How to reinstall Windows 8. Reinstalling Windows without a disk or flash drive

Few people know, but with the help hard drive It is possible to install a new OS on your PC. The HDD is responsible for storing all system files, the command line is also subject to it.

The process of “updating” the OS itself takes place using command line directly at the stage of turning on the PC. This method allows you to clear all partitions and create new ones. To begin the first stages of system installation, you need download disk image the version of the operating system you need. You can find this very image on the Microsoft website or through some torrent client. Be careful when downloading files through third-party resources. The image will be installed on the computer as an archive, which must be unpacked to drive C. Now the user is required to follow the instructions below:

As you might have noticed, this method OS installation is practically no different from methods involving a disk or flash drive.

It should be mentioned that you need to pay attention to the bitness of the downloaded system. In other words, if you had a 32-bit system, then you should install a 32-bit one.

Installation image and virtual drive

Most simple method Windows installation is to download a disk image from the network and run it through virtual drive . The entire process of downloading the archive is absolutely no different from what we discussed just above, but you do not need to unpack this archive. The image format itself makes it possible to install any application, etc., without using disk drive, but by using virtual.

All users of XP/7 operating systems should be sure to download additional software that provides the ability to work with disk images. Starting from the eighth version, this is not required, since the software is already installed on the system.

Now I should give you some useful recommendations, which should be followed when installing a new OS.

1. Not worth it download files from “suspicious” resources
2. Be careful with downloading the OS with built-in modifications. As a rule, all modifications contain viruses and spyware. software, whose goal is to steal your personal data, passwords and credit card numbers.
3. Download images only from trusted resources, for example, from the official Microsoft website. You can also consider the option of specialized utilities for installing a new OS. In the selected utility that can work with disk images, and organize virtual disk with a new operating system. To create a new disk, you should select the desired iso image in the utility. Immediately after this, the program itself will provide necessary instructions. The entire creation process lasts no more than one minute. Then double-click on the disk that appears, after which the OS installation process begins.

There are several ways to install Windows 8 on a laptop.

1. Installation over an existing version.
2. Restore to factory version.
3. Full re Windows installation.

The first option makes no sense to consider, since it will not get rid of viruses if they are the cause of problems in the system.

This option is suitable for those who bought a laptop with Windows pre-installed and did not reinstall it to another version after purchase.

Important! You should first save all important data from the main disk to a flash drive; most likely they will be deleted during installation.It is also advisable to find drivers for your network card and save it so that it can always be installed after reinstallation. Often, when installing, network card drivers are installed themselves, but there are exceptions. The rest of the drivers are easy to find on the Internet, but without a network card you will not be able to connect to the Internet.

This option is worth using if for some reason you are not satisfied with the performance of your system and want to reset it to . To use it, the system must start, there must be no serious failures in which the computer turns off, reboots or freezes. Otherwise, you should use a system recovery utility - most modern laptops with Windows pre-installed have them.

After all the manipulations have been completed, the computer will begin reinstalling. By following the installer's simple instructions, you can easily complete it and be able to use Windows 8 with factory settings. The steps to reinstall Windows are described in more detail below.

Complete reinstallation of Windows 8

Often in modern laptops with pre-installed Windows data about the license is located in the BIOS; when another system is installed, an error may occur.

Note! If you do not have such a problem, immediately proceed to the “Installation” item.

There are several ways to solve this problem:

1. Install the Windows distribution that was installed on the laptop when purchased. Often this is Windows 8 Single Language. There shouldn't be any problems with errors when installing it.
2. Set up a configuration file for the system being installed.

In both cases, the installation itself looks almost the same, but the steps that should be taken before installation are different.

Preparing for installation

Step 1. First, you will need bootable media - CD/DVD or USB flash drive with Windows. Information you may need when creating bootable media located

Step 3. We transfer both the first and second files to the “source” category on the bootable flash drive.

Installing Windows 8

Step 1. Insert the installation media.

Step 2. Reboot and load the BIOS. To do this, when starting the computer, you need to press F2 or another function key depending on the BIOS model. This can be F2, F8-F12, Esc. Often the method of entering the BIOS is displayed at the bottom of the screen when turned on - for example, “Press F11 to bios setup”.

Important! Depending on its type appearance very different. Perhaps the function we need is called a little differently, or is located in a paragraph with a similar name.

Step 3. In the “Security” section we set the function “ Secure Boot" to "Disabled". Buttons for controlling the BIOS are usually indicated at the bottom of the screen.

Step 4. In the “Boot” section in the “ Boot Device Priority" we are the first to display our media "USB Flash Drive" or "CD/DVD" depending on what we are installing Windows from.

Step 5. Make sure that “Boot Mode” in the “System Configuration” section is set to .

Step 6.

Step 7 When you reboot, a line will appear. Press any key.

Step 8 Select the language, currency format and keyboard layout.

Step 9 In the next window, select “Custom (advanced)” to be able to manage disk partitions.

Step 10 Next, select or create a disk partition on which the system will be installed. It is preferable to format it before installation. If there are several partitions, you can format only the system one. This way you will save files on other partitions. You can format the disk by selecting required section and going to "Disk Settings". There is a “Format” item there.

Important! Formatting and deleting partitions will destroy all data on them. Be sure to save the information before performing any manipulations with the partitions. It is almost impossible to restore it after formatting.

You can divide the disks as you wish. By deleting partitions, you can create them again in the sizes that you most need. Make a partition only for the system, and a second partition for personal files. This is convenient, especially when reinstalling. Allows you to format only the partition with the system, and install it there again, saving the partition with personal information in the future.

Step 11 After selecting the partition, installation will begin.

After installation, the computer will reboot, possibly several times.

Important! You should remove the USB flash drive so that the computer does not start re-installation by identifying your bootable USB flash drive as the first in the queue to boot.

• choose a computer name - enter whatever you like;
• choose wireless network to connect – select your network and enter the password to connect;
• configure the system or select default settings - “use express settings”;
• also if you have an account Windows entry Live, you can enter your email to connect to it. Otherwise, click “Sign in without a Microsoft account.”

This completes the installation.

Read how to restore operating system Windows 8 with in practical ways in a new article -

Video - How to reinstall Windows 8

1. Each line indicates the full volume and free space. It is advisable that the device have at least 4 GB of free memory. Otherwise formatting is required. To do this, right-click on the USB drive and select the appropriate menu item.

Make sure you select required device– all data from it will be deleted. Only then click on the “Start” button.

1. The operating system will warn you that all data will be deleted. We agree by clicking “OK”.

1. After this, the formatting process will start.

1. If everything completes successfully, you will see the following window. Click on “OK” there.

1. In order to see the result of the actions described above, you need to click on the “Refresh” button.

Immediately after this you will see that the drive is completely free.

Preparing the image

Download "Eighth" Windows is simpler just from the Internet. This can be done on any torrent portal. Moreover, on such sites you will see a huge number of different assemblies.

If you don’t know which version to choose, you can rely on the comments and reviews of other users. If you wish, instead of the standard edition, you can install something from folk enthusiasts.

After Windows image 8 will be downloaded, you will need to perform the following steps.

1. Check the box next to the second item and click on the button with three dots (review).

1. Go to desired directory and select the downloaded file.

1. To start the process of copying files, you need to click on the “GO” button.

1. After this, the utility may freeze for a short moment. No need to try to close it.

1. After waiting a little, you will see that copying is still happening.

While running, the program may freeze again. Especially if you roll it up.

1. Once the files are downloaded, you will see a message that everything is fine.

Copying important data

Before you start installing the new Windows, you need to copy all important information. These include:

• desktop;
• documents;
• downloads;
• saves in various games and the like.

If you do not save these files first, you will not be able to restore them later.

By default, the computer starts booting from the hard drive. We need to change this. Necessary . For example, on Lenovo laptops and almost all desktop PCs, the Del button is used for this.

After you enter the BIOS, you will see the following.

We need to go to the "Boot" tab.

You need to place a disk or USB device in 1st place, depending on what you are using for installation. You can edit this list using the F5 and F6 buttons. To save the changes you have made, press the F10 key. To confirm, select the “Yes” option.

Starting the installation

After restarting your computer or laptop, you will see the initial window Windows installer. To install you will need to run a certain amount simple actions.

1. First of all, you need to click on the “Next” button.

1. Then click on “Install”.

1. The installation will start.

1. We accept license agreement and click on “Next”.

1. Select "Custom installation".

1. Then there are two possible options: you have an empty hard drive or it already has partitions. In the second case, you just need to format the partition. If you only see “Unallocated space”, you need to click on the “Create” button.

After this, a field for entering the size will appear. By default, the maximum is indicated there possible option. To save, click on the “Apply” button.

The installer will ask you to create additional system partitions. Click on the "OK" button.

From this moment the installation of Windows will begin. You must wait until all operations are completed.

System setup

Before you start using new Windows, it needs to be configured. This happens as follows.

1. First, enter “Computer name” and move on.

1. It is not recommended to use standard settings. It's better to configure everything at your own discretion. To do this, click on the appropriate button.

1. Please indicate your network type.

1. Select the frequency of updates. It's best to turn them off and move on.

1. Disable various spying services that collect information about your activities and send it to Microsoft servers.

1. The list of data sending is large. Try to turn everything off. After this, click on the “Next” button.

1. After you configure the services, you need to create a user.

1. Windows will try to prompt you to log in using account Microsoft. But it is better to abandon this idea. To do this, first click on the “Create a new account” link.

Even if you bought a brand new laptop with an operating system installed Windows system 8 then this home version. It lacks many useful functions, which, quite possibly, you will need, which means you will need to reinstall the OS. There may be other reasons for this: for example, if installed version Crashes occur, the registry is damaged, errors appear.

It’s worth noting right away that reinstalling Windows is quite simple, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s “eight” or “seven”, the process is practically the same. You do not need to call a specialist to your home or any special rituals.

It’s worth saying right away that there are two options for reinstalling the OS:

• Using the built-in G8 tools.

As you probably already guessed, the second option is only suitable for those who already have the G8 installed and in working order. That is, it loads and works fine, but for some reason, you want to reinstall it.

The first option (with a flash drive or DVD) is suitable for anyone, even if you have one of the previous versions Windows. Let's look at both of these methods in more detail.

How to fix error 651 Windows 8: Video

Reinstallation using built-in tools

You must understand that this method is just a return of the system to its initial state. That is, in fact, you do not reinstall the system, but roll back to its original state. If you are satisfied with your OS, but errors and glitches constantly pop up while using it, then this method of reinstalling Windows 8 is just for you.

So, move your cursor to the right top corner desktop and when the menu appears, select Settings.

After that, select “Change computer settings.”

In the system settings, we are interested in the “Update and Recovery” section. Here select "Recovery".

Here you will see several options for further actions:

1. Recover your computer without deleting files (all data will be saved).
2. Removing all data and reinstalling Windows.
3. Special download options.

In our case, you should select the second option “Delete all data and reinstall Windows.”

This option allows you to completely delete all entries and return the operating system to original state. You will get the same thing when you reinstall Windows 8 using bootable flash drive or DVD disc.

So, click the “Start” button in the appropriate section. Next, just carefully read the instructions on the screen and follow all the requirements. It is only worth noting that for complete reinstallation in the process, you will need to select “Save nothing” and then “Only the partition on which Windows is installed.”

Do not save anything - this means that you will return the computer to its original state. All files, folders, etc. will be deleted from the hard drive. Selecting the line “Only the partition on which Windows is installed” will allow you to clean only the hard drive containing the installed OS (exclusively system partition, for example, drive C). All other sections will remain untouched.

As you can see, everything is quite easy and simple. The second reinstallation option is to create a bootable USB flash drive and install the OS using it.

It's a little more complicated. However, sometimes users simply have no choice. For example, when the system experiences a bootloader failure and the system simply cannot boot. In this case, you have only one option - to reinstall Windows 8 using a bootable USB flash drive (or DVD).

Installation from a bootable USB flash drive

So, we need the following:

1. , which you want to install for yourself.
2. Flash drive 8 GB.
3. A program with which we will write an image to a flash drive.

The first point is to buy the desired image. Of course, you can download it from the Internet, but pirated (broken) versions do not work as stably as the original ones. In any case, let's assume that we already have the required image. With a flash drive, everything is also clear. How to write an OS image to a flash drive so that it can be used as a boot drive? I'm telling you.

How to burn an image to a flash drive

First, we need a program with which we can burn an image of Windows 8. There are a lot of such programs. Finding and downloading any of them is not difficult. Moreover, almost all of them are free.

For example, the UltraISO program is the most widely used in our time. It is with the example of this utility that we will analyze the recording process.

So, let's launch the program. At startup, the “UltraISO is not registered” window may appear. If it appears, click on the “Trial period” button.

After this, the program will start. In it you will see that the menu is divided into four windows.

Immediately pay attention to the lower left window, which is called “Catalogue”. Here you need to specify the path to the OS image. Typically, such files have an ISO extension.

After you specify the folder in which the file we need is stored, you will see the entire contents of this directory in the lower right window. Find the OS image there and double-click on it. After this, in the upper right window you will see open image. The hardest part is done.

Now click on the Bootstrap tab. Select "Burn hard disk image".

After this, a window will appear in which you can set certain recording parameters. Here we only need to select the flash drive to which the recording will be made. This is done in the “Disk Drive” line. You won't have to configure anything else. After selecting the drive, simply click the "Burn" button.

The program will warn you that all data will be deleted from the flash drive. We agree with this. Now just wait for the recording to complete.

Recording an image using the Windows 7 USBDVD Download tool: Video

Reinstalling Windows 8 from a USB flash drive

So, here we come to the main question. Now we have everything we need. Now just insert the flash drive into the USB port and restart your computer. In order for the PC to boot from the drive we need, we need to do the following. The moment you turn on the computer, when the manufacturer's logo is lit on the screen, for example, HP or Lenovo (or, for example, MSI or Gigabyte, if you have desktop computer), press the button.

A window will appear to select the media from which to boot, or a sign will appear in which you can see which button to press to select the media. You can also select a drive in BIOSe, in the BOOT section.

After this, the system will boot from the specified drive, in our case from a flash drive. All you have to do is read the tips carefully.

On the first screen you will need to select a language. And there will be three points:

• System language.
• Format of time, date and currency.
• Keyboard layout.

If you live in Russia, then put “Russian” in all three points. If you are a citizen of another country, please select the appropriate languages ​​from the lists provided. After making your selection, click “Next”.

At the next stage, the system offers you two options to choose from:

• System Restore.

Since we need to completely reinstall Windows, we choose the first option. To do this, simply click on the large “Install” button, which is located in the center of the screen.

After that, follow the instructions on the screen. Reinstalling Windows 8 will take some time. This depends on the performance of your computer.

During the process, you will need to select “Full Installation”. The “Update” option is suitable only for those who simply want to update, for example, “seven” to “eight”. After this, you will need to select a partition on your hard drive on which to install. Read the prompts on the screen carefully and you will successfully complete everything.

Installing Windows 8 from a USB flash drive to a laptop: Video

Today you can find quite a lot of users who at one time installed the eighth Windows version instead of the popular “seven”, which Windows 8 for some reason does not suit. They begin to wonder how to install Windows 7 instead of Windows 8, believing that there will be no problems with the reverse transition. Alas, not everything is so simple here.

How to install Windows 7 instead of Windows 8: main problems

Unfortunately, problems begin to appear already in the very first stages of an attempt to replace the existing Eight with a lower version (in our case, Windows 7). They are connected, first of all, with the fact that these systems have different types boot areas.

In Windows 7, the boot record is MBR, and in G8 it is GPT. In addition, new BIOS version, belonging to the UEFI class. It would seem that the most logical solution suggests itself: simply format the disk partition on which you want to install the “seven”, and that’s the end of it. But even here, not everything is as cloudless as it might seem at first glance.

No change to standard boot entry formatting will not be possible. In a sense, this situation can be compared to attempts to change file system, for example NTFS on FAT32. As is known, in a standard way FAT32 is not installed over NTFS. But if here, when formatting, you can return to the outdated system, then in the case of boot records this will not give anything. Yes, and talk about what can be produced Windows recovery 8 to Windows 7 is also not necessary, because the files of the old system are deleted automatically when installing a new version (this option appeared only in the “ten”, and only on condition that the installation data of the previous OS was not deleted from the hard drive). Therefore, just in case, it is better to record in advance an image of the system (“eight”) and all data stored on disks or in logical partitions, but more on that later.

Setting boot modes in BIOS

However, it's not all bad. Indeed, you can install Windows 7 instead of 8, but first use some specific settings so that during the process of replacing the “OS” some kind of failure does not appear.

To begin, let's go to BIOS settings at the very beginning of booting the computer terminal or laptop. Typically, the keys Del, F2, F12, and so on are used for such purposes (it all depends on the model of computer and laptop, as well as on the manufacturer and BIOS version).

Now we need to go to the Security menu (sometimes Boot) and disable Secure Boot mode (set the parameter to Disable). By the way, this mode is responsible for checking the bootloader certificate.

Next pre-setting Windows installation cannot do without entering the advanced settings section (Advanced), where you need to find the System Configuration line, and then set the mode parameter boot Mode to CSM Boot or CMS OS instead of the initial UEFI OS (UEFI Boot) setting. As is already clear, this directly concerns new BIOS versions.

Don't forget to set either a flash drive or CD/DVD-ROM as the priority boot device. Save the changes (by pressing F10).

Beginning the installation of Windows 7

Now a few words about the beginning of the “seven” installation process. Firstly, if the installation is performed from a flash drive, it must be inserted into the USB port before the computer terminal starts loading. Secondly, you only need to use USB 2.0 connectors. This is only due to the fact that the “seven” does not support working with USB interface 3.0.

We boot from the distribution media, select the initial language parameters, currency and time formats, as well as the language layout, and then activate the installation process by pressing the appropriate button.

In the window that appears, from the installation type section, select full installation. Now the main difficulties begin.

Problems with hard drive partitions

So, we continue to consider the problem of how to install Windows 7 instead of Windows 8. At the next stage, the installer will ask you to select the partition into which our “OS” will be installed. Their number will be greater than in the standard form (this was the specificity of the G8 boot record).

In this case, we use the disk settings line and be sure to delete all partitions. If this is not done, the installer simply will not work further. Can also be used command line, called through the combination Shift + F10, where you need to enter the following commands sequentially:

Now you can set the disk partition or install Windows 7 in an unallocated area (whichever is more convenient for you). In principle, if you install the system in an unallocated area, conversion to MBR will occur automatically (that is, additional commands for conversion will not be required).

Basic installation process

After all the procedures described above (if they are performed correctly and in full), the standard “seven” installation is activated. Here you should pay attention to the fact that all information previously located on the hard drive or in the virtual partition will be destroyed.

Depending on the configuration of the computer or laptop, the period from complete installation to the first start may take different times. Nevertheless, the process itself, as practice shows, will end successfully, and no errors should occur.

Completing installation and checking partitions

Upon completion of the installation, the user receives a “clean” system. As a rule, Windows setup At this stage, in terms of configuration of the main components, it occurs automatically.

For now, we are interested in checking the system for changes in boot parameters. For this we use standard menu computer control, click right click on the section we are interested in and select the properties line. The new window has a “Volumes” tab, where the type of master boot record (MBR) will be presented in the main information.

Installing drivers

There shouldn’t be any problems with drivers either, because almost any Windows 7 driver file will work initial setup is installed automatically for most devices.

As a last resort, for unsupported hardware, you can always use the special driver disk supplied with purchase computer unit or laptop. At worst, you can go to the official website of the manufacturer of non-standard equipment and find a suitable driver there latest version, designed specifically for Windows 7. You can download it either from another computer connected to the Internet, or after establishing a connection and configuring the basic parameters on your own terminal.

As usual, you can identify non-functioning or incorrectly functioning devices in the “Device Manager”, where they are marked in yellow.

Using System Update

It goes without saying that, in all likelihood, it will be installed completely clean system without any updates or additional service packs.

By default in the "seven", as well as in all other systems, Windows update has activated automatic mode. Thus, as soon as a computer terminal or laptop is connected to the Internet, the search for available updates and their installation will be carried out immediately.

If for some reason this does not happen, you just need to go to the Windows Update service and search for them in manual mode, then confirm integration into the system, again when the Windows update is installed automatically without user intervention.

Restoring the system to Windows 8

As for how to restore Windows to the previously present “eight”, you will need to use a previously created copy of the system in the form of an image, and if necessary, first reinstall Windows 8, and then transfer it from the same hard disk image file to the installed system all necessary data.

You can initially create such an image using standard means"eights". This, for example, could be an archiving and recovery tool, or an additional utility like Recovery Media Creator. If you don’t like your own Windows programs, no problem - you can use a universal utility Acronis True Image.

Yes, and more. If the "seven" is installed incorrectly reinstallation Windows 8 can lead to the fact that, so to speak, “eight” Windows password 7 will block even if you disable the boot options in the BIOS or even purchase a new licensed version of the G8 (there will simply be nowhere to enter the key, and the system will write that it does not match any image). So be careful.

Conclusion

Here, in fact, are the main points regarding how to install Windows 7 instead of Windows 8. Although the matter is complicated, nevertheless, if you show maximum attention and be patient, you can complete such a transition without any problems, the main thing is to complete all the preliminary actions so that there are no problems later.

It remains to add that now the answer to the question of what system can be characterized as “ best Windows", it is difficult to voice, since each user has his own views and preferences. Some are so accustomed to the “seven” that they do not want to change it to a new OS. Others try to follow new developments and switch to the “ten”. It's just how you like it.