Rolling back from Windows 10 tech preview on tablet

[tinpanalley]

I'm on a Dell Venue 8 Pro and installed the tech preview. I could have sworn I installed it as an upgrade but I don't see the recovery image anywhere. So, now I need to know how I can get an image of the Venue 8 Pro's stock OS, how to install it back and whether I can get the France version (because I bought it here in Paris).
Any help anyone? I'd really appreciate it.

 

[VirtualLarry]

You didn't make a recovery USB stick from within Win8/8.1 before you put 10 on? Tsk, tsk.

 

[tinpanalley]

You didn't make a recovery USB stick from within Win8/8.1 before you put 10 on? Tsk, tsk.

I was told from people I thought knew their stuff that if I did an update instead of a fresh install, I'd be able to roll back.
I've acquired an English(US) image from someone in extracted folder form but I'm not sure what to do with it. I suppose that's better than nothing.

 

[Ketchup]

Do you have the latest build (of the Preview)? When I did the last update, I started seeing a screen like this:

http://www.thewindowsclub.com/uninstall-windows-10-technical-preview

Now, I have seen people say that this will only take you back to the earlier preview, so YMMV.

If you have any older build, this may work for you:
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/how-uninstall-windows-10-technical-preview-1468867

 

[tinpanalley]

Do you have the latest build (of the Preview)? When I did the last update, I started seeing a screen like this:
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/uninstall-windows-10-technical-preview

Now, I have seen people say that this will only take you back to the earlier preview, so YMMV.

I'm pretty sure I installed (i.e. started from) the last build. I installed it 2 weeks ago. I'm not seeing that screen though. Unless there's some way to call it up.

 

[Ketchup]

I'm pretty sure I installed (i.e. started from) the last build. I installed it 2 weeks ago. I'm not seeing that screen though. Unless there's some way to call it up.

OK, I added another method to the post. Do you have access to either of these?

 

[razel]

We have a Dell Venue 8 Pro. There are different generations of it, but ours a 2014 model has a recovery partition. When you upgraded to Win10, it doesn't reformat the entire drive unless you told it to.

Regardless this is all just speculation. You can start by checking 'Disk Management' and see if you have different partitions. If you do check your manual to see how you can get to restore from the recovery partition from the BIOS.

 

[tinpanalley]

We have a Dell Venue 8 Pro. There are different generations of it, but ours a 2014 model has a recovery partition. When you upgraded to Win10, it doesn't reformat the entire drive unless you told it to.

Regardless this is all just speculation. You can start by checking 'Disk Management' and see if you have different partitions. If you do check your manual to see how you can get to restore from the recovery partition from the BIOS.

I was told by people (not saying you're wrong) that the 10 install process creates a recovery image not a recovery partition. Is that wrong?

 

[Ketchup]

I was told by people (not saying you're wrong) that the 10 install process creates a recovery image not a recovery partition. Is that wrong?

The Dell comes with a recovery partition, windows 10 didn't make one. This would be completely separate from the Windows recovery process.

 

[tinpanalley]

OK, I added another method to the post. Do you have access to either of these?

I don't get that screen to roll back no matter what. I remember seeing it once before but haven't seen it in a while.

The Dell comes with a recovery partition, windows 10 didn't make one. This would be completely separate from the Windows recovery process.

I checked, I've got a 300MB recovery partition. But couldn't that be a Win10 partition?

Thanks everyone!

 

[Ketchup]

I don't get that screen to roll back no matter what. I remember seeing it once before but haven't seen it in a while.

I checked, I've got a 300MB recovery partition. But couldn't that be a Win10 partition?

Thanks everyone!

OK, so possibly the drive was wiped. You may want to just call Dell for recovery media ....

BUT, I have one more thing you can try. Go to:
Control Panel
'System'
'Advanced' tab
'Settings' under Startup and Recovery

There is a line that says 'Time to display list of operating systems.'

Check that box, set it to a reasonable number of seconds, reboot, and see if you have the option, and if it does anything.

 

[razel]

That 300MB sounds like the boot partition. It's not large enough for recovery. How many partitions do you see? Also I assume that since it's a Pro that your Venue is full Win8 not Win8 RT. Just double checking.

 

[Rhonda the Sly]

You can always download an 8.1 ISO from Microsoft's website.

 

[tinpanalley]

BUT, I have one more thing you can try. Go to...There is a line that says 'Time to display list of operating systems.'

There IS that line and I have it set to 30 seconds but it doesn't come up when I reboot. Straight to sign-in and then desktop.

You can always download an 8.1 ISO from Microsoft's website.

Can I really? You think I could get it in French? And then how would I install it? From microSD, USB flash drive?

That 300MB sounds like the boot partition. It's not large enough for recovery. How many partitions do you see? Also I assume that since it's a Pro that your Venue is full Win8 not Win8 RT. Just double checking.

It's Win8.1, not RT. This is what I see...
Disk 0 (C: )29GB
-300MB Healthy (Recovery Partition)
-99MB Healthy (EFI System Partition)
-28.60GB NTFS Healthy (Boot, Page File, Crash Dump, Primary Partition)

 

[JackMDS]

It might Not help Now but Rule Number 1 2 and 3 that Enthusiast take to major upgrade is...

Make an Image of your Good system on an USB Enclosure or on other Network computer using an Image Clone Software.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-drive-cloning-software.htm

Then you can always wipe the Boot Drive and image back a Good functional OS.
------------
Microsoft provides Download of Win 7/8 DVDs.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media

However these downloads are for Retail version. Whether it will work on your Dell depends on what Dell put on the tablet.

 

[razel]

I think it's reached a point where it's best if you had a techie friend check it out. You do not have a recovery partition. You still can install Win8... however in my experience with Win8 tablets and laptops, secure boot is often on by default. That itself isn't bad to undo, but you'll need to install Win8 off USB or SD card. Here's to hoping that you have enough options in your BIOS to allow you to accomplish all that. Even if it did allow you, it's not a fun dance to do. Best of luck.

 

[tinpanalley]

I think it's reached a point where it's best if you had a techie friend check it out. You do not have a recovery partition. You still can install Win8... however in my experience with Win8 tablets and laptops, secure boot is often on by default. That itself isn't bad to undo, but you'll need to install Win8 off USB or SD card. Here's to hoping that you have enough options in your BIOS to allow you to accomplish all that. Even if it did allow you, it's not a fun dance to do. Best of luck.

I'm using the "Windows Installation Media Creation Tool" to create a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 8.1 x86 on it. I suppose that running that and entering the Windows product key of my tablet it should be fine. There's nothing special that I know of about the version on these tablets other than being the basic OS and 32-bit. There is BIOS and other things on the Dell website.

 

[bbhaag]

What product key do you have? The Win10 one or the one from Win8.1?

 

[tinpanalley]

What product key do you have? The Win10 one or the one from Win8.1?

I'm assuming the tablet in its packaging somewhere has a product key. Or on the receipt. Windows 10 tech preview doesn't need a product key, or at least I wasn't asked for one. I think that's the point, it's just a trial version.

 

[bbhaag]

If you re-install Win8.1 you will be asked for a product key. It's not on your receipt and not the same one that Win10 uses. Win10 does have a different key. It is this:NKJFK-GPHP7-G8C3J-P6JXR-HQRJR

Your Win8.1 key might be embedded in your BIOS though. If it is it will make you install of 8.1 go a little smoother.

 

[razel]

Most Win8 tablets do not have a product key. When you install Windows, that's if you can install Windows on a tablet, it will 'authenicate' via the BIOS. That's just the beginning my friend. But if you want experience, have fun. I kinda did. My 1st tip is to ensure your USB Win8 install is FAT32 and ensure that an .efi file exists in the root. At least that way you do not have to change much in the BIOS other than boot order or enabling USB boot.

 

[bbhaag]

Excellent advice razel. Also make sure your usb stick is at least 8gb. I know the instructions from MS say a 4gb stick is ok but ime it's not.

Best of luck tinpanalley. Let us know how it goes. Re-instaling an MS OS on a tablet is kind of new ground. I'm interested to see how it turns out for you.

 

[tinpanalley]

I'm scared crapless now.

But one thing is for sure, I have to cancel my ebay auction for this tablet. I just put it up today so it shouldn't be a problem. I can't send a tech preview tablet to someone expecting a stock 8.1 OS. That way I have time to think about it and maybe even contact Dell and say, look I installed the preview and now I can't go back, have you got a working image of the stock OS.

 

[razel]

Sounds like bbhaag got some experience as well.

Figuring out UEFI boot and having the OS support secure boot was something I needed to learn. I was very lucky that I 1st learned it off my workstation an enterprise HP EliteBook. It's BIOS had endless options. I'm lucky that it was unmanaged so that it wasn't locked down all the way to the BIOS.

Later I tried to do clean installs off Win8 tablets and cheapy laptops, whose BIOS' are limited. There is that small extra button on some Lenovos near the power button that is specifically there so that you can get to a BIOS screen. I'm so glad I fell and failed many times on my HP. I saved all that time and frustration on the lappy's that were for friends and family.

 

[Ketchup]

The Windows 8 product key is in nvram on the board. Some manufacturers let you see it from the BIOS. You wouldn't have an issue downloading and installing the version of 8 that came on your tablet, if you wanted to go that route.