Trying to revert back to Windows 7 from Windows 8 PLEASE HELP!!

[Guest]

I have a friend who just installed Windows 8 Release Preview onto his computer, but what he was trying to do was install it as a dual-boot with Windows 7, but that didn't work. What ACTUALLY happened was Windows 8 installed as a primary OS, but it apparently didn't delete any of his data; it just replaced the Windows 7 OS with Windows 8, with its Metro UI and such.

Is there any way to uninstall Windows 8 Release Review and revert back to Windows 7 without deleting any of the data on any of the hard drives?

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Clean install of 7 is only option.Sorry.

 

[Guest]

about the only option to save data is move/copy the user folders/files (appdata, documents, music, videos and ect.) to another hard drive if you have one large enough.

that way when you do a fresh install and move the user folders/files back the info in the appdata folder will keep the settings when you reinstall the app/games.

 

[Guest]

about the only option to save data is move/copy the user folders/files (appdata, documents, music, videos and ect.) to another hard drive if you have one large enough.

that way when you do a fresh install and move the user folders/files back the info in the appdata folder will keep the settings when you reinstall the app/games.

My friend has at least 4 or 5 hard drives (5TB+ of HDD storage), each hard drive is partitioned at least 1 or 2 times, so just simply taking all of his data and moving it to another hard drive isn't going to work. He just simply wants Windows 7 back on his computer.

 

[Guest]

Clean install of 7 is only option.Sorry.

If he downloads a copy of Windows 7 and then uses his product key (the one that came with the computer) and does a Windows 7 upgrade, will that revert his system back to Windows 7, and get rid of Windows 8, and NOT delete his data?

 

[getochkn]

It's not going to delete any data off the 4-5 harddrives at all, only whats on the C drive. IF the documents, pictures, downloads, music folder have are set on the C drive, then those can be backed up to any harddrive.

 

[Guest]

It's not going to delete any data off the 4-5 harddrives at all, only whats on the C drive. IF the documents, pictures, downloads, music folder have are set on the C drive, then those can be backed up to any harddrive.

Okay, but doesn't doing a clean install of Windows 7 mean that everything of every hard drive is going to be deleted? What is a Windows 7 Upgrade?

 

[Guest]

if you move the data off of the c: drive/partition, it is safe.

i doubt you can "upgrade" to 7 since 8 is a more recent OS. you may try it but i would not be surprised if the installing insists on a clean install.

 

[ss202sl]

Okay, but doesn't doing a clean install of Windows 7 mean that everything of every hard drive is going to be deleted? What is a Windows 7 Upgrade?

No, only the hard drive with the C partition will be affected.

 

[13thmonkey]

unplug the other HDD's to be save, win7 has an annoying habit where it can affect HDD's other than the one your are installed on. its rare, but not worth the risk for yanking some cables out.