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Post by shadowmonty on Dec 20, 2012 8:04:39 GMT
A friend of mine has installed windows 8 but doesn't like it, he didn't do a backup of the installed system of the laptop and can't find a way of installing windows 8 and going back using backup installation, any idea's. With thanks Monty
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Post by vikingken on Dec 20, 2012 14:27:09 GMT
I think if you install Windows 8 on Windows 7 Monty, it will automatically make a restore backup. If everything goes wrong then you could have a real problem. I had a Windows 7 installation fail; it automatically restored to XP, but it wasn't a corrupted installation and it was only a hardware issue. If it didn't restore, it sounds like a corrupted installation for one reason or another. This is why its so important to make your own backup and not depend on Windows doing it. All he can do now is do a fresh installation of Windows 7 and lose any files he had stored on the old installation.
He should do a Full Format before reinstalling Windows 7. If its a shop bought Windows 8 installation disk, its not likely to be corrupted. The only way the installation would be corrupted, is if the hard drive is getting a bit dodgy. When you install Windows 8 as a upgrade, it cant format and only overwrites the Windows 7. Thats the only way it can make a backup of the original. I normally wont do an upgrade, but prefer to format the drive and do a clean installation. All my files are backed up and the backups are backed up. I reuse second hand parts in a new build, but I do fit new hard drives and use older ones for storage. The older ones are cleaned out and fully formatted before use.
The only time I try to upgrade, is to see how well it works and I'm not dependant on it to save files. I will try it for a while and do a clean installation when I've got the time. I just dont trust upgrades, no matter how well they seem to work. To work properly a hard drive needs to be formatted every now an again; they do wear out slowly, even if they seem to be working OK. This is why I use optical disks for backing up and hardware management. Just because I always use Windows doesn't mean I trust it. I like to be the one in control and wont take orders from a computer.
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Post by shadowmonty on Dec 20, 2012 15:28:08 GMT
So what you are saying you can't do a reinstall from a backup that is put in the laptop by the manufacturers and if you didn't do a backup disc your in trouble. I have backup disc from a different make laptop (Acer) can I installed over windows 8 on his (Sony) then could I do a re-installation from the manufactures partition giving him a factory installation.
Monty
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Post by vikingken on Dec 20, 2012 16:26:41 GMT
He can reinstall from the manufacturers partition Monty and put it back to Windows 7. What I meant, was he will have lost his programs and files. They can only be saved by a system image backup. The makers one will just be straight Windows 7 and any other trial crap they put on it.
He could also install from another Windows 7 disk, but he would have to put in his own key number before trying to register it. You can skip putting in a key number during the installation and put in the correct number in the System Properties, its right at the bottom on the left.
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Post by johnnybee on Dec 21, 2012 0:07:46 GMT
Ken, you've got me worried now; I used the old XP 2700 setup to try W8, dual-booted with XP Pro. From what you're saying, I'd now probably have to reformat the entire drive if I felt the need to get rid of W8 - it's a single WD 250Gb SATA. Please tell me that I can simply delete W8 without messing with the XP setup?
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Post by vikingken on Dec 21, 2012 0:42:58 GMT
No problem John, just format the Windows 8 partition. Its dual boot, so it cant be on the same partition as a virtual machine. Even a virtual machine can be uninstalled without breaking the parent OS. A lot of people try it out on a virtual machine, so as not to upset their boot. I would have done it that way myself, but I was putting a new bigger hard drive in a laptop and installed it on that. I ran it for a short time, decided I didn't like it and formatted the drive. Then I simply copied the original drive onto the new one, so it was fully installed complete with its programs. I also had an image of the original drive as a backup in case anything went wrong with the copying. As it happened it went as smooth as silk.
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Post by shadowmonty on Dec 21, 2012 8:00:10 GMT
He didn't put it in a different partition so whats happened is it gone over 7 so its no longer there, but we can't find a way of reinstalling from the other partition
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Post by vikingken on Dec 21, 2012 16:19:33 GMT
Every make of laptop has a slightly different method of restoring Monty. Most dont supply disks anymore, they install an image burning program and you have to make your own disks with it upon activating the OS. Others have a F key to activate the restore process. Not knowing the make or model of the laptop, I have no idea what process it uses. As long as the restore partition hasn't been interfered with, it will work OK and its just a matter of knowing how to initiate the process. If its the Acer method of burning images to disk and he hasn't done it, he has got a problem. If you give me the make and model of the laptop, I can tell you what to do. If its entirely a disk image type of installation, he will need a copy of Windows 7 and format and install in the normal way. He will need to change the key number to his own and I can help him from there. It wont be exactly the same as it should be, but it will work OK. If its just the F key method it will be a doddle.
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Post by shadowmonty on Dec 23, 2012 7:33:28 GMT
I know its a Sony but he has gone away for Christmas, but you have answered all the questions so thanks for all your help, Wishing you a Very Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Monty
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Post by vikingken on Dec 23, 2012 10:41:39 GMT
Your welcome Monty.
Merry ChrIstmas and all the very best in the New Year.
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