How Can I Update Windows 7 To Windows 8

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When downgrading from Windows 8 to Windows 7, there are essentially two unlike, merely like, paths. If yous take a Windows 8 Professional key, you lot can download to Windows vii Professional for gratis if you lot run across a few other requirements. Otherwise, y'all'll need an unused Windows 7 key to downgrade. Regardless of whether you need to get an unused primal or not, the full general process is the same.

1. one

   Bank check your version of Windows 8 to see if you qualify for downgrade rights. "Downgrade rights" are designed for businesses and let you to revert to Windows seven for free. In guild to use the downgrade rights, yous'll need to run into a few requirements. The first of these is that you lot're running Windows 8 Professional. The computer has to have come with Windows 8 Professional person installed out of the box.^[1]

   • Press ⊞ Win and blazon winver to see the version of Windows you lot are running. If you are using any version of Windows 8 besides Professional person, you don't qualify for downgrade rights. You'll need an unused Windows 7 retail key to downgrade.
   • If y'all upgraded from Windows 8 to Windows viii Professional, you practise non qualify for downgrade rights. You'll need an unused Windows 7 retail key to downgrade.
   • There are no downgrade rights for retail versions of Windows 8. If you installed Windows 8 on a computer that used to take Windows seven (or other older version), you lot practice not accept downgrade rights. Y'all'll need an unused Windows vii retail fundamental to downgrade.

2. 2

   Obtain a valid Windows 7 Professional product fundamental. Whether or not the primal you obtain needs to be unused depends on if you have downgrade rights:

   • If y'all don't accept downgrade rights, you lot'll need a valid Windows 7 product key that is not currently beingness used by any other computer. If you upgraded from Windows 7 and are downgrading back to it, you tin use your original Windows seven key. If yous bought a computer with Windows 8, yous tin can buy Windows 7 keys for fairly cheap from various resellers online.
   • If yous have downgrade rights, you'll demand a real Windows seven Professional product key, but it doesn't have to be a new primal. The key can exist currently in use by another machine. Information technology doesn't have to be your own key either. You'll but be using it to get past the activation screen.

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3. 3

   Ensure that your computer has Windows 7 drivers available. If you bought the figurer with Windows 8 installed, it may not be fully compatible with Windows vii. You'll need to check the drivers for all of your hardware to ensure that it will all work when you downgrade, since Windows seven drivers may not be bachelor:^[2]

   • If you accept a prebuilt computer (HP, Dell, Acer, etc.), visit the manufacturer'south back up site and look up your reckoner'south model. You can usually find the model printed on laptop keyboards, or on a sticker affixed to the lesser or back of the computer. In the "Drivers" or "Downloads" department of the support site, bank check for Windows seven compatible drivers. If at that place are no Windows 7 drivers available, your hardware may non piece of work correctly after downgrading.
   • If you built your ain figurer, or accept a custom-built computer, you lot'll need to bank check each piece of hardware manually. Press ⊞ Win and type devmgmt.msc to open the Device Manager. Go through your listing of hardware and visit each one's support site. Check for Windows 7 drivers for the piece of hardware you have from that manufacturer. If Windows 7 drivers aren't bachelor, that piece of hardware may not work when yous downgrade.

4. 4

   Make a driver disk (optional). If you want to salvage yourself some time later the downgrade, you tin put all of the Windows seven drivers you'll need on a USB drive and then set it bated until you're finished. This volition allow yous to apace install all of your necessary drivers. The nearly important driver to include is your network adapter, every bit this will ensure that you can get online and download whatsoever other drivers.

5. 5

   Find or make a Windows 7 Professional person installation disc. You'll demand this disc to downgrade to Windows seven. It doesn't have to exist your disc, as any Windows vii Professional installation disc will work. If you don't have a disc, you can brand ane using software available for complimentary from Microsoft:

   • Visit the Microsoft Windows vii download page and enter the key from the previous step to download the ISO file.
   • After downloading the ISO file, insert a blank DVD or 4GB+ USB drive.
   • Download and install the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool.
   • Run the tool and select your Windows 7 Professional ISO every bit the "Source." Choose either your blank DVD or USB bulldoze as the "Destination." The tool volition then copy or burn the ISO, creating an installation disc or drive you can use.

6. 6

   Back upwards all of your important files. Downgrading to Windows 7 is substantially like installing a fresh operating system, which will delete all of the data on your bulldoze. Make sure all of your of import files are safely backed up to a USB bulldoze or the deject before you commencement the downgrade process. Run across Back up a Calculator for more than detailed instructions on backing up your information efficiently.

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1. 1

   Enable the legacy boot role in the UEFI settings menu. This is required for computers that came with Windows 8 installed, but not for computers that were upgraded to 8 later on. The UEFI is the interface that controls your computer, and is the mod version of a BIOS. Windows vii doesn't back up UEFI, so y'all'll need to set your UEFI settings to back up the older BIOS method. The process is a different depending on your computer, merely generally you can do this:

   • Printing the ⊞ Win+C or swipe in from the right side of the screen to open up the Charms bar.
   • Select "Settings" so "Change PC Settings."
   • Click "Update and recovery," then select "Recovery." Click "Restart Now" underneath the "Advanced Startup" header.
   • Select "Troubleshoot" when your computer reboots, then "Avant-garde options."
   • Click "UEFI Firmware Settings" and and then click "Restart."
   • Find the "Legacy kicking" or "BIOS mode" in the UEFI settings and enable it. Its location will vary by manufacturer.

2. 2

   Insert the Windows seven installation disc or USB bulldoze and reboot. You'll see the traditional BIOS startup screen afterward rebooting, since y'all enabled information technology in the UEFI settings.

3. 3

   Boot from the disc or drive. The process for this volition vary depending on your reckoner. Many computers volition display a "Boot" key during startup that will let y'all to select a drive to boot from. If you don't meet this, you'll demand to press the BIOS or SETUP cardinal. This will open your BIOS/UEFI carte du jour. From here you tin can select the "Boot" carte and and then cull your installation disc or drive.

4. 4

   First the Windows vii installation process. Press a key on your keyboard when prompted to begin the Windows 7 installation process. It will take a little while to load the initial setup.

5. 5

   Proceed through the Windows 7 installation. Choose your linguistic communication and region settings in the starting time few Windows that appear.

6. half dozen

   Select the drive that has Windows 8 installed when prompted. During the installation process, you'll be prompted to select a drive to install Windows 7 on. Cull the drive that currently has Windows 8 installed on information technology. Recall, this will delete everything that is currently stored on the drive.^[3]

7. 7

   Enter the Windows 7 Professional central you constitute when prompted. Towards the end of the installation process, y'all'll be prompted to enter your Windows vii product key. Enter the key you obtained in the start department. If you lot have downgrade rights, this key does non take to be an unused key.

8. 8

   Consummate the installation and load the desktop. Subsequently inbound the key, Windows 7 will stop installing and y'all'll eventually be taken to the desktop. If y'all are using your downgrade rights, there's a good chance that you'll receive an "Activation Failed" message after Windows loads.

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1. 1

   Open the Activation window if information technology doesn't open up automatically. Windows vii will attempt to automatically actuate when y'all load the desktop for the first time and you're connected to the internet. If you lot used an unused Windows 7 key during installation, activation should happen automatically without upshot. If you are using your downgrade rights, your automated activation likely failed.

   • If the Activation window doesn't appear, click the Kickoff card, type "Actuate," and then click "Activate Windows."

2. 2

   Call the phone number that appears if activation fails. When y'all're using your downgrade rights, you'll demand to call the Microsoft activation hotline and provide your Windows 8 Pro key to prove that you are immune to downgrade for free.^[4]

3. 3

   Enter the code provided past Microsoft to activate Windows. if Microsoft is able to verify that you are entitles to downgrade privileges, you lot'll be given a special lawmaking to enter into the Activation window that volition activate your copy of Windows 7.

   • If y'all're downgrading multiple computers, yous can use the aforementioned key during the installation of each, merely y'all'll accept to call Microsoft to activate each one individually.

4. 4

   Install your drivers. Once you're activated, you can focus on installing your drivers. If you made a driver disk before, plug information technology in and start installing the drivers on it. If you didn't make a deejay, run Windows Update and permit information technology to cheque for and download any available updates. In one case this is finished, y'all tin can go back to the Device Director and manually update any lingering hardware past right-clicking information technology and select "Update Commuter Software."

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• Question

  Tin can you apply the upgrade pick instead of the custom pick to install Windows seven?

  

  You cannot use the upgrade option to downgrade to Windows vii from Windows 8/ten.

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• Just considering you desire to downgrade to Windows seven doesn't mean you lot should. Certain hardware features may rely on Windows viii drivers to function.

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