Windows 7 wipes out winfows 8 recovery?

phunnyconflicts

Honorable
Mar 4, 2012
46
0
10,540
Hello Everyone,

I just received my Sony Vaio Laptop svs1312acxw (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Series-SVS1312ACXW-13-3-Inch-Laptop/dp/B009DXVUPY) today, and to my surprise, Windows 8 is terrible. No offense to those who likes it though, as I heard people are really divided about Windows 8 - some people likes it, some people don't. Im the latter.

Anyways, I was thinking of just installing in windows 7 instead of keeping windows 8. However, if I installed windows 7, but later along the line, I want to go back to windows 8 for whatever reasons, could I use the Hidden Recovery to install back in windows 8, or would windows 7 completely wipe that part out? I'm asking because I didn't recived the recovery disc like they use to do it WAY back then, since manufacture just store the recovery part on the harddrive now.

My guess is that once I installed in windows 7, the recovery portion for windows 8 will be gone/deleted. but I just wanted to make sure.
 
Solution
When you start the Windows 7 install and are presented with the available disks to select which one you want to install to, you should see a volume with the label "RECOVERY". Do not delete this partition and you should be ok. What I would do first before anything else is use the "Make a Recovery Disk" option in Windows 8. It will create a copy of the recovery partition and put it on a flash drive (get a 16GB drive for good measure) in case it doesn't work after you install Windows 7.

Be sure to test the flash drive to make sure it is bootable before proceeding with the Windows 7 install as well. Nothing worse than setting up a safety net for something thinking it will work, only to find out it doesn't when you need it.
When you start the Windows 7 install and are presented with the available disks to select which one you want to install to, you should see a volume with the label "RECOVERY". Do not delete this partition and you should be ok. What I would do first before anything else is use the "Make a Recovery Disk" option in Windows 8. It will create a copy of the recovery partition and put it on a flash drive (get a 16GB drive for good measure) in case it doesn't work after you install Windows 7.

Be sure to test the flash drive to make sure it is bootable before proceeding with the Windows 7 install as well. Nothing worse than setting up a safety net for something thinking it will work, only to find out it doesn't when you need it.
 
Solution

phunnyconflicts

Honorable
Mar 4, 2012
46
0
10,540




Yes, at first, I was just going to make 2 bootable drives. One for windows 7, and one for windows 8. But because I neither have dvd's big enough to write on, or a spare USB that holds enough gigs for windows 8, im stuck in either going all out windows 7 or keeping 8. However, since there is that option of keeping the Recovery volume intact, i think i'll do that. I dont know if its worth going out to frys to buy a 16 gig at this time of night just for a one time use.

But thanks for the input. you really helped out.