How to remove the windows 8 system. How to install another modification of the system

Due to the fact that the interface of the eighth version of the Windows operating system, when compared with previous modifications, has undergone significant changes (the absence of the same Start button), access to some functions by classical methods has become impossible. That is why many users cannot uninstall a program in Windows 8 without understanding how to get to the desired section or call this or that function. But there is a way out. Next, we will consider several universal techniques that allow you to uninstall any application as quickly as possible.

How to uninstall a program in Windows 8: the classic method

This technique in all Windows systems without exception, regardless of version and year of release, is to use a special section of programs and components. But what if it is impossible to get to the "Control Panel" due to the lack of a start menu button "Start"?

To call the panel itself, you can use moving the cursor to the upper or lower right corner, followed by pressing the options button, where "Control Panel" is selected. Similarly, if the screen supports multi-touch, you can swipe from the corner to the center of the screen. Along the way, you can use the search section, where either "Control Panel" or "Programs and Features" is specified.

However, many users underestimate the keyboard shortcuts that are standard for all systems. For quick access, it is better to immediately call the Run console (Win + R), and in the field of the executable program to access the Control Panel, enter the Control command.

If you want to immediately enter the programs and components section, you should write the line appwiz.cpl., select the program, click the uninstall button, after which it remains just to wait for the process to complete.

You can also use the command line (cmd), in which you enter the name of the application to be removed, and after a space after it, the standard uninstall command "/ uninstall" (without quotes) is entered. This method is good because the removal will be done in the background (the user will not see the progress of the process).

Uninstalling programs from the desktop

The question of how to uninstall a program in Windows 8 can be solved quite simply if the application icon is displayed on the start screen as a tile.

In this case, you need to make RMB on the selected application, select the removal from the menu that appears below, and after the system warns you, confirm your actions.

Using special utilities

However, it is easier to use special utilities. Consider the iObit Uninstaller application (removes programs of any type and purpose with all the remnants, including even system components and non-removable web browser panels).

Everything is simple here. In the running application, you need to find the program that you want to remove, press the button marked with a recycle bin, confirm the uninstallation. You can also use batch removal, which selects several programs, all of which are uninstalled one by one.

Immediately after confirmation, a standard uninstall starts, which can use either its own original uninstaller or a similar Windows tool. At the end of the process, you must activate a powerful scan that will reveal all residual components (folders, files and registry entries). Then all search results are selected and deleted, taking into account the file destruction item located at the bottom of the main program window.

How to uninstall a program remotely

Finally, a few words about remote uninstallation. Let's assume that the user has a computer or laptop with Windows 8 installed, as well as a smartphone with an operating system. Which mobile OS is used on the device does not matter. The essence of the problem, how to uninstall a program in Windows 8 from a mobile device, is to gain access to a stationary operating system.

You can use the settings of Windows itself, but this is not the easiest way (an ordinary user is unlikely to figure out how to set up Remote Desktop). The easiest way is to install a special RDP client (for example, Chrome RDP from Google) on both the computer and the mobile device and use it. But in this case, the browser of the same name must be present on the computer, and when connecting via the Internet, the computer or laptop must be turned on. The Internet connection must also be active.

When pairing is established on a smartphone or tablet, the Windows 8 home screen that is installed on a desktop device will be displayed. From a mobile device, you can perform the same actions as if the user were working directly on their terminal, including uninstalling programs.

Conclusion

Problems associated with uninstalling programs in the eighth version of Windows are solved quite simply. It should be noted that hot key combinations are best suited for quick access to system tools, but if you want the most complete removal of applications, including computer debris left over from them, it is better to use third-party uninstallers.

Recently, about Windows 8 on the Internet, you can find a lot of diverse opinions. someone describes the delight of using the OS, someone scolds it in every way and is looking for ways to downgrade to Windows 7 without much loss. After the well-known company Microsoft introduced its latest OS, many computers and laptops began to be sold with it. If you have purchased a laptop with Windows 8 installed, but after some time you have consciously decided that it is more convenient for you to work with the seven, and now you are faced with the question - how to make your favorite laptop have a more convenient OS? This is exactly what will be discussed.

Ways to remove Windows 8 from a laptop

The license for Windows 8 says that any user has the full right to downgrade to a previous version of Windows. But there is also a note there that for those who upgraded to Windows 8 during the promotion period, there is no such possibility.

So, if you have a laptop with Windows 8 Pro, and you want to change it to Windows 7 without additional investment, then follow the instructions described below.

  1. Personally, I recommend that you (just in case) have a recovery disk for the version of the OS that you want to get rid of. What if you still decide to return to 8-ku?
  2. Also, it would not be bad to try to find a disk with Windows 7 (preferably Professional). If found, then insert it into the laptop and boot from it. How to boot from the disk is described in detail.
  3. When the OS asks you to enter a key, then you can enter a valid license key legally.
  4. After you have booted from the disk (or flash drive) and restarted the computer, you will find out in the message that the system has not been activated. This is not scary, because the key that you entered is most likely already in use somewhere on another system.
  5. And now the most interesting moment. In order to get the key, you will need to call Windows support and tell an interesting story about what you did on your own, at your own peril and risk, downgraded to Windows 7 (it’s not worth describing in detail how you did it).
  6. You may be asked to confirm that you really used the licensed version before, and at the end you will receive a new key that you can enter to activate Windows 7.

Remember that you can return to Windows 8 at any time.

Removing Windows 8 by restoring a previous OS version from the Windows.old folder

This instruction is based on an article taken from the official Microsoft website and can be read. Requirements to uninstall Windows 8:

  1. Restoring Windows 7 is possible only if Windows 8 was installed not in the "clean install (with format)" mode, but in a mode such as update(upgrade).
  2. Necessarily copy everything important, which is on a laptop, because many data can be lost forever. But even if everything disappeared from the flash drive (memory card) to which you copied the information in an unknown direction, read how to save your data.
  3. Windows.old folder size should not exceed free space on drive C.
  4. Presence of a folder Windows.old guarantees efficient recovery of the previous OS.

So let's go. First, boot from the disk where you have Windows 7 (installation disk). Next, in the window that appears, click Install Windows, then select the language and time in sequence, then click Next.

In the next window, click Repair your computer (bottom left).


Now you will see the System Recovery Options window, in which we have to select the desired OS.

After selecting the available OS, click Next.

After all this, we need a command line, select it by pressing Command Promt, in which we will see directories from the root of the Windows folder.

Next, we create a copy of the Windows files by executing commands on the command line.

Ren Windows Windows.8 ren “Program Files” “Program Files.8″ ren “Users” “Users.8″ Attrib –h –s –r ProgramData ren “ProgramData” “ProgramData.8”

For a 64-bit system, run the following command:

ren “Program Files (x86)” “Program Files (x86).8″

Move /y d:\windows.old\windows d:\ move /y “d:\windows.old\program files” d:\ move /y d:\windows.old\users d:\ Attrib –h –s –r d :\windows.old\programdata move /y d:\windows.old\programdata d:\

Accordingly for OS 64:
move /y “d:\windows.old\program files (x86)” d:\

Now let's move on to the stage with which you can restore the boot sector of Windows 7. We go to our installation disk. We enter the command: "dir" , next: " boot\bootsect /nt60 D:" .(It should be your system drive instead).

And finally, we can type the command to exit: " exit". The next step is to restart your computer and eject the disc. Then there will be a download of the long-awaited Windows 7.

But that is not all. Now we need to remove Windows 8 from the bootloader menu. We launch msconfig, go to Boot, and select our Windows 8. Then we press the following buttons: Delete -> Apply-> OK.

That's all. I advise you to check the operation of all programs, because there is a possibility of their incorrect operation. Reinstall what is not working properly.

We restored Windows 7 from the Windows.old folder. But there is a very big risk of losing important files during installation and even system performance. Even if the performer did everything correctly, Microsoft itself does not guarantee that the OS restored in this way will work correctly. And there are recommendations from the company for reinstalling the version of the OS that you need.

The operating system from Microsoft Windows 8 does not cause positive emotions for all consumers. It has an unusual interface, which still needs to get used to. And why relearn if a person was quite satisfied with the previous versions? Therefore, many are trying to remove the "eight" and install the old OS, but it turns out that this is not so easy to do.

What are the problems with uninstalling Windows 8

Unfortunately, it is Windows 8 that is preinstalled in new PCs and laptops. And now the unfortunate “advanced user”, cursing everything in the world, is trying to figure out what he absolutely does not want to understand, and does not need to.

It would seem, what is the problem? Take a boot disk with your favorite Windows 7 or XP and reinstall. But it was not there. Windows 8 tightly blocks all attempts to somehow interfere with the installed software. You can add something, install the necessary programs, but change the OS - under no circumstances!

The fact is that for some reason the developers built the uefi boot function into Bios - protection against booting from CD or USB. This means that in order to reinstall the system, you need to enter Bios, disable uefi boot, make changes to the boot order, and only then you can start reinstalling.

Attention! Before starting the reinstallation, search the network and download drivers for your PC or laptop, taking into account the desired version of Windows. The fact is that each computer model and each version of Windows requires different drivers. And those that are installed for Windows 8 will not work for either Windows 7 or XP. Drivers are best found on the official websites of the computer manufacturer.

How to uninstall and install

  1. Immediately after turning on the computer, you need to press the F2, F5, F8 or F12 key, depending on the brand of the computer. The BIOS will open. If you don’t know exactly what to press, you will have to reboot several times and look for the right key.
  2. Select the "Boot" tab. Find the value "Secure Boot", you need to change it to "Disabled".
  3. In the "OS Mode Selection" item, select "UEFI and Legacy OS".
  4. Exit the BIOS and save the changes, i.e. press "F10" and select "Yes".
  5. Enter the BIOS again, select the "Boot Device Priority" tab.
  6. Here you need to change the boot priority, instead of drive C, select where you have the installation disk. This can be done using the F5/F6 keys or the Up/Down arrows.
  7. Repeat step 4.
  8. Insert your boot disk and restart your computer.

Next, you need to follow exactly the recommendations of the installation program. If there is no important information on the computer or it is stored somewhere else (Yandex disk, flash drive, etc.), then it is best to format the hard drive and install the new system on a blank disk. But just in case, you can not completely delete Windows 8. Then it will remain in the Windows.old folder or under some other similar name. This will make it possible, if desired, to "roll back" the system back to the preinstalled version.

Unfortunately, the description of the steps above may not be suitable for all computers. Not only is the entry into the BIOS in different models carried out in different ways, but the BIOS itself also looks different everywhere. Therefore, you need to remember the main thing: you need to install "Legacy OS", disable protection by setting "Disabled" and change the boot priority.

If you don't like the new operating system pre-installed on your laptop or computer, you can uninstall Windows 8 and install something else, such as Win 7. Although I would not recommend it. All actions described here, you perform at your own peril and risk.

The task, on the one hand, is not difficult, on the other hand, you may encounter a number of difficulties related to UEFI, GPT partitions and other details, as a result of which, during installation, the laptop writes Boot failure - a proper digital signature was not found. In addition, laptop manufacturers are not in a hurry to upload drivers for Windows 7 to new models (however, drivers from Windows 8 usually work). One way or another, this instruction will step by step outline how to solve all these problems.

On most new laptops with Windows 8, getting into the BIOS settings is not so easy. The most efficient way to do this is to enable special boot options.

To do this, in Windows 8, open the panel on the right, click on the "Settings" icon, then select "Change PC settings" below, and in the settings that open, select "General", then click "Restart now" in the item "Special boot options".

In Windows 8.1, the same item is located in "Change computer settings" - "Update and recovery" - "Recovery".

After clicking the "Restart now" button, you will see several buttons on a blue screen. You need to select "UEFI Settings", which can be located in "Diagnostics" - "Advanced Options" (Tools and Settings - Advanced Options). After the reboot, you will most likely see a boot menu in which you should select BIOS Setup.

Note: manufacturers of many laptops provide the ability to enter the BIOS by holding down a key even before turning on the device, usually it looks like this: hold F2 and then press "On" without releasing. But there may be other options that can be found in the instructions for the laptop.

In the BIOS, in the System Configuration section, select Boot Options (sometimes Boot Options are located in the Security section).

In the Boot Options, disable Secure Boot (set Disabled), then find the Legacy Boot option and set it to Enabled. In addition, in the Legacy Boot Order settings, set the boot order in such a way that it is performed from your bootable USB flash drive or disk with the Windows 7 distribution kit. Exit the BIOS with saving the settings.

Installing Windows 7 and Uninstalling Windows 8


After the above steps have been completed, the computer will restart and the standard installation process of Windows 7 will begin. At the stage of choosing the type of installation, select "Full installation", after which you will see a list of partitions or a suggestion to specify the path to the driver (which I wrote about above ). After the installer gets the driver, you will also see a list of mounted partitions. You can install Windows 7 on the C: partition after formatting it by clicking Disk Setup. Which I would recommend, because in this case, there will be a hidden system recovery partition that will allow you to reset the laptop to factory settings when needed.

You can also delete all partitions on the hard drive (to do this, click "Disk Setup", do not perform actions with the caching SSD, if it is in the system), if necessary, create new partitions, and if not, then just install Windows 7, selecting "Unallocated area" and clicking "Next". All formatting actions in this case will be performed automatically. In this case, restoring the laptop to the factory state will become impossible.

That's all, I hope this guide helped you get back to your familiar world with a round Start button and without any live Windows 8 tiles.

Having become the owner of a laptop with Windows 8 preinstalled, users are trying unsuccessfully to remove the updated operating system in order to install the good old Windows 7 in its place. Today we will consider what causes such problems and how to solve them.

Note that the solution to the problem is shown for cases where there is only one boot disk with Windows 8 installed on the computer. After all, if there are several active partitions, you can easily boot from one of them (from under the "seven" or Linux) and format the volume on which the files of the installed "eight" are located.

What is the difference

To begin with, it is better to install the G8 only on computers / laptops equipped with an updated BIOS with a beautiful graphic design, which replaced the outdated BIOS. At the same time, the new OS and the improved interface for interaction of low-level firmware with the operating system began to use a revolutionary partition format. To replace the MBR used in the BIOS, UEFI already uses GPT. Its advantages are not only the design and support for mouse control, but also work with hard drives, the volume of which exceeds 2 TB. You can also integrate any number of drivers that are not related to a specific OS into UEFI, which will significantly speed up its loading. And the main feature of the BIOS replacement is the use of a secure boot protocol, after which UEFI stops loading drivers and executable files that are not signed with a specific key.

Replacing the File Table Format

Before uninstalling Windows 8 and installing Windows 7, you need to change the file table format from MBR to GPT. This is done quite simply.

Note that when converting between file table formats, all data from the hard disk will be deleted without the possibility of recovery. Copy important information from the hard drive before uninstalling Windows 8.

In order to be able to boot a computer from a Windows 7 installation USB flash drive, you need to change the UEFI settings, because by default the computer boots only in GPT - in addition to Windows 8, it is impossible to boot other operating systems and LiveCD.

  • We go into the special options for turning on the PC in the "Settings" menu and select "Restart".
  • After restarting the computer, a window with a list of functions will be displayed.
  • Select "Diagnostics".
  • In the advanced options, click "UEFI Integrated Software Settings" and "Restart".

After the reboot, the menu of your updated BIOS will appear on the display.

  • To activate the boot only MBR, visit the "Boot" menu.

  • Next to the “Boot Mode” item, select “Legacy” and exit the settings with saving the changes made (F10 and Y).

Assuming that you have a bootable USB flash drive with a Windows 7 distribution ready, let's walk through the process of converting between file partition table formats step by step.

In addition to the drive with installation files, one of the many LiveCDs is also quite suitable, where there is a partitioning utility, for example, from Acronis or Aomei Partition Assistant (freeware, allows you to save data if the conversion is not carried out on a new laptop / hard drive). Please note that before converting, it is better to disable all unused drives (flash drives, hard drives / including external ones / so that if you make a mistake, you do not destroy all the data on them).

  • Using the function key to call the Boot menu (usually F11 or F9), after initializing the equipment, select our USB flash drive as a boot device.

  • Depending on the distribution kit used, we select the installation option for Windows 7 of the required edition and bit depth.

  • We get into the partition selection window and press the "Shift" keys simultaneously with F10 to launch the command line.

You can select a volume and try to install Windows 7 on it, but you will encounter the following error.

This means that installing the "seven" on a partition with a GPT file table is not possible.

  • Enter the following commands one by one:
    • "list disk" - if there is a single hard drive, it is not necessary to execute the command;
    • "select disk 0" - make a choice of the required hard drive;
    • "convert mbr" - convert it to mbr.
  • The process will take no more than a minute.
  • We close the command line, agree with the formation of a 100 MB boot partition, partition the hard drive into sections and install Windows 7.

These operations should not raise any questions, so we will not dwell on them in detail. The main topic - "Uninstalling Windows 8" - is disclosed, and you can put an end to this.

(Visited 2 632 times, 1 visits today)

If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl+Enter.