Downgrade to 8.1

Adalwar · 09 May 2016

Hi,
Sorry for my poor English.

I do not like, I do not need, I do not want the "Security Features" of Windows 10 which are essencialy Locking and Blocking Program/Files on my PC. In my opinion that is no Security at all, is more a Placebo effect than anything else, is only preventing me to work and I am affraid that if something goes wrong I will lose my files because they are locked with permissions and I can not access them anylonger. This is my personal opinion.

I have bought a PC with Windows 10 pré-installed. Is there a way to erase it and Install Windows 8.1 over it?
Will the Windows 10 Activation Key be valid for the Windows 8.1 or do I have to buy a new Key?
Thank you

CountMike · 09 May 2016

I won't argue about if it's effective security measure or not, don't like it any more than you but it's easily bypassed if a program is compatible and I can live with it. I haven't found any program that was blocked, there are just warnings that can be ignored.
You'll have to buy and install W8/8.1, retrograding is possible only if you upgraded from W7/8/8.1.

Adalwar · 09 May 2016

Hi CountMike,
Thank your for the answer.
About the Security, well if the main goal is protect the C:\ Drive or the Drive where the OS relies, I am wondering why the OS is not beeing installed in its own exclusive Partition and restrict all access to it and let all the user Programs/Files in Freedom in another Partition. That would be a nice thing that I would at once agree. Is that so dificult?
Windows 10 is giving me a lot of work, dealing around with "Take Ownership" of folders and at the end I do not know because of that if I made my system more vulnerable than the Windows XP level.
For now I will go for Windows 8.1, even if I have to buy a new License. I will stay there until Windows 10 lets me disable completly the UAC.

CountMike · 09 May 2016

Disabling UAC prevents usage and downloading of APPs, can't remember now but I think same thing happens in 8.1.
Programs, if they are made like that, can be installed on another partition/disk but that won't affect security.
What you want is a bit contradictory because if everybody is allowed to change and have access to everything, then malicious programs can do that too and that's why MS tightened conditions. Those things are common to large degree in 8.1 too.

Adalwar · 09 May 2016

In Windows 8.1 you can Disable completly the UAC and everything is working normaly.
In WIndows 10 Disbling UAC complety, a lot of things stop working.
I think 99,99% of the user can well take care of their PC, know what is dangerous or not, so it is not necessary that kind of "Security".
About Malicious Software, well there Ton´s of Anti-Virus and Anti-Malware around and that´s their task.
So, would be a nice thing that the OS had a "Anti-Virus" hard-coded and would recognise e stop any attack attempt to the system.

CountMike · 09 May 2016

Adalwar said:

In Windows 8.1 you can Disable completly the UAC and everything is working normaly.
In WIndows 10 Disbling UAC complety, a lot of things stop working.
I think 99,99% of the user can well take care of their PC, know what is dangerous or not, so it is not necessary that kind of "Security".
About Malicious Software, well there Ton´s of Anti-Virus and Anti-Malware around and that´s their task.
So, would be a nice thing that the OS had a "Anti-Virus" hard-coded and would recognise e stop any attack attempt to the system.

It would be nice if I was a millionaire but...

Adalwar · 09 May 2016

Last but not least, I find it very funny that they spending huge efforts making things and at the end the user is disabling or even beeing forced to disable it or at least wish to disable it.

CountMike · 09 May 2016

Adalwar said:

Last but not least, I find it very funny that they spending huge efforts making things and at the end the user is disabling or even beeing forced to disable it or at least wish to disable it.

They are making it for "Average user" and that level is going down. Phones are getting smarter then their average user.

OldMike65 · 09 May 2016

Adalwar said:

In Windows 8.1 you can Disable completly the UAC and everything is working normaly.
In WIndows 10 Disbling UAC complety, a lot of things stop working.
I think 99,99% of the user can well take care of their PC, know what is dangerous or not, so it is not necessary that kind of "Security".
About Malicious Software, well there Ton´s of Anti-Virus and Anti-Malware around and that´s their task.
So, would be a nice thing that the OS had a "Anti-Virus" hard-coded and would recognise e stop any attack attempt to the system.

You can't remove Windows UAC but you CAN Turn it off completely, and it will not stop anything from working in Windows 10.
Mine has been off for at least 6 months, and I have no problems. So you do have a choice. :)

Adalwar · 09 May 2016

OldMike65 said:

You can't remove Windows UAC but you CAN Turn it off completely, and it will not stop anything from working in Windows 10.
Mine has been off for at least 6 months, and I have no problems. So you do have a choice. :)

Hi OldMike65,
That is not disbling totaly the UAC. For complete disable you have to go to the Registry and set EnableLUA=0