Help! Factory installed Windows 8 Pro with Windows 7. WANT TO GO BACK!

[Jennifer Nicole]

So I "inherited" a HP Elitebook Intel Core i5-4300U x64bit. It runs good and everything, but it has a Windows 8 Pro sticker logo on it. Now my question is, it currently is running Windows 7Enterprise. Did someone install Windows 7Enterprise over the Windows 8Pro? I do not have the disc and contacting the previous owner is not possible. I've read that the product key could be embedded into the BIOS of the laptop. Can i go back to Windows 8Pro without having to buy a new product key? If so, what download and where can i find it?

Please help, i've spent too much time looking already and i feel like im running in circles! Also, why are there so many searches for downgrading Windows 8 to 7? Do people really like 7 better?

 

[mbarnes86]

Hi

There are utilities to read the encrypted win key in registry
Several free programs are available
Nirsoft have one called produkey

The enterprise windows 7 either has a stolen enterprise key or was owned by a company who standardised on win 7 and did not want win 8

To get win 8 back see if there is a recovery partition hidden on the hard drive , which could be used to make a recovery USB or DVD disk

Or contact HP to buy a recovery USB or DVD specifying exact model
Or find someone with exact same model HP and ask them to make you a recovery DVD or USB disk

My personal view is if you have a touch screen then you need 8.1 if not 7 is better

If you wait a few months you can have the win 10 upgrade for free
(Provided it does not think the enterprise 7 key is stolen)

Regards
Mike Barnes