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CAN YOU CHANGE WINDOWS 10 TO WINDOWS 7 1

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moveit

Technical User
Sep 30, 2002
266
GB
A friend has bought an up-to-date laptop with windows 10 installed. They do not like 10 and want me to put their copy of 7 on, in its place. I am worried that the present laptop will not accept Windows 7. Can anyone tell me if the change can be done?
 
If you subtract Windows 3 from Windows 10, do you get Windows 7? [upsidedown]

==================================
advanced cognitive capabilities and other marketing buzzwords explained with sarcastic simplicity


 
Only if you set it up dual boot 7 and 3 to make 10.

Seriously,
Maybe. Sometimes the later hardware doesn't work with earlier versions of the operating system because the drivers needed to make the parts work are not available. This is the same issue as some older hardware not working with a later operating system.

Try it. Worst case is to reinstall the 10.

You could check the manufacturer's website to see if they have 7 drivers associated with the laptop.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.
 
Most stuff will normally work with W7. The only problems I've found so far when downgrading are gestures on touchpads and silly things like backlit keys which don't seem to work after reinstallation, even though it is meant to be a feature of the laptop and not the OS.
 
> their copy of 7

OEM or Retail? If the former, then it'd be a breach of Microsoft's licencing terms to install it on the new laptop.
 
As stated:
1. Where are you going to get a Windows 7 COA key to use? One from another computer (retail) is technically illegal.
2. Driver issues
3. My own original thought: The latest CPUs are being blocked from receiving updates on Windows 7 and Windows 8
Link


"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.
 
>One from another computer (retail) is technically illegal.

Well, no, not if retail, and you completely remove it from the other computer.

Also, to supplement my previous comment, if it is Windows 10 Pro, you get free downgrade rights to Windows 7 Pro
 
Windows 7 is a retail version that was bought, and never used, about a year ago. It sounds as though my friend should keep 10 if there are problems with CPUs not allowing updates. I've never moved from 7 so cannot help my friend if things go wrong with the laptop.

Windows 10 is pre-installed on the laptop so do not know if the downgrade can be pbtained.
 
Yeah, I should have said RETAIL is fine. But, seriously, it's time to move forward. Windows 10 is not bad like Windows 8. It's not nearly as big a change or shock to the system. Security is better, etc. Windows 7 will soon be the next XP.

What's the brand/model? We can check for Windows 7 drivers. Honestly, most shipping computers aren't backwardly compatible in terms of driver availability with Windows 7. That doesn't mean that for sure you can't find them, it's just not announced on the manufacturer's web page and no drivers are there.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.
 
You can always install "Classic shell" and make Windows 10 have the exact same look and feel of Windows 7.
 
I do not know the model number of my friend's laptop but it is a Dell 17". I have never heard of Classic Shell.

I have never moved to 10 as I have old programes that run on 7 32bit. Believe it or not I have an old DOS program from 1988 that runs on 7. It is a very easy and quick search data base one.

I have passed on all the comments to my friend so it is up to him to decide what he wants to do.

Thanks for all your help. I know I do not come on here much but when I do you are very helpful.
 
Up to W7, Dells had standard installation CDs that would work on any Dell.
 
Confirmed - no Windows 7 updates on new processors. The strong-arming continues.

Link

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.
 
FWIW:
I recently upgraded from win7 to win 10.
Therafter I installed updates.
Than I wanted to revert to win7 but impossible.
System reported that required files were deleted.
KR
-Bart
 
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