will my stock windows be lost if i formatted my HDD

Mizo Zizo

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Mar 23, 2014
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I have a msi gt70 dominator laptop that came with a 1 tb hdd . it came with windows 8 pre-installed when i bought it . now i've purchased a new ssd that i'd want to install the OS on it .so i' want to format my HDD c: and install windows 7 on my ssd
if i formatted my C: , is there a way to restore the windows 8 pre installed on it later ? is there sort of back up ? like in some laptops and mini laptops there are always a space reserved by the laptop untouched that stores the OS to reload it any given time
 

USAFRet

Illustrious
Moderator
Using one of the current clone/migration/imaging tools, create an image of the drive in its current state. Save that image elsewhere.
The 'restore' function that exists from the factory will (probably) restore the drive back to how it came out of the factory. OS, and all the original bloatware, and minus all your stuff.

If you fully format the HDD, that is gone.
 
If you format the HD that formats the ENTIRE HD and yes you would lose the data.Either check with MSI's Support # or check their forums for 'Factory Restore' DVDs. Most companies used to include on the very first time you turned on the computer the warning to make your Factory Restore DVDs.

Windows 8 machines have been different with UEFI since the 'Key' is not embedded inside the 'BIOS' and it doesn't matter where your Win8 comes from (say you download the ISO from Microsoft's DigitalRiver distribution system) when it installs it recognizes what version and such it is and automatically installs Windows as that edition. This makes it easy for the current 'tablet' craze for builders to just 'restore' it with the partition you mentioned, but the problem is it doesn't include all the MSI stuff or bundled stuff you may have purchased with your build, nor makes it easy to move over.

Now Samsung includes with their EVO SSDs cloning software (which was the most common way to do this), that you connect the new SDD via USB to SATA cable, boot from the cloning software (usually a DVD or make a boot USB) and then clone the HDD to SDD. As you didn't say what SSD you had I would recommend you get a cloning kit (easy to find on Amazon) using USB 3.0, would be best to speed up the whole process. Then make a DBAN DVD, wipe the HDD, install and boot off SSD, and then use the HDD as your program/data storage (You will have to NOT 'click through' updates/installs of software, and actually MANUALLY tell it to INSTALL TO and change the C: to D: to make it install to the larger HDD, especially your STEAM account).

 

Mizo Zizo

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Mar 23, 2014
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4,590
the 1st problem is that the laptop shipped with windows 8 which after a while using it i discovered that it's horrible with games .so whatever i do either installing the system on the new ssd or just installing n the current hdd , i'm done with windows 8 and i am not returning to it .
i am just asking because in case i am going to resell it . the UEFI idea about installing windows 8 from watever source it is and the laptop applying my key on this version , seems really great
so i am going to format my c: on the hdd and install windows 7 on my new ssd . and when i intend to resell my laptop i will simply install any version of windows 8 and supposedly my key stored in UEFI will apply and make it activated
am i getting this right ?
 
OP: I do not think Win8 was the issue with your games. Win8 actually performs better then Win7. Further the maker (MSI) puts up some guarantees under their builds noting which games and how well they perform.

Now you can't just 'decide' not to use Win8 anymore (did you every update it to 8.1 through the store then apply the 8.1 Update, all that is necessary to get all the patches else M$ wont' send them), as many of the customized components depend on W8.1 drivers and software, and sadly aren't 100% backwards compatible in some cases (like Wifi, Sound, touchpad, etc.) with Win7. Further Win7 doesn't work with UEFI, you can ONLY install Win7SP1 or Win8, there is no way to get around that, because UEFI's 'language' isn't includes with Win7.0 backwards.

I couldn't tell you just from a quick blurp what the issues are your having, but can be as simple as replacing the Antivirus (so many times people replied back they removed Norton and suddenly things worked alot better), ran Malwarebytes and suddenly things worked better, to OOPS we are running on 1Mb Internet and is why games suck when playing online. There are many things that have NOTHING to do with Win8, but most of all (and I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE THIS) you should discuss this with MSI, that they provide for you the best experience possible out of the box, it IS what you payed for. Personally that game should pretty much max out most games except the newest (AC:Unity, WatchDogs, etc.) due to some other issues with those titles and their demands.
 

Mizo Zizo

Estimable
Mar 23, 2014
32
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4,590
1ST let me tell you that you mentioned EXACTLY the two titles that i even considerd turning to win 7 for : AC : unity and Watch dogs :D :D
watch dogs run like crap honestly . on high preset and i am getting around only 45 - 30 FPS ?
other games like crysis 3 runs good . 45-40 and min 35 on very high preset but with lowering shadows and AA
so the problem is a message pops up saying memory is too low and i need to shutdown the application , though i have 1600 mhz 8 gigs of ram !
after googling a little bit i found out that LOTS OF GAMES have issues with windows 8/8.1 . including page file issues causing that low memory thing . ofcourse i tried several fixes that fixes the problem then it pops back wiyth another game
i didn't install any antivirus . i even removed the equipped silly norton that came with the OS
so .. what should i do ? stick to windows 8 and maybe restore it to factory settings then mirror it to my new SSD ,or get rid of the whole thing and go for the old good win 7?
 

Mizo Zizo

Estimable
Mar 23, 2014
32
0
4,590
and by the way , i live in egypt . and tried contacting MSI even to get my registration done so i could enter warranty .i couldn't do it because i purchased the laptop via amazon from america and i need to be freakin' american so my purchase would even make sense to them!
 

Yeah it is even listed in Forbes Magazine, they didn't port it over for PC very well from the original PS4/XboxOne Code. So yours is about right especially for a laptop configuration. Good place to check is canirunit.com and usually shows you the games specs. For laptops specific parts I check notebookcheck.net, which for a 860M here is the typical scores http://www.notebookcheck.net/Google-Search.36690.0.html?cx=partner-pub-9323363027260837%3Atxif1w-xjer&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&sa=&q=860M&siteurl=www.notebookcheck.net%2FNotebook-Laptop-Reviews-and-News.48.0.html&ref=&ss=1359j695137j5

As you can see those games will run bed on MEDIUM. Unless you had a 880M or such, then it would be better performance.



Hmm yeah sounds like your system just may not been correctly updated or you got other things in the background. IF YOU HAVE NOT done anything to your system yet (the original thread here) I can give you my tried and true 'basics' to do first. These would optimally make sure nothing is hosing up in the background, then try again. Also please tell me, is this on the Laptop display, or are you (*SIGHS DEEPLY*) trying to connect to a external monitor with a VGA cable?!??!



Doesnt' matter if it was 1000 MHZ or 1Billion Jules.... that your getting low memory indicates something else is eating up RAM. typically if your running too many applications in the background, and / or your mucked up with Malware, which is NOT detectable by Antivirus. Again see above, I can post my simple steps and we can address this.



MEH! Unless it is like PCGamer's Magazine, Tom's Hardware, AnandTech, TechTV, CNNTech, or other reputable cite, the 90% of those 'issues' is from 'stupid' consumers buying very low end (aka CHEAP) systems then trying to play high end games on them at ultra settings because "I say so and so on Youtube show his system could!" which is a bunch of BS. The Internet Lies. Please see below



Sorry that is like going to Africa with no shots, drinking the dirty water and eating whatever they serve off the street vendors and never think you will get ill from such foolishness. I can almost GUARANTEE your system is compromised, and heavily infected.



The issue, as I pointed to, sounds like.... sorry to say... USER error, not Windows 8 fault.
Follow these tried and true steps and come back with the results.

Download and run SPECCY, copy and paste the first tab to show your idle temps
Download and run MSI Afterburner, run some of the games, what temps are you getting when underload?
Turn the laptop over, Can Air dust out the bunnies and use paint brush on the vents, coolers, fans, etc. on all four sides and bottom.

Go to www.filehippo.com and download Comodo, Panda or AVG (AVAST! was hacked so I don't recommend them) and do a full system scan - IT IS SET FOR QUICK BY DEFAULT NOT FULL!
Download Malwarebytes do a full system scan (AV doesn't pick up alot of malware) - this resolved almost ALL other similiar posts to date as most had Malware the AV didn't pick up.
Repeat the AV/Malware scans till the system comes up clean

Did you install all Windows Updates? Go to Microsoft Store, install the 8.1 upgrade, reboot, then go to WIndows Update, install 8.1 Update, reboot, then install EVERY OTHER OPTION INCLUDING OPTIONAL except BING?
Check them and repeat till ALL are installed.
Download and run Slim Drivers, install all the latest updates but you don't need to reboot until you do the last update

Provide the results of each step. DO NOT skip any steps.