Downgrading from Windows 8 to windows 7 with another hard drive

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bugy

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Apr 19, 2013
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Ok heres the deal. Im looking to buy a new computer which is a toshiba sattelite (forget the number but it dont matter atm lol). My friend whom doesnt know much about computers told me that u you cannot switch hard drives to downgrade from windows 8 to 7 because you needed to overwrite something.

What my plan was, was to take my SSD and RAM (8gb) out of my current laptop and put it into the toshiba sattelite which came with a HDD preloaded with windows 8 and use the HDD as extra storage. I figured this would fix the Windows 8 downgrading problem along with keeping all my stuff in a quick switch. Would this work? Or if there is any problem with that plan please tell me. I dont trust my friends advice with what she said but i wanna be safe anyway.
 
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dodger46

dodger46

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Nov 19, 2011
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Sounds like a great plan, but...
1. The Win 7 licence (Product Key)on your laptop's present Windows installation is what they call OEM, means it's locked to that laptop.
2. If you simply swap HDDs/SSDs from one 'top' to another, it almost certainly won't work as the drivers will be incompatible, unless the two machines are identical.
3. Even if it does run, you won't be able to activate Windows because of 1. above.
4. Highly likely that the RAM will be incompatible.

You would need to buy a new copy of Windows 7 to clean install in your new laptop.
Recommendation - keep Windows 8 and if you want it to 'feel' like 7, read this
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/4136-73-modern-more#10677454


 
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mbarnes86

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Sep 16, 2010
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Hi
The Exact Toshiba model does matter !

many new Windows 8 PC's use UEFI BIOS AND set 'Secure Boot' option
Without BIOS option to disable 'Secure Boot' you will not be able to install Win 7 or earlier Windows

Also do they make Windows 7 drivers available for that Toshiba model ?
Laptops are more dependant on manufacturer specific drivers than desktop motherboards

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/yes-uefi-secure-boot-could-lock-out-linux-from-windows-8-pcs/14897

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface

regards
Mike Barnes


 
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B

bugy

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Apr 19, 2013
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This was accidental, pay no attention to my reply to this.
 
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B

bugy

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Apr 19, 2013
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Ok im not planning on keeping windows 8, i hate the feel of it. Im not actually downgrading, its more like im just swapping drives. And why do i need to reinstall windows 7 if its SSD/HDD specific and its already activated on my SSD? And why would the RAM be incompatable? It certainly wasnt incompatable when I put it in here.

Also i already anticipated the driver problem and im just gonna gather the driver info from the laptop before i do anything in regards from switching....if i can figure out how to access that information on windows 8 -___-
 
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dodger46

dodger46

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Nov 19, 2011
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When Windows 7 was activated on the current laptop it was 'locked' to the laptop, probably by reading the serial number of the motherboard, as that is the only component you are not permitted to upgrade without re-licencing. At some point, having installed your SSD in the new laptop, Windows will recognise that the serial numbers differ, and it will no longer be activated, notices will appear on your screen to the effect that 'This copy of Windows may not be genuine' etcetera. You may get away with telephone activation using the product key from the original laptop, but don't be surprised if refused as it's outside the EULA.
The more the boards are different the less likely it will work - different processors, BIOS, low level
chipsets, on-board sound, video, NIC, WiFi. You could try Sysprep before you remove the drive
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/135077-windows-7-installation-transfer-new-computer.html
But, that definitely de-activates Windows...
Meanwhile, nothing ventured, nothing gained, good luck!
(Check the speed of the RAM, even though it runs, if it's older it will probably be slower)
 
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bugy

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Apr 19, 2013
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Ok so if thats the case then shouldnt it be the same for other windows products like XP, vista, 98 and so on? Cause i do remember when my mother made the stupid decision to leave her computer on the bed smothered by a cover, she melted something in the comp, the guy was able to get the info off of the hardrive and put a new component in there, then he put a new hard drive in the computer because that too was damaged. I asked him how he did it and he never said anything about having to do anything that ur saying even though vista was preloaded with the hardrive before mother fucked it up. So why would one have to get a new product code and all that if it never had to have happen before with other windows operating systems? Why would it be locked to the motherboard? Yes its a different bios but isnt it the same as taking a hardrive out of a desktop and putting it into another desktop with different drivers and whatnot?
 
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dodger46

dodger46

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Nov 19, 2011
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When you're replacing like-for-like there's no problem, especially with desktop PCs, M'soft unlikely to turn down an activation for a replacement mobo if it's similar, even a later model. Laptops a different kettle, you have to replace a laptop mobo with exactly the same, or it won't fit. Again, like-for-like will activate, but what you're doing is trying to shift the licence to a completely different machine, and will probably be refused. But until you try...
 
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dodger46

dodger46

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Nov 19, 2011
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Guess a lot depends on whether it activates, and if it doesn't, how sympathetic the Telephone operator feels on the day...

 
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