Is it possible to remove Windows 10 and Install Windows 7?

[Corncob]

I recently bought a new Pavilion 570-p030 which came with Windows 10.  I attempted to dual boot Windows 10 with Windows 7, but it appears this cannot be done for technical reasons.  Microsoft praises and promotes Windows 10; but unfortunately, it does not work for me!  Is it possible to uninstall Windows 10 (or format the hard drive) and do a fresh install of Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 7 Professional?  

My new HP Pavilion performs as intended (with Windows 10), but it arrived in an open box with no disks.  It may have been returned to the seller who reboxed it and sold it to me.  But for my purposes, that's an issue only to the extent that time limits may have been activated at the point of first use.  Until now, I have experienced nothing but success with HP products; but this computer appears to come with built-in problems.  

[banhien]

Hi,

Your machine use Intel Gen 7 processor. Have you read the following articles ?

          https://www.theverge.com/2016/1/16/10780876/microsoft-windows-support-policy-new-processors-skylake

          https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/02/windows_intel_kaby_lake_amd_zen/

          https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/04/new-processors-are-now-blocked-from-receiving...

          https://support.hp.com/au-en/document/c05289634

and many more

Regards.

[mdklassen]

> My new HP Pavilion performs as intended (with Windows 10), but it arrived in an open box with no disks.

Yes, gone are the days when the box would contain physical CD/DVD disks, to be used to reinstall Windows.

Now, computer manufacturers avoid the cost of providing physical media and printed User Guides, and the labour to put those materials into the box.

Instead, the User Guide is a document loaded onto the computer, and there is a "hidden" partition that can be booted to start a re-install of Windows, and there is a utility program to allow the new owner to create a "System Recovery Set" -- either onto one bootable 16GB USB memory-stick, or burning to a few owner-supplied DVD-recordable disks.

P.S. Microsoft will terminate all support for Windows 7 in January 2020 -- less than 2.5 years from now.

At that time, you'll have to migrate away from Windows 7, e.g., to UBUNTU or to Windows 10.

[Corncob]

Banhien,

Thanks much for the links related to the Windows 10 issue. As I understand it, Microsoft is presently in transition from a software company to a service company with intent to provide consumers with the best possible operating system. The Microsoft transition appears to adopt a long-standing strategy of cell phone companies wherein mobile phones are designed to be "locked" or "unlocked", i.e., the Microsoft strategy requires all computers sold with Windows 10 to be permanently locked to Windows 10.

Computer buyers will likely have no objection to a locked system provided they know in advance they are buying a locked computer built to Microsoft specifications. However, such logos as "Intel" and "hp" on the hardware may be an unintended misrepresentation in favor of the Microsoft transition.  There appears to be no practicable way to unlock a Windows 10 computer.  But in terms of the locked computer issue, consumer information may have been truncated by such shenanigans as, "don't ask, don't tell".   

[mdklassen]

> the Microsoft strategy requires all computers sold with Windows 10 to be permanently locked to Windows 10.

> There appears to be no practicable way to unlock a Windows 10 computer.

Nonsense.  it's quite easy to install many variants of Linux onto a "designed for Windows" computer.

However, this is a "technical" forum, and that's the type of information that I will provide.

Please redirect all your "philosophical" comments to:

   https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/HP-Cafe-and-Lounge/bd-p/Off-Topic-Forum

the "HP Cafe' and Lounge" forum.

[mdklassen]

>  appears to adopt a long-standing strategy of cell phone companies wherein mobile phones are designed to be "locked" or "unlocked".

A recent ruling by the CRTC (Canadian Radio & Television Commission) requires all cell-phone companies to "unlock" any cell-phone, for FREE, starting December 1, 2017.   Score one point for cell-phone users!

As they say in that Tetley Tea commercial: Only in Canada?  Pity!

[Corncob]

Mdklassen,

Thanks for your input. The following  comment from another web site  confirms your answer albeit with a word of caution for would-be down graders from Windows 10 to 7 or 8.1:

"If you recently purchased a new computer, pre installed with Windows 10, only to find out it does not work with your hardware or software, or you just don’t like it, then you might want to consider returning the computer. The hassle associated with actually downgrading is not as convenient and smooth sailing as you might believe."

The Groovypost contributor also provides a technical  step-by-step procedure  to downgrade a pre installed (or upgraded) Windows 10 Installation to Windows 7 or 8.1. This procedure pertains to computers in general. However, it's possible that HP requires a downgrade procedure constructed specifically for HP computers. If so, a link to that resource would be greatly appreciated.  

[mdklassen]

Please read:

  https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/hp-prodesk-400-g4-microtower-pc/15292287/document/c05338054/?

Some HP computers will not run Windows 7.

Also, the end is near for Microsoft support for Windows 7.

After January 2020, there will NOT be any security-updates for Windows 7.

At/before that date, you'll have to invest a lot of your time in "migrating" your personal files and applications from Windows 7 to Windows 10.  Not as easy as it sounds.

So, my personal recommendation is to "bite the bullet", and today, run Windows 10.  Then, the imminent "sunset" of Windows 7 will not be an issue for you.

[mdklassen · Accepted solution]

By the way, that 'Groovypost.com' article cites:

    If you don’t have a license, you will have purchase a Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 license.

However, clicking that hyperlink leads to an 'Amazon.com' web-page that offers Windows 10 for sale -- not Windows 7.  Sigh.

Also, if you have software that runs under Windows 7, you can use "Compatibility Mode" in Windows 10, to emulate a Windows 7 environment, to allow that software to run.   Or, maybe, the manufacturer of that software has a newer version that is compatible with Windows 10.

[Corncob]

Mdklassen responds in the affirmative:  It is possible to remove Windows 10 and Install Windows 7.  However, the discontinuation of support for Windows 7 and other considerations make this an ill-advised or impracticable solution to user dissatisfaction with Windows 10.  He suggests instead the use of accommodations built into Windows 10 which simulate the major characteristics of Windows 7.  This may not eliminate all points of dissatisfaction for all users.  Nevertheless, this solution is recommended because Windows 7 without support, as with other operating systems, is subject to functional and security issues.