Is there such a thing as a Win8 Comp? Satisfaction Obtained

This link might help. This guy actually got Best Buy to do it - eventually - but he also tells how it was done as you read along in this thread. It is worth a look at your BIOs screen menu when you have the laptop back in your hands to see if these same settings are there.

http://forums.toshiba.com/t5/Windows-7/Changing-from-WIN-8-to-WIN-7-locked-up-Toshiba-Satellite-L855/td-p/366559

Last night I was really ticked at BB, we spent about $300 dollars trying to get the DGS's Toshiba Laptop on WIN7 and the Tech says can't do it and noting lese that fell into the realm of reality to me. After reading all the posts here and looking at a few older and some newer posts about down shifting to WIN7, I calmed down. Realizing that the thing that bothered me was that I wasn't told that the down converting probably wouldn't work and the Tech treating me like I knew absolutely nothing. So I talked it over with the DW and told her that it was foolish to pump anymore money into changing what is probably a good computer and that I would talk to the Tech's supervisor in the morning.

I got there and was helped almost immediately and the supervisor and I talked, I explained my position and he explained BB's position and we came to the understanding that if the BIOS wouldn't support WIN7 that I would like a clean install of WIN8.1 and that I would bring my DGS in for his 30 minutes of training on 8.1 and if he still couldn't hack(bad choice of words) using WIN8, I'd take his 17.5 inch Toshiba made by HP and buy him a laptop with WIN7 w/SP1 installed for school.

I mean guys, what's a Grandfather to do for DGK's that have no father. Well they do but to quote him, "I no longer want to be part of a family".

The supervisor and I parted company on what I hope is truly good terms and that we will both get what we want. I'll get a good computer and he'll get a satisfied customer. By the way part of that $300 dollars was for a Tech plan which I need right now and will use the heck out of while it is in effect.

Until I went to College in my 30's, I didn't know what catharsis was, now I have hundreds of people who usually let me vent and then straighten me out, Thanks to All of YOU!!!!

TheBearAK wrote:
... Get used to the new interface, which is really geared around touch screens, but doesn't require it.

One thing about the new interface (at least for the time being) is that it is totally optional. Don't like it? Don't use it.

There is a general lean for tech companies to put things on the cloud. Things like iCloud applications are ran through a web browser, thus PC compatible. Likewise, Microsoft 365 is a cloud based Office.

Will you ever be able to take a Mac program and install it on a Windows PC or vis-versa? Never will happen. The closest anyone will ever get is Virtual machines.

Anyway, Windows 8 isn't so bad. It hides things, but once you get used to the new interface it really isn't that bad and still runs all the Windows 7 software. Microsoft isn't like Apple where they can just abandon a platform and force people to upgrade immediately. There is still a huge install base of Windows XP and even Windows 2000 machines. Probably the one thing that keeps Microsoft from really innovating the OS is that pesky backward compatibility issue.

And yes, there are machines that require Windows 8 or later. Can fall into two reasons, lack of GPT support or simply there are no drivers for the components. I've already ran into a Samsung laptop that I downgraded to Windows 7 and then discovered that the Windows 8 drivers would not work and there were no Windows 7 drivers. Even generic drivers would not get some of the component to work. (USB 3 ports are one example).

Just upgrade to 8.1 and make it look like 7 as much as you can. Get used to the new interface, which is really geared around touch screens, but doesn't require it.

D.E.Bishop wrote:
Gee Strollin, I'm sorry, I read it differently, I'm sure you're right but remember WIN being compatible with Apple was and is my OPINION and I am entitled to that.

I'd have to ask you what you consider as being totally compatible? Perhaps we each define that a different way.

Gee Strollin, I'm sorry, I read it differently, I'm sure you're right but remember WIN being compatible with Apple was and is my OPINION and I am entitled to that.

D.E.Bishop wrote:
... I am somewhat disappointed to learn that within the next 45 days, WIN9 will hit the market. WIN9 will hit the market. I feel like I am like the dog that chases his tail, you never catch up to the changes. I have learned that no matter what we do or say, Microsoft will make the WIN OS totally compatible with the Apple OS which will including all computers using touch screens. I have not worked in the tech field for about 20 years and so much has changed so fast but it is all still the same. We were writing our own programs and bios for traffic signal controllers as I retired and prom's and e-prom's were just coming into wide spread use. It seems they are still in use today, abet a little more sophisticated.

Where did you hear that? As far as I know, Win 9 is not due to "hit the market" until next year. What you may have heard is the rumor that a Win 9 "Preview" may be released next month. A "Preview" is not nearly the same thing as "hitting the market".

"Previews" are generally only installed by geeks like me, the general public usually only starts seeing a new OS when it becomes commercially available.

I find it hilarious that you would think that Windows will ever be "totally compatible with the Apple OS". This will not ever happen. As far as computers all using touch screens, that could happen but that has nothing to do with being Apple compatible.

Once again, Thank You 1492. Your first post gave me a couple of bits of information that I needed. I looked up GPT, CMS and legacy boot, now I understand from several posts what needs to be done and I will go over to BB this AM and tell them what I need and what that I want the free WIN8.1 upgrade installed.

When I get the laptop back I will go to my DGS and the rest of the family and explain how the new upgrade works and it is a take it or leave it situation. If they decide they want WIN7, I will take the laptop for my own use only and buy a laptop that satisfies their needs.

I can't see spending the time and effort to change everything around if the BIOS is locked for WIN8 and changing it into using GPT for WIN7. I am hoping changing out the BO HDD and the upgrade will make it work better.

I am somewhat disappointed to learn that within the next 45 days, WIN9 will hit the market. I feel like I am like the dog that chases his tail, you never catch up to the changes. I have learned that no matter what we do or say, Microsoft will make the WIN OS totally compatible with the Apple OS which will including all computers using touch screens. I have not worked in the tech field for about 20 years and so much has changed so fast but it is all still the same. We were writing our own programs and bios for traffic signal controllers as I retired and prom's and e-prom's were just coming into wide spread use. It seems they are still in use today, abet a little more sophisticated.

Once again than you.

I believe the Toshiba C50 series. Not sure about others?

Thank You 1492, is there an easy way for me to determine which models have the locked BIOS that only uses GPT.