Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Install Windows 7 in addition to Windows 8
• Method 2 of 3: Using a virtual machine
• Method 3 of 3: Replace Windows 8 with Windows 7

A lot of people like Windows 7, but a lot less people like Windows 8. If you have upgraded to Windows 8, there are a few options to revert to Windows 7. You can install Windows 7 in addition to Windows 8, then you can choose which operating system starts up when you turn on the computer. You can also install Windows 7 on a "virtual machine", which is a simulated computer that runs within Windows 8. This way you can run Windows 7 and Windows 8 on your computer at the same time. And the last option is to revert all the way to Windows 7, uninstalling Windows 8.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Install Windows 7 in addition to Windows 8

1. Start with Windows 7. Windows 8 has a new boot program (boot manager), which is the software that determines which operating system to load. That means, if you want to install Windows 7 and 8 both, you install Windows 7 must Start, otherwise Windows 8 cannot boot.
2. Back up all important data. Before installing two operating systems, it is important that you make a good backup of important files in a safe location. Installing an operating system will erase all current data. Click here for detailed instructions on how to make a backup.
3. Start the Windows 7 installation. Insert the Windows 7 installation DVD into your computer and boot from this disc to begin the installation process. Select "Custom (advanced)" as the installation type and follow the instructions until you get to the screen where you need to indicate where you want to install Windows.
   • Click here for more information about installing Windows 7.
4. Create two partitions. When you arrive at this screen, you can create and format various partitions on your hard drive. A partition is a part of your drive that has been formatted separately and therefore gets its own drive letter. Each partition acts like a separate hard drive. Note: if you already have two hard drives installed in your computer, you don't need to create partitions, you can just install each operating system on its own drive.
   • Click on the "Drive options (advanced)" option.
   • Delete all current partitions. All the space on your drive is merged into one big pile of "unallocated space".
   • Select the unallocated space and click "New". Set how large you want to make the partition on which Windows 7 will be placed. Repeat this to create the partition for Windows 8 (you will not use it until later, but it is easy to create the partition now). Make sure each partition is at least 25 GB and more if you plan to install a lot of programs.
5. Continue to install Windows 7 on the first partition you created. Follow the steps in the article whose link we provided in step 3 to proceed with the installation as usual.
6. Now insert the Windows 8 installation DVD into your computer. After Windows 7 has been properly installed on the first partition, you can proceed with the installation of Windows 8 on the second partition.
   • Select "Custom: Install Windows only (Advanced)" on the "What type of installation do you want to perform?" Page.
   • Make sure you select the correct partition in the "Where do you want to install Windows?" Screen. The Windows 7 partition now shows "System" in the "Type" column.
7. Boot from Windows 8. After installing Windows 8, this operating system will be set as the primary operating system. So it will start automatically if you have not selected an operating system in the "boot manager".
8. Change the startup settings. If you prefer to boot into Windows 7 or adjust the time you have to choose when the computer boots, you can change the boot settings from Windows 8.
   • Press ⊞ Win+R., typ msconfig and press ↵ Enter
   • Click the Startup tab.
   • Select the operating system you want to boot from from now on and click Set as default.
   • Change the time you have to choose an operating system when your computer boots by changing the value under "Timeout"
   • Click Apply when you are happy with the changes.

Method 2 of 3: Using a virtual machine

1. Download and install Oracle VM VirtualBox. With this program you can create a virtual hard disk on your computer, you can then install Windows 7 on it. You can then start Windows 7 in a window while Windows 8 is still running.
   • Most users can leave the installation options unchanged. You can download the program at virtualbox.org/
   • Oracle VM VirtualBox is a free program, although other options are available.
   • This method works very well if you want to quickly access Windows 7 without having to restart. But beware: programs that demand a lot from the graphics card, such as games, will not work well on a virtual machine.
2. Make sure you have enough free space to install Windows 7. When you use VirtualBox, a virtual disk is created from available space on your disk. Make sure you have at least 20 GB of free space, then you can install and run Windows 7 properly. Keep more space if you want to be able to install programs.
   • Leave enough space for Windows 8 programs and files.
3. Click the "New" button at the top of the VirtualBox window. This will start creating the installation of a new virtual operating system.
4. Fill in the basic information of your virtual machine. Enter a name and select the operating system.
   • You can choose any name you want, but "Windows 7" may be the most useful.
   • Select "Microsoft Windows" as the type.
   • Select "Windows 7 (32 bit)" or "Windows 7 (64 bit)", depending on which version you are going to install. Check your installation DVD to see which version you have. You cannot run a 64-bit virtual machine on a 32-bit computer. Click here for more information about determining the version of your computer.
5. Select the amount of working memory (RAM) you want to allocate to the machine. You can only allocate RAM from the amount of RAM actually installed on your computer. Windows 7 requires at least 1 GB (1024 MB), but it is recommended that you allocate about half of the available RAM.
   • Do not allocate all available RAM as this will cause problems with the regular OS when the virtual machine is running.
6. Select "Create a new hard drive". Now a virtual disk is created to install Windows 7 on.
7. Select "VDI" as the file type. Most users leave the selection as is.
8. Select "Dynamically expandable storage" or "Fixed size storage". You can choose it yourself. A fixed size offers better performance, but dynamic may take up less space.
   • If you choose "Dynamic" you will have to set the maximum size of the disk later.
9. Select a location for the virtual disk. Click the folder icon next to the text box to select a location. This is especially useful if you want to keep your virtual machines on an external drive.
10. Set the size of the disk. Below the location you will see a slider with which you can set the maximum size. Make sure you choose at least enough space to install Windows 7 (20 GB).
11. Wait for the disc to be created. This may take a while, especially if you are creating a large disk with a fixed size.
12. Download the Windows 7 ISO file or put the installation disc in the DVD tray. You need a valid product key for both options.
    • If you bought Windows 7 from the Windows website, you are probably using an ISO file.
13. Select your new virtual machine from the main VirtualBox screen. You will see the details of the system in the main window.
14. Click on "Start". This will open the launch wizard, where you can select the installation disc or ISO file.
15. Select the virtual DVD drive. It probably says "Empty" here. The attributes and information are listed on the right.
16. Click on the small disk button in the "Attributes" section. Select how you want to load the installation disc.
    • If there is as an installation disc in the DVD tray, select the correct "Host Drive". The term "Host" refers to the physical computer.
    • If installing from an ISO, select "Choose a virtual CD / DVD disc file". Now a window will open in which you can select the ISO file.
17. Start the virtual machine. After selecting the media source you can start the virtual machine and install Windows 7. Select the Windows 7 virtual machine and click "Start". A new window will now open, it will look like a screen from another computer.
18. Press any key to start the installation. A message will appear telling you to press any key to continue.
19. Follow the instructions to install Windows 7. From now on, the installation is just like installing on a physical computer. Click here for more information about installing Windows 7.
20. Start the virtual machine. Once you have Windows 7 installed, start it up by opening VirtualBox, selecting your Windows 7 virtual machine and clicking Start. You can also right-click on the virtual machine in VirtualBox to create a shortcut on your desktop. With this you can start the machine with one mouse click in the future.

Method 3 of 3: Replace Windows 8 with Windows 7

1. Back up important files. Replacing Windows 8 with Windows 7 will erase all data on your hard drive, so make sure you have a good backup in a safe location. Click here for detailed instructions on how to make a backup.
2. Put your Windows 7 installation disc in your disc drive. If you only have an ISO file, you must first burn it to a DVD or format a USB stick as a boot disk.
3. Boot your computer from the disk drive with the installation file. You can change the boot order from the BIOS menu, which is accessed by pressing the appropriate key during boot. Usually that is F2, F10, F11 or Del.
   • Go to the boot menu (BOOT) to change the order of boot drives. Set the drive with the installation file as the first boot drive.
4. Save your changes and reboot. You will now be asked to press a key to start the installation.
5. Follow the instructions to start the installation. Among other things, you can set the desired language and you must agree to the conditions.
6. Select the Windows 8 partition when asked where to install. The Windows 7 partition will now show "System" in the "Type" column.
   • If you install Windows 7 on the partition that Windows 8 was on, all data will be erased.
7. Complete the installation procedure. Follow the further instructions to complete the installation. Click here for more information about installing Windows 7.