Windows 10: Unable to downgrade back to Windows 8.1, Windows 10 BSODing

Hi,

I hope this is the correct forum, I apologize if it is not.
I upgraded to windows 10 from 8.1 (computer was originally shipped with Windows 7 but has been running on Windows 8 for a while) and the computer is having all sorts of issues with windows 10-nvlddmkm.sys BSODs and updates that keep on failing. The computer is able to boot into safe mode with no issues, but is only able to boot into regular mode if I keep on reinstalling the same Nvidia drivers. Even when it boots into regular mode successfully, its laggy and unstable. This obviously isn't going to work long term. So, I have decided to go back to windows 8.1.

I have already tried the roll back option, but for whatever reason, windows 10 deleted windows.old. So, I downloaded the windows 8.1 ISO and put it onto a flash drive, and it loads fine, but right after I select upgrade install, I get a message telling me to remove installation media and restart. Following these instructions does nothing. I read on the internet that this is because I need to launch the windows 8.1 setup while in windows 10. When I do that, after I enter the product key, the installer tells me that "setup has failed to determine supported install choices." I'm out of options here, am I doing anything wrong?

Thanks in advance for any help!

:)

 

Downgrade from Windows 10

I want to downgrade from windows 10 back to windows 8.1 but my computer offers a downgrade to windows 7. How can I downgrade back to windows 8.1 not windows 7? I never had windows 7. I only had windows 8.1

 

windows 10 to windows 8.1 downgrade

I have just "downgraded" back to Windows 8.1, and all the problems I had with being unable to edit, save or delete files in Excel, Word and Powerpoint have all disappeared.

I had also lost the ability to send e-mails.

I tried fixes like sfc scannow as suggested, but the best fix seems to be to go back to Windows 8.1.

IMHO, Windows 10 isn't ready yet.

 

Use your win8 RE, and either recover, or restore your system image

 

You need to boot from the windows 8.1 setup media and choose custom
then remove every partition and allow windows 8.1 to install to the unallocated disk space..

you can not upgrade windows 10 to windows 8.1
You must do a clean installation of windows 8.1 and remove windows 10

 

You are wrong! He can downgrade from 10 to 8.1 without install media and clean reboot. Just when he starts the setup.exe in the main folder on his ISO it won't work. Just mount the ISO inside of windows 10 and then go inside the "Sources" folder. THERE is another setup.exe and start this one then the setup starts and it downgrades! *Smile Try it! *Biggrin This Windows 10 is moved inside the Windows.old Folder then.

I have an Acer Switch 10 (SW5-012) and it upgraded to Windows 10. Then after some time my recovery was gone. Because Windows 10 removed it after the timelimit. I surely could use Windows 10 recovery features to refresh 10, but I wanted to go back. I had Windows 8.1 with Bing on it before (with some WIMBoot crap solution). Then I just got an leaked 8.1 with Bing 32bit ISO from the internet and mounted the ISO. I started the setup.exe and I got this error inside the setup screen window. Then I searched the net and some youtube video guy had the solution. Inside the folder Sources is another setup.exe, I started it and it installed. I didn't need any media or such. Now I have back Windows 8.1 with Bing on my Switch10 *Smile And since it worked with my ISO (8.1 with Bing) it should work with other Windows 8.1 ISO's aswell. So you can downgrade inside of Windows 10 directly with an ISO file only *Smile I have tested it and it worked for me *Smile

 

You can reinstall 8.1 using a standard MS iso, but it will not activate on a tablet which had 8.1+Bing. The oem keys are specific to the 8.1+Bing OS.

It is possible using 8.1+Bing from another manufacturer would activate but you would probably get driver issues as each version of 8.1+Bing contains special drivers specific to that device.

This is why tablets users should create a usb recovery drive, AND export drivers before upgrading or clean installing.

 

You are wrong. I had 8.1 with Bing (german) on my Switch 10. I then upgraded to 10 and deleted 8.1 with Bing including recovery. Now I downloaded a leaked 8.1 with Bing (english) ISO file (32bit) and just mounted it (Windows 10 has ISO mounting as feature). Then I clicked inside the Sources folder from this ISO and clicked on Setup.exe inside this Sources folder (not the setup.exe on the main folder because this one didn't work!). Now I had Windows 8.1 installed again. I then installed my WLAN driver and connected to my router. And after Windows 8.1 with Bing had network, it was automatically activated! Because I had 8.1 with Bing in the past activated, the activation servers knew this mainboard and recognized it again. So it was automatically activated.

Maybe you got some OEM branded 8.1 with Bing ISO's then? I got a Microsoft official one that was leaked *Biggrin And this one worked. There was even a watermark on the lower right, that it was for microsoft workers only. But after activation this watermark disappeared *Smile And on System I have "activated" state now.

And it ran without issues. But I did some windows updates now and now I can't boot anymore. It says "Recovery Your PC/Device needs to be repaired The digital signature for this file couldn't be verified Error code 0xc0000428". I think it was stupid from me to delete the Windows.old folder manually instead of outside the windows menu xD Or if it isn't this, then I don't know. But I still can install my Windows 10 Home, so I can try it again later and try to find out what the issue was exactly *Smile

Here the link for the untouched Windows 8.1 with Bing original files that were leaked (if you wanna check them out). They run inside a V-Machine aswell, but there they want a key. But on my Switch10 it didn't ask for a key, since the key is inside the UEFI I think.

This blue Download button on this thread leads to the 32bit ISO *Smile

 

First Off, You are replying to a thread that is 6 Months Old..

Second Off, The Bing Edition is not an Official Download - which means it is against Forum Rules...

Third Off, You are a new member, And your First Comment to 2 senior members is "You are Wrong".....

Fourth, You seem to have found that you can upgrade Windows 10 with Windows 8.1 thus effecting a downgrade...

3 wrongs - does not make you right..

 

Hi Kyhi *Smile Yes, you are right. It is in fact a downgrade. I just spoke against this "it isn't possible", since it is in fact. And I showed a way how to do it. Since this Bing Edition is no official Download but instead a Microsoft Employee Version, I deleted the link as you can see. So no more breaking the rules *Smile Thank you for telling me. And after some fiddling with this Bing ISO, I cannot recommend to use it. I got it installed but everytime I tried to do a Windows Update, the whole system was like dead. It couldn't boot anymore. Something went wrong there. It didn't got better by doing a fresh install too. So I think something is wrong with this Bing ISO and I even more wanted to take this link down again, since it's not helpful *Smile But for people that have official Windows Versions, they can do a downgrade as I explained. Go inside the Sources folder and run this setup.exe you can find inside there. Not the one in the main tree where the autorun.inf is inside *Biggrin So a downgrade is possible while running a newer Windows. That's why I wrote his claim was wrong (that it wasn't). I searched for instructions how to downgrade, so I came here. And many other forums aswell. I then found this youtube video where somebody explained how to do a downgrade by running the sources folder setup.exe and it worked. I had 8.1 running after this. That Windows Update failed was not an issue of this downgrade I made, since even a fresh and clean install had the same issues. It is a faulty ISO or microsoft has blocked it after it got leaked. So after an update it becomes unusable. I just registered here, to correct his false claim, so that other people that search for a downgrade possibility with an ISO can find the solution how to do it. Because the last statement claiming it isn't possible was wrong and so I thought it is good to correct this. So that others know the working way *Smile I just tried to help with this. But yes, I took down this download link. Everyone that wants to install Windows or downgrade, has to get an official download or original disc. Or search the net on his own risk. I cannot promote this bricked Bing ISO so I took the link down now *Smile In no way I wanted offending anyone. I just tried to help searching people with this solution and correct the false claim that it wasn't possible. Since it is possible as I have found out *Smile

 

I can't pretend to know, but I'm skeptical about any PC having a BIOS setup that prevents installing an older OS.

Problems with installing 7 on a UEFI machine, perhaps. Should be surmountable.

Requiring a new license because of the OEM licensing scheme, certainly.

 

To be honest... The Switch10 works great but this locked UEFI really pisses me off alot... I can't install a good running Linux, I can't install Windows 7... And this while Windows 7 still has extended Support until 2020! -.- This UEFI from my Switch10 even has no legacy boot... For me this means no more Acer... It runs well, but I didn't know about these downsites at time of purchase... Today, I wouldn't buy it again, if I could chose again... It works nice and is built solid, but I really dislike this locked UEFI... It feels like a Smartphone, where you only can use the system they want you to have -.- Ofcourse you can have real desktop windows apps, but still... I just thought it would be more like an open laptop... But as it is right now, it is way too proprietary for my taste... I even nearly bricked mine once xD It had a black screen then and I couldn't bring it back on. Even with holding power for 10 seconds. I then removed the backplate with some plastic card I pushed between (after using a thin knife to widen a gap) and opened these plastic tongues with the card. I removed the battery cord from the logic board and then I could start it again. It had some sort of weird hard freeze. And I didn't want to wait 2 days until the battery was empty (since it is better to not fully unload a li-ion) xD So I just did it this way and then it ran again and I could bootup my windows 10 install disc. It activated again without key typed inside after I got wireless connection back up. Now I better stick with Windows 10, since I don't have a legit Windows 8 here *Sad But I wish I could have, since 8 has no "forced updates" or this much control over my system... On Windows 10 I have heard Microsoft can even delete software from your PC. It feels like I lose control over my PC then. And forced updates let me gulp down everything without questions... I really like this compact machine, but somehow I tend to better sell it again and get something else :/ Ofcourse it has a really nice build quality and perfect connectivity as I wished it, but I am so fixed at windows on this machine *Sad There is no linux I know that runs on it and supports all features ._. It's sad that this Atom Z platform is windows only on this acer machine... It would be perfect if Windows 7 ran on it atleast, but I never got my Windows 7 disc to run on it. It's weird, since Windows is windows I thought and Windows 7 usually runs on UEFI machines but still, it doesn't boot up and I don't know why *Sad

 

Please take the time to format your reply so it's readable. Everything run together like you did in the last two makes them unreadable, to me at least.

I definitely need to test the downgrade of Win 10 to Win 8 or 7 as you describe. Would be neat as that should leave your data and most software asis.