I'm buying a new laptop, but it has to have Windows 8 on it. Can I just buy a system with Windows 10 pre-installed, buy an OEM copy of windows 8 (like this one here), and then wipe the hard drive and install Windows 8 from scratch? I know most systems that come pre-installed with Windows 10 store the license key in the UEFI/BIOS. Would this cause any problems when I try to install Windows 8? Would using a Windows 8 OEM key be an issue with a computer that previously had Windows 10 on it?
Installing Windows 8 over pre-installed Windows 10
- Thread starter gx240
- Start date
Solution
captaincharisma
Glorious
- Oct 13, 2004
- 10,963
- 76
- 45,290
if you buy a copy windows 8 you will have to use the key that comes with it. the only way that key in the BIOS would be valid for a windows 8 install is if the laptop came with windows 8 and you did an upgrade to windows 10 to 10. so one option would be to get a copy of windows 8 and install it and then downgrade back to windows 8. this way the key you used for your windows 8 OEM install will be valid for windows 10 too. but as always it is best to keep a copy of the key that came with your copy of windows 8 just in case
Right, that's what I want to do. I don't have any intention of using the Windows 10 key in the BIOS. I just want to make sure that the previous Windows 10 installation or the key in the BIOS won't interfere in any way with installing Windows 8.
captaincharisma
Glorious
- Oct 13, 2004
- 10,963
- 76
- 45,290
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram