Windows 8 Downgrade to 7?

[Retrowire]

Hello again everyone! I've got a question regarding my wife's laptop computer.

We bought it, and from day one it has been sluggish, glitchy, wouldn't wake up from sleep for the longest time, it froze every so often, etc...

So anyways, we had a Windows 8 OEM disk and decided to format the system and reinstall Windows 8. Now it's all set up and it isn't filled with all that crappy Lenovo bloatware but it still doesn't run like a mid range gaming laptop should.

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834310628

That's the computer for reference. Anyways, it's still not running top notch, and I'm wondering if perhaps the computer isn't as optimized for Windows 8 as it was built to be. So we're thinking about downgrading it to Windows 7.

Only thing is, we only have a Windows 7 OEM disk that I used to build my custom rig.

Can we use this disk to downgrade her computer for free? If we do, would we have to pay to upgrade it back to Windows 8 if she ever wants to? Thanks for the help and no worries, I will select a best answer!

 

[mauller07]

have you made sure to install all the latest drivers for the laptop from the manufacturer of the components websites and not lenovos? also avoid avast if you installed it, it can slow down your system and cause problems.

windows 8 and 7 should run no differently to one another so i think the problem is not the operating system.

 

[ur6beersaway]

Bios update april/24/2013=http/support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloads/default.page?
Enter G780

 

[prouton]

If you used the Windows 7 OEM disk install code already, then you cannot use it for your wife's laptop, or any second machine for that matter. That's the limitation of an OEM version.

You cannot use a Windows 8 install code with a Windows 7 install disk -- they're incompatible.

If you bought the laptop with Windows 8 Professional, you may qualify for a free "downgrade" to Windows 7. You'll have to talk to Lenovo about this.

 

[Retrowire]

have you made sure to install all the latest drivers for the laptop from the manufacturer of the components websites and not lenovos? also avoid avast if you installed it, it can slow down your system and cause problems.

windows 8 and 7 should run no differently to one another so i think the problem is not the operating system.

Well we installed all the drivers from Lenovo's website for the laptop, the laptop doesn't report anymore missing devices so I thought we were safe there. I also don't believe it's the OS as so many people are enjoying Windows 8 just fine, I just feel that perhaps this model of laptop has a hardware discrepancy that limits it's own performance with Windows 8.

And, no worries, there is no Avast on this. We have MalwareBytes PRO for it.

So would you suggest that I should locate more drivers for it? I wouldn't know where to start, since the computer isn't reporting any missing devices.

 

[Retrowire]

If you used the Windows 7 OEM disk install code already, then you cannot use it for your wife's laptop, or any second machine for that matter. That's the limitation of an OEM version.

You cannot use a Windows 8 install code with a Windows 7 install disk -- they're incompatible.

If you bought the laptop with Windows 8 Professional, you may qualify for a free "downgrade" to Windows 7. You'll have to talk to Lenovo about this.

Thanks for the answer Prouton. That's what I needed to know exactly.

Anyways, I noticed that as usual there are plenty of helpful people here on Toms Hardware so I'd like to transfer this thread to another thread that can continue tackling this issue. Why is my wife's laptop running like this? http/www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1792008/wife-laptop-running.html I hope that mauller07 and ur6beersaway would continue to assist me with their help there. Thanks again everyone.