Question about reverting Windows 10 back to 8.1

[DeeBye]

When you install Windows 10, does it change the original Windows 8 product key? I have a pre-built machine that I tried Windows 10 on, but I'd like to revert it back to 8.1 and want to be sure that I can recover the original 8.1 product key before I proceed.

[LavCat]

Not a helpful answer but I was thinking of buying Windows 10 myself. Why do you want to go back to 8.1?

[DeeBye]

Why do you want to go back to 8.1?

I just don't like the Windows 10 interface.

[Lissa]

When you install Windows 10, does it change the original Windows 8 product key? I have a pre-built machine that I tried Windows 10 on, but I'd like to revert it back to 8.1 and want to be sure that I can recover the original 8.1 product key before I proceed.

No, the key is not changed.

[DeeBye]

No, the key is not changed.

Thanks!

edit: I have another question. I have am older 1440x900 19" LCD monitor attached to this computer (link), and I cannot seem to set the desktop resolution to 1440x900.

[LavCat]

No, the key is not changed.

Thanks!

edit: I have another question. I have am older 1440x900 19" LCD monitor attached to this computer (link), and I cannot seem to set the desktop resolution to 1440x900.

That is a statement not a question.

What is the method of attachment? Is it VGA, DVI, HDMI, or something else?

[DeeBye]

That is a statement not a question.

What is the method of attachment? Is it VGA, DVI, HDMI, or something else?

Haha!

It's DVI.

[LavCat]

That is a statement not a question.

What is the method of attachment? Is it VGA, DVI, HDMI, or something else?

Haha!

It's DVI.

Do you have a way of reading the EDID from the monitor? AMD offers a free software tool for this, perhaps other video card manufacturers do the same. I have an external box that can capture an EDID before it gets to the computer. The company is Gefen, though I understand you may not want to spend a lot on the solution.

If you're not keen on reading hex dumps, Gefen's software is a free download also, without purchasing the hardware. If you have an AMD card you can save the EDID data as a file to load into the Gefen software for a convenient display of the results.

As you may possibly have guessed I have been suffering a related situation to yours. My monitor, which is also DVI, connects via an HDMI adapter to a DAC, and the output of the DAC goes to the video card. One audio mode of the DAC is supported in the EDID, whether captured externally or by the AMD utility, but frustratingly does not show up as an option in Windows sound (Windows 7). Although so far it is only an issue when playing Blu-ray discs, as I do not (yet) have any high res audio files except for test samples. I've been beating my head against this problem for a while, which is why I wondered in my case if Windows 10 might help.


Edit: I should say the input of the DAC connects to the video card.

[DeeBye]

Do you have a way of reading the EDID from the monitor? AMD offers a free software tool for this, perhaps other video card manufacturers do the same. I have an external box that can capture an EDID before it gets to the computer. The company is Gefen, though I understand you may not want to spend a lot on the solution.

If you're not keen on reading hex dumps, Gefen's software is a free download also, without purchasing the hardware. If you have an AMD card you can save the EDID data as a file to load into the Gefen software for a convenient display of the results.

As you may possibly have guessed I have been suffering a related situation to yours. My monitor, which is also DVI, connects via an HDMI adapter to a DAC, and the output of the DAC goes to the video card. One audio mode of the DAC is supported in the EDID, whether captured externally or by the AMD utility, but frustratingly does not show up as an option in Windows sound (Windows 7). Although so far it is only an issue when playing Blu-ray discs, as I do not (yet) have any high res audio files except for test samples. I've been beating my head against this problem for a while, which is why I wondered in my case if Windows 10 might help.


Edit: I should say the input of the DAC connects to the video card.

I understand some of these words.

[LavCat]

I understand some of these words.

EDID -- Extended Display Identification Data
HDMI -- High-Definition Multimedia Interface
AMD -- a Canadian video card company

[DeeBye]

I understand some of these words.

EDID -- Extended Display Identification Data
HDMI -- High-Definition Multimedia Interface
AMD -- a Canadian video card company

Assuming that my google fu is strong enough to find these utilities you mentioned but did not link to, how exactly would I use them?

I should mention that I've used this same computer in the past with Windows 8/8.1 with the same monitor and it detected the native resolution just fine. It wasn't until I did a format/reinstall that it stopped seeing it. I have no idea why.

[LavCat]

I understand some of these words.

EDID -- Extended Display Identification Data
HDMI -- High-Definition Multimedia Interface
AMD -- a Canadian video card company

Assuming that my google fu is strong enough to find these utilities you mentioned but did not link to, how exactly would I use them?

I should mention that I've used this same computer in the past with Windows 8/8.1 with the same monitor and it detected the native resolution just fine. It wasn't until I did a format/reinstall that it stopped seeing it. I have no idea why.

http://developer.amd.com/tools-and-sdks/...d-utility/

http://www.gefen.com/synerg/

If it used to work and doesn't now, it's probably not an EDID problem in the monitor. Wouldn't hurt to be sure though.

One other thought -- sometimes monitors come with software to override the hardware supplied EDID information. When the monitor was previously working had you installed software from the monitor vendor?

[DeeBye]

http://developer.amd.com/tools-and-sdks/...d-utility/

http://www.gefen.com/synerg/

If it used to work and doesn't now, it's probably not an EDID problem in the monitor. Wouldn't hurt to be sure though.

One other thought -- sometimes monitors come with software to override the hardware supplied EDID information. When the monitor was previously working had you installed software from the monitor vendor?

Nah, I just plugged it in via DVI and it detected the native resolution just fine. Also, there is no software available from the vendor. That was obviously the first thing I looked for.

Is there some kind of "universal" driver I can try for a sketchy 1440x900 monitor?

[LavCat]

http://developer.amd.com/tools-and-sdks/...d-utility/

http://www.gefen.com/synerg/

If it used to work and doesn't now, it's probably not an EDID problem in the monitor. Wouldn't hurt to be sure though.

One other thought -- sometimes monitors come with software to override the hardware supplied EDID information. When the monitor was previously working had you installed software from the monitor vendor?

Nah, I just plugged it in via DVI and it detected the native resolution just fine. Also, there is no software available from the vendor. That was obviously the first thing I looked for.

Is there some kind of "universal" driver I can try for a sketchy 1440x900 monitor?

If the EDID is correct, which it sounds like it is, based on the resolution once working, there is no need for any driver software.

A device like my Gefen can emulate almost any EDID. And I have googled discussions about how to create and install a driver to override an EDID. Microsoft has some information on how to do it. But this is not something I have tried.

I assume the video card and driver version were the same as when the resolution was previously working?

[DeeBye]

If the EDID is correct, which it sounds like it is, based on the resolution once working, there is no need for any driver software.

A device like my Gefen can emulate almost any EDID. And I have googled discussions about how to create and install a driver to override an EDID. Microsoft has some information on how to do it. But this is not something I have tried.

I assume the video card and driver version were the same as when the resolution was previously working?

It is onboard video (AMD A8 APU). Not sure about the driver version as I just went with whatever Win 8/8.1 natively uses. I tried updating video drivers afterwards, but it didn't work.

[LavCat]

I'm running out of ideas, but as a sanity check use the tools to verify the EDID.

[Hammerskjold]

Not a helpful answer but I was thinking of buying Windows 10 myself. Why do you want to go back to 8.1?

I tried Win10, I really do like the general look of it. It fixed most of my beef with the original win 8 tablet UI on desktop ridiculousness. I dig the minimalist streamlined look of the UI.

However it's current privacy settings, and how 10 appears to want to be a half OS\half cloudy cloud "software as service", makes win10 is a deal breaker for me. Win 10 Enterprise license seems the closest thing I find to be acceptable, yet I can't find it readily for sale in my area for some unfathomable reason.

10's ahem, overly curious cortana is another reason I'm sticking with W7 on my work machine, and trying out linux for my htpc.

[LavCat]

I've not yet purchased 10 nor completed the machine on which it may be running. (For one thing the CPU cooler was recalled by the manufacturer.)

I'm still intending to go with 10 however. Unless I'm mistaken it will be the only Windows to support DX12.

What features of Enterprise make 10 more acceptable? From what I've read Enterprise is an "in-place upgrade" from Pro.

As another data point a colleague of mine at work upgraded to Windows 10 for her home computer. She disliked it so much she paid her computer store to replace the OS with Windows 8.1 -- after they told her the OS could not be reverted.

Which now that I think about it might be the solution for DeeBye.

[Hammerskjold]

What features of Enterprise make 10 more acceptable? From what I've read Enterprise is an "in-place upgrade" from Pro.

Keeping in mind things may or may not have changed since the time I read the info. But basically it's the choice (and -control-) of update, which at least for my own choice and use, it's a fairly big deal. Which is somewhat frustrating, because I really do like win10's UI look and offline performance otherwise.

http://liliputing.com/2015/07/difference...ation.html

One feature that’s only available to Windows 10 Enterprise uses is “Long Term Servicing Branch,” which basically means that enterprise customers can postpone Windows updates that provide new features for years, while continuing to receive security updates.

[LavCat]

Interesting. I had been under the notion that Windows 10 Pro, unlike Home, could control updates. Not sure from where. I'll have to look into this.

Meanwhile I checked with my friend this afternoon. I had some of the facts wrong. She was running Windows 7 and decided to try 10. The features of 10 that she didn't like were mostly if not all browser related, from what I could understand. She was unable to downgrade back to 7 and paid a local computer shop to wipe everything clean and go back to 7. She was unsure whether the cost included a new copy Windows 7 or not.