about win 8 that makes it worth it to go back to 7. Wow. Seriously. Just get a start menu replacement and whatever other 3rd party tools you need to make it like 7.

Exactly, throw start8 on it, set every part of the modern UI off, and everything will be fine.

 

[stished]

Hey

Sorry for the Windows 8 bashing earlier. Truth be told, I've actually started liking it now. Maybe it was thrust upon me earlier; but now I'm pretty happy with 8.

It's way faster than 7; though I'm not sure how 7 would have performed had I been using the SSD drive and the RAM disk on the previous system.

Anyway, as you guys mentioned earlier, I have changed file associations, removed all needless apps from the idiotic Metro and learnt new shortcuts. Now it looks like Windows 7's daddy!

Too bad Native Instruments hasn't updated Traktor as yet; can't blame Microsoft for that.

 

[capeconsultant]

Start8 and you will be fine. No need for 7. Really.

 

[lumberjac]

This worked for us!



To install Windows 7 on a pre-installed Windows 8 computer
==================================================


Used system
----------------

Laptop Acer Aspire V3-771G



Boot
------
Many new Windows8 pre-installed systems will not boot from CdRom.
To enable booting from CdRom you need to get into the Bios of your computer.

In this case (Acer laptop), press and hold the F2 key while restarting the system.
Restarting is important; Shutdown/startup will not work with the F2 key.

- Once in the Bios, go to the Boot section and set the CdROm device as primary boot device.

- Disable UEFI boot

- Exit with save & reboot

- Startup the computer using a 3rd party boot manager that supports GPT/MBR boot record management.
In this case we used an Acronis Boot Disk (created with Acronis True Image 2013).



Install - step 1 (Acronis)
-------------------------------
Windows 7 will only install on a disk/partition with a MBR (Master Boot Record) partition table

- From the Acronis boot menu, select True Image
- Choose Tools & Utilities from the left menu and Add New Disk -> Next
- Select your hard disk from the list -> Next
- Ok to confirm deletion of all data and start paritioning
--> ### double check that you have the correct disk, to prevent data loss !! ###
- Select the required disk initialization method: MBR -> Next
- Create partition(s) -> Next
- Specify settings for the partition being created -> Accept
- Proceed. MBR partition table will be created on the new disk.
- Finish. Exit True image, remove the Acronis boot CD and restart your computer, using a Windows7 boot CD



Install - step 2 (Windows)
---------------------------------
Install Windows7 on the newly created MBR disk

 

[Arkaign]

Start8 and you will be fine. No need for 7. Really.

Until Microsoft breaks it. Which may indeed happen through an update. After all, they really want people to use their Metro side of things.

At the firm, we've successfully wiped Win8 off of about a dozen systems now, other than a Surface Pro that's been given to one of the partner's children as a angry birds player.