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Member
I just bought a new PC: HP Pavilion 510z Desktop PC 1 TB HDD storage Country Kit Windows 10 Windows 10 scares the heck out of me, would it be possible? stupid? to have a new copy of windows 7 put onto this computer since it is what I am comfortable with? Any thoughts? I have learning disability and don't do well with major changes and I want to stay with windows 7 which is what I know.
Edited by wasilla, 15 December 2016 - 03:37 AM.
Mechanised Mod
Hello wasilla,
You are not alone with preferring Windows 7 to Windows 10 and the good news is that worse case scenario you can install Windows 7 on your computer should you wish, I say worse case scenario because I have another suggestion for you to consider first, customise Windows 10 so that it is more like Windows 7, see tutorial here take a look and let us know what you think.
Worth keeping in mind, Windows 7 is due to be retired in Jan 2020 and purchasing Windows 7 will cost you circa $99.99 for an electronic download.
The attachment is a screenshot of my Windows 10 Pro notebook using Classic Shell.
Member
Hello wasilla,
You are not alone with preferring Windows 7 to Windows 10 and the good news is that worse case scenario you can install Windows 7 on your computer should you wish, I say worse case scenario because I have another suggestion for you to consider first, customise Windows 10 so that it is more like Windows 7, see tutorial here take a look and let us know what you think.
Worth keeping in mind, Windows 7 is due to be retired in Jan 2020 and purchasing Windows 7 will cost you circa $99.99 for an electronic download.
The attachment is a screenshot of my Windows 10 Pro notebook using Classic Shell.
Thank you, I will look into customizing windows 10 to look more like windows 7, Wish me luck.
Mechanised Mod
You are welcome wasilla 
Sure you will not need it but good luck anyway, any questions at all please ask 
Mechanised Mod
Not heard back from you wasilla, how are you getting on with Windows 10.
Member
Not heard back from you wasilla, how are you getting on with Windows 10.
New computer is in route from lower 48 (to Alaska). I'll get back to you once it arrives and I get it hooked up. Thank you for checking on me, it was VERY kind.
Mechanised Mod
Aplogies my friend I was not aware that you did not yet have the new computer in your posession.
You are welcome
Mechanised Mod
Have the huskies turned up with your new computer yet wasilla
Member
Not sure if this is allowed but this post is directed to phillpower2. I hope wasilla will forgive me.
I'm not exactly replying to this topic but the subject I'd like advice on is very similar.
My husband hates computers but reluctantly and quite painfully uses a Samsung NC110 netbook that I bought and then became dissatisfied with because it was too small and fiddly. (The smallness doesn't bother Paul but he just struggles to adjust at all to the conventions of computer use and calls for help very frequently when he's "lost" something or some change has happened he didn't make happen on purpose.)
The netbook is nearly five years old and occasionally does funny things that suggest its screen may be on the way out. So we think we should think about getting a new laptop for him before the old one actually dies and it will be mainly me and the shop sales person choosing it.
Most of the laptops in the computer shop will be running Windows 10 but the NC110 is on Windows 7 Pro, which we have an installation CD and product key for. We also have a CD and product key for Office 2003. (I also have a USB external CD/DVD drive so can install from a disc.)
Paul only uses Word and the internet (Chrome) and never does anything fancy with either of these, but, to the extent that he is housetrained with a computer at all, he is used to Windows 7 and Word 2003.
(I should perhaps mention in passing that I use an iMac and an iPad, so I'm a bit rusty with Windows, and there'd be something to be said for me to stick with something I'm familiar with.)
Your reply to wasilla suggests that i was right to think it was possible for me to install Windows 7 on a computer bought preloaded with Windows 10. My question is this: could I do this without burning my boats? Could I install W7 on top of W10 without losing the option to return to W10? It's not just Paul wanting something familiar (though that's the main thing) but presumably the Office 2003 (and Publisher 2003) would not run on W10.
Mechanised Mod
Hello sue.words,
Could I install W7 on top of W10 without losing the option to return to W10?
Not a straightforward answer i`m afraid 
If you are asking about setting up a dual boot, an older OS cannot be installed after a newer OS and if you install Windows 7 on a computer that comes with Windows 10 preinstalled the HDD will be formatted as part of the process and Windows 10 will be gone from the C: drive.
If you are asking about doing a clean install of Windows 7** and if it does not work out for you, reinstalling Windows 10 is possible and by using one of the following two options (if you do not already have Windows 10 media) downloading a Windows 10 ISO or using a recovery partition that should be present on the OEM computers HDD.
** Below is my canned text regarding OEM and retail version product key usage.
Just a cautionary note, unless your OS disk is the full retail edition you cannot use it with a new MB as an OEM disk is tied to the original MB it was paired with, to use an OEM disk with a new MB is software piracy and therefore illegal.Exceptions to the above are 1: If your MB is replaced under warranty and 2: If your MB is replaced out of warranty with an alternative type but same brand due to the original model no longer being available, an upgraded MB however will require the purchase of a new OS licence.If you have a full retail disk and a product key that is not in use on another computer the OEM restriction/s is/are not the same.
Not sure if this is allowed but this post is directed to phillpower2. I hope wasilla will forgive me.
No harm done here but for others that may read the thread, I also have a canned text for this
Please do not post inside another members thread when you are looking for assistance for yourself, your question/s or computer problem/s may appear similar but in fact be nothing alike, may cause confusion to the ongoing thread, will send unwelcome notifications to peoples inbox and ultimately lead to your request for help going unanswered, start your own thread on the appropriate forum and someone will assist you there asap, thank you for your understanding.
Member
Thank you, phillpower, for a very quick and detailed answer.
I don't think that realistically we have a lot of choice about having Windows 10 preinstalled on a new laptop. It seems to me that it's probably best for me to install our Office 2003 and hope (1) that it works (a quick Google suggests that it probably will) and (2) that between us Paul and I can get him used to W10.
I have saved what you say above about installing Windows 7 and will refer to it if necessary, but it looks as if it will be easier to bite the bullet and accept W10 at least as Plan A.
Thank you again for your help and sorry about messing up the system.
Mechanised Mod
You are welcome sue.words
I suspect that you will both be fine with Windows 10 and especially if you use Classic Shell to make 10 look like Windows 7.
Member
Thank you for the encouragement - and for the advice. Feel much better now.
Mechanised Mod
You are welcome and glad to hear it
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