Downgrading to Windows 7 on laptop with UEFI rather than BIOS.

[oalcock]

Hello,

 

I have spent hours trying to figure out how to downgrade an Advent Laptop on Windows 8 to Windows 7. It has one of those UEFI boots on it which everybody raves about but I don't rate it one bit. Which ever angle I try and get it to boot from DVD, it just won't work - whether it's going in from Windows features, or trying all the function keys on boot. I believe that if I go into the UEFI configuration which looks just like a BIOS, I can disable secure boot and change the boot setting in there to BIOS but this seems to be restricted.

 

Anybody any clues? there aren't even any open doors into a Command window to try and get at it that way.

 

Please bring back press F12 to see boot options, there isn't even a facility to go into the F8 menu for Safe Mode or anything like that.

 

Help somebody! Thanks in advance for your time.

 

Oliver.

[snagrat]

Sometime you need to set a BIOS password in order to be able to make the changes to Secure Boot.

 

Is there something called CSM in the BIOS? If so enable it

[oalcock]

Thanks for getting in touch! I haven't tried the password yet - but I have however been looking for CSM. I have you tubed it and googled it, and where everybody is describing it will be it cannot be seen. In the boot option menu it just shows UEFI.

 

Thanks

[bald_pig]

Looks like a firmware update may be required.

FAQ: Windows 8, UEFI and graphics cards (updated) | Advent Computers

[oalcock]

Hello,

 

I am really grateful for your advice! You are on the money with your suggestions but I am afraid I am still stuck. The UEFI is so tied down its untrue, it looks like guest access to the bios if you try entering a traditional bios without putting password in. No options for adding a bios I am afraid. Think I may just have to give it back to my client and say - 'sorry but no can do'

[Arthur]

64-bit editions of Windows 7 can be installed in UEFI mode. If you have already disabled Secure Boot then it should work. What's the model number of the Advent laptop?

 

Have you tried creating a bootable USB version of your Windows DVD using Rufus? Make sure you select GPT for the partition scheme and FAT32 for the file system.

 

 

Which ever angle I try and get it to boot from DVD, it just won't work

Is the DVD definitely bootable? Does it work in other PCs?

 

there isn't even a facility to go into the F8 menu for Safe Mode or anything like that.

How to boot into Safe Mode on Windows 8 or 8.1 (the easy way)

 

Think I may just have to give it back to my client and say - 'sorry but no can do'

If your client wants to downgrade to Windows 7 because they don't like Windows 8 then just install Classic Shell for them and call it a day.

Edited December 14, 2014 by Arthur

[oalcock]

Thanks so much for this! I will give it a try

[Poults]

There should be an option for legacy bios which you can enable and that will disable the uefi and let you install Windows 7.