AntonyDumTD

How to Recover Windows 10 to Windows 7/8.1

Microsoft has launched Windows 10 worldwide on 29 July, 2015 and will provide a free upgrade for existing Windows users. If you are running a Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 PC, you possibly already start to experience the new operating system. As we know up to now, Windows 10 has a good compatibility with most of popular applications, but not all. Although you may easily tend to be tempted by the free logic, we’d like to remind some users not to hurry up for the upgrading.
1. Game player. It takes time for all game vendors to adjust their products to realize smoothly running under the new operating system.
2. Some business software like digital sculpting, inventory, accounting software and the programming software not from Microsoft. It’s recommended to consult the vendors before upgrading.
3. If your PC is running on previous versions of Windows (XP or Vista), which always means outdated hardware, it won’t work properly on Windows 10. You may fail during upgrading process or couldn’t booting your PC after that.

For those users having finished the upgrading, if you find you’d like to return the old version which you are used to, you could follow the following steps.
1. Click "Action Center" on the right-down corner of Windows 10 desktop to get the pop-up.

2. Then click "All settings" to get the System Setting menu. Choose the last item "Update & security"

3. Refer to the diagram. Choose "Recovery"

4. From the right column to find "Go back to Windows 7"
5. Click "Get started" to get the pop-up. Choose one of reasons and click next step

6. Click next step.

7. Last reminding. Click next step

8. Click "Go back to Windows 7" to start the system recovery.

9. The recover process is taking about 20 minutes.

Notes:
1. You need to have the folders named $Windows~BT and Windows.old under the system drive to finish the "Go back"

2. Some Cleaning up software may delete $Windows~BT folder to cause the fail of the system recovery. (WiseCleaner won't clean these two folders.)
If you possibly recover the old edition of Windows, please don’t forget to copy above two folders after you upgrade to Windows 10.

I don't know if it's just on my side, but I've been noticing some problems with the functionality of the forums.
 
(1) If I try to post a reply in a thread via the "Reply to this topic" box at the bottom of the thread ... nothing happens. The reply doesn't remotely attempt to get posted. I end up having to use the Black "Reply to this topic" BUTTON at the upper right of the page.
 
(2) The next issue: Well, I was planning on attaching a screen capture image to show the problem that I'm encountering, but the problem is that I'm not being allowed to attach an image because the problem IS right at that area. So, I'll try to explain the problem.
 
Right there at the "Attach Files" area at the bottom left of the reply box ... where the "Choose Files" BUTTON is --- some other text that appears to read "uldn't load plug" is being superimposed on the Choose Files BUTTON. This is rendering the Choose Files BUTTON non-functional.
 
In case it helps zero in on the problem --- I am using Windows XP Pro SP3. I am using the latest version of avast Free Anti-Virus. I am using NetZero Dial Up Internet.

If a Windows system is badly infected with malware, running an antivirus from inside Windows often won’t help. You can more easily find and purge malware by scanning from outside Windows.
 
Malware can hide itself on an infected system, avoiding detection. Other malware may attempt to battle the antivirus software, preventing it from properly installing or scanning. This is why it’s important to catch malware before it infects you.
 
Boot Into Safe Mode
Safe Mode isn’t completely outside of Windows, so it may not help you if a malware has deeply infected your system files. In Safe Mode, Windows won’t load third-party startup programs or hardware drivers. If malware is running when you boot into Windows normally, it shouldn’t automatically run when you boot into Safe Mode.
 
From this minimal environment, you can install an antivirus program, scan for malware, and remove it. If you already have an antivirus program installed and it’s failing to remove malware — or the malware is returning after it’s removed — you may have to boot into Safe Mode to remove the malware properly.
 
To enter Safe Mode on Windows 7 or earlier, restart your computer and repeatedly tap F8 at the start of the boot-up process. Select Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking in the menu that appears. Normal Safe Mode offers no Internet access so you’ll have to install an antivirus from a USB drive or other removable media, while Safe Mode with Networking offers Internet access so you can download and update an antivirus from within Safe Mode. Log into your computer, download and install the antivirus software, and run it.
 
On Windows 8 or later, press Windows Key + I to open the Settings charm pane. Press and hold the Shift key as you click the Restart option under the power button. Your computer will restart into a special boot options menu. Click Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart. On the Startup Settings screen, press F4 or 4 to enter Safe Mode or press F5 or 5 to enter Safe Mode with Networking.
Restart your computer when you’re done to leave Safe Mode.
 
Use an Antivirus Boot Disc
Antivirus companies often create boot discs you can use to scan and repair your computer. These tools can be burned to a CD or DVD or installed onto a USB drive. You can then restart your computer and boot from the removable media. A special antivirus environment will load where your computer can be scanned and repaired.
 
This is all happening outside of Windows — some of these discs are even based on Linux — so the malware won’t be running while this happens. This allows the antivirus to detect rootkits and other normally hidden types of malware, as well as remove malware that would normally try to defend itself.
 
Remove the Hard Drive and Connect it to Another PC
If you’re dealing with a desktop PC or another computer that allows you to easily remove the hard drive, you don’t have to leave it inside your computer. Open the computer, remove the drive, and connect it to another PC. You’ll then have access to all the files on the hard drive — assuming it wasn’t encrypted, of course.
 
Whatever the operating system on your other computer — Windows, Linux, or even Mac OS X — you can install antivirus software and use it to scan the secondary drive for malware. This malware can be found and removed from the other operating system, so the malware won’t be running and can’t fight back as you remove it.
 
All these methods allow you to gain the upper hand over malware running on your PC. Rather than fighting the malware on its own terms, this method allows you to freeze everything happening on your main operating system and carefully clean it up from the outside.
 
Of course, if your computer does become infected with malware, there’s no way to be completely sure the all malware is gone. For this reason, it’s often a good idea to reinstall Windows — or use the Refresh or Reset features  on Windows 8 — after a computer becomes badly infected. You’ll get a clean system with no malware so you’ll know for sure your computer is safe. You also won’t have to waste any time attempting to find and remove malware. If you have backups of your important files, this process often won’t take too long.

How to Recover Deleted Files in Windows For Free? Check this video

 
 
To manually start Windows XP with a clean boot, follow these steps:
Step 1: Start the System Configuration Utility
Click Start, click Run, type msconfig, and then click OK. The System Configuration Utility dialog box is displayed. Step 2: Configure selective startup options
In the System Configuration Utility dialog box, click the General tab, and then click Selective Startup. Click to clear the Process SYSTEM.INI File check box. Click to clear the Process WIN.INI File check box. Click to clear the Load Startup Items check box. Verify that Load System Services and Use Original BOOT.INI are checked. Click the Services tab. Click to select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box. Click Disable All, and then click OK. When you are prompted, click Restart to restart the computer. Step 3: Log on to Windows
If you are prompted, log on to Windows. When you receive the following message, click to select the Don't show this message or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows start check box, and then click OK.

Notes You have used the System Configuration Utility to make changes to the way Windows starts. The System Configuration Utility is currently in Diagnostic or Selective Startup mode, causing this message to be displayed and the utility to run every time Windows starts. Choose the Normal Startup mode on the General tab to start Windows normally and undo the changes you made using the System Configuration Utility. Step 4: Optional step to disable features
If the clean boot fixed the error, you do not have to perform this step.

Important If your problem is not fixed and you do have to follow this step, it permanently removes all restore points from your computer. The System Restore feature uses restore points to restore your computer to an earlier state. If you remove the restore points, you can no longer restore Windows to an earlier state.

This step temporarily disables Microsoft features such as Plug and Play, networking, event logging, and error reporting.
Click Start, click Run, type msconfig, and then click OK.
The System Configuration Utility dialog box is displayed. Click the General tab, click to clear the Load System Services check box, and then click OK. When you are prompted, click Restart to restart the computer. If these steps helped you start your computer in a clean-boot state, you are finished. If these steps did not help, go to the “Next Steps” section. If you have to return your computer to a normal startup state, go to “Steps to configure Windows to use a Normal startup state”.
Steps to configure Windows to use a Normal startup state
After you used the clean boot to resolve your problem, you can follow these steps to configure Windows XP to start normally.
Click Start, and then click Run. Type msconfig, and then click OK.
The System Configuration Utility dialog box is displayed. Click the General tab, click Normal Startup - load all device drivers and services, and then click OK. When you are prompted, click Restart to restart the computer.