Downgrading A Toshiba Laptop From Win 8.1 to 7

How do I downgrade a Win 8.1 laptop to Windows 7 64bit I have read that it won't let me in the BIOS as normal F2 or DEL key and re-arrange the boot order to load from a Windows 7 CD if this is the case does that mean there is no BIOS anymore???? and can't I access it like with F2 DEL keys if Win 7 is installed??? anyway it's a Toshiba Satellite Pro and I would like to downgrade it, I have found all the drivers for the hardware for Win 7's and to be sure made a recovery cd (3 in fact) of Windows 8.1 should anything go wrong. I have also read that it asks still which OS I would like to boot in to if this is the case is there a way to sort this out and make it load straight into win 7 without that issue.

Can't say I heard of that before...(doesn't mean it doesn't happen, but...).

Just install Windows 7 would be the way I go.

If it gives you a menu item to select an OS, you can get rid of that.

Why do you need to downgrade?

To install Win7 you have to disable secure mode in BIOS ( forgot how it's exactly called ). This mode is blocking any other system installation.
BIOS should be available under some key or combination. It should be Del or F2 but can be something else. You can also remove HDD from laptop and then it will stop at starting screen and will let you see BIOS options or just will be so long that you enter it with standard keys.

I would still keep Win8 and use some Win7 theme.

Woomack said:

To install Win7 you have to disable secure mode in BIOS ( forgot how it's exactly called ). This mode is blocking any other system installation.
BIOS should be available under some key or combination. It should be Del or F2 but can be something else. You can also remove HDD from laptop and then it will stop at starting screen and will let you see BIOS options or just will be so long that you enter it with standard keys.

I would still keep Win8 and use some Win7 theme.

Click to expand...

I did it you have to go into advanced settings in Win 8.1 to boot the laptop in to the BIOS and then go to security to turn off the boot security and change the boot to CD as first priority Win 7 installed fine and I had all the drivers needed except the card reader which I forgot to find the driver for, only could find the Win 8 from Toshiba and I dont think it would be backwards compatible

Hey AngelfireUk83, is the trouble of doing all that because something only works on Windows 7 for you or is it the user interface of Windows 8 that bothers you and that's the only reason you want to get rid of it?

ATMINSIDE said:

Why do you need to downgrade?

Click to expand...

EDIT: To whoever else is reading this thread: You CAN make your Windows 8 look EXACTLY LIKE Windows 7 without Metro and do so in 30 seconds -- no need to downgrade for User Interface reasons.

Its not my laptop the owner has a Windows 7 PC and likes that so asked me to downgrade he purchased the copy of Windows 7 Pro so I did what he asked, its only my 2nd time I've worked on Win 8 and it would take some time getting used to in it's original form with no start bar but I do know you can make it like 7 and I stated this but no he wanted 7 installing instead.

OK. 9/10 people say that because they are completely unaware that Windows 8 BECOMES Windows 7, and they don't ever have to see Metro, ever.

Downgrading will take a long time, the result will be a slightly slower laptop and potential problems with missing drivers, etc.


Instead do this, it is completely removable in 30 seconds just as it takes 30 seconds to install:

http://www.classicshell.net/downloads/







Browse to this button image file after saving it somewhere it won't get erased, like the Windows folder:

Only missing driver I came across was the internal card reader but they don't use that he said (YET)

Factory Restore Windows 8 + Install Classic Shell = Windows7-Looking Windows 8 than it is much better than Windows 7.