Windows 10: Downgrade from Windows 10 to 8.1

Unless you have very few programs and no backup image, I would stay with Windows 10 unless you are prepared for a clean install and a re install of all of your programs.

 

I constantly updated...

 

Hello!
I'm about to downgrade. Can I move my user account somehow? I hate having to suffer with NTFS rights with a new account.

 

Just like with the upgrade, after a downgrade you will continue using your same Windows user account.

 

Not how it looks like.
Apparently a clean install is the only way to downgrade.
At first it seemeffd I could fool the installer, by starting it in 8.1 compatibility mode. But it failed when it tried to install.

 

I am trying to downgrade too.

My experience with 10 has been a total nightmare!

 

Settings > Updates & Security > Restore > Back to Windows 8.1 is the way, which Microsoft recommends to downgrade.

Since this might for one reason or the other not work as expected and since I am not 100% sure that it will leave you with exactly what you had before the upgrade, my way to go back would be to take my system image of Windows 8.1 (the wise man makes provision for the future) and to play it back onto my C:\ drive.

 

Well, you didn't read previous posts. That's not possible anymore for me.

 

Yeah not possible for me either. I formatted my drive before and did a clean install of Windows 10 (only to realise that it doesn't work).

Where can I download the official ISO for 8.1 Home x64 from?

 

For heaven's sake...
If I boot the 8.1 disc I get an empty purples screen and nothing more.
If I start the installer from windows 10 I get: "Can't determine supported installation options" (translated by me)
If I run it in win8 compatibility mode the installation fails with a very informative " windows installation failed" message.
F*cking MS. Can't do anything right since Win 7.

 

You've got to persevere with the first option. You can't run the 8.1 installer from within 10 - it will not work as you can't upgrade backwards. You want to boot from your 8.1 media, wipe the disk and clean install.

Did you make a bootable DVD or USB?

 

I can't even clean install from win 10 even though I should be able to.

Anyway I made a DVD.

 

If you are booting from the DVD and you only get a purple screen then something is wrong with the DVD - you'll have to make it again.

If the DVD was good you could remove your hard drive completely and it would still get to step 8 here Clean Install - Windows 8 as the installer doesn't look at what disks you have connected until then.

Do you see any of the screens in this link at all? If not are you sure you are booting from the DVD?

 

I have read your previous posts. Let me quote what I myself wrote five days ago:

Basically there is not much to add:

• First you did something critical like an OS upgrade, obviously without even thinking about that it could go awry.
• Then you have not created a backup as creating backups only is a waste of time.
• And finally you even got active yourself by deleting the downgrade files - just to make sure there really is no way to downgrade to your old installation anymore.

I can only congratulate you.

 

Then why did you bring up again something that is already out of the question...

Anyway. I didn't come here for a sermon, but for advice on an issue I'm acually having.