How to revert back to Windows 8.1 on a Dell Venue 8 Pro?

So I made the mistake of upgrading my Dell Venue 8 Pro to Windows 10... It's very slow and buggy.


I tried using the built in "Revert back to Windows 8.1" option in the Settings "app", but it says that files have been deleted and it can no longer perform the uninstallation.

I also tried going into the tablet's built in Backup and Recovery from Dell, but that doesn't allow me to reinstall Windows 8. It's merely a diagnostic.

Anyone have any ideas?

Update to latest BIOS first then do the chipsets then download the windows driver 10 pack all from dell support. Works well after that. I spent a lot of time before i figured that one out..

For me also, it works ok. need updating bios, chipset drivers. It occupies less space and fast.

Thank you for your replies.

I actually called Dell yesterday and they are sending me a USB Drive with instructions on how to boot to Windows 8.1 again.

However, I will try your methods.


Thanks, I'll let you know

As you are already in windows 10, You can try clean install as per tutorial for clean install. But before clean install save key for MSoffice home and student edition as that will be required in clean installed windows 10 for installing office which was there.

lvgandhi said:

As you are already in windows 10, You can try clean install as per tutorial for clean install. But before clean install save key for MSoffice home and student edition as that will be required in clean installed windows 10 for installing office which was there.

I updated the BIOS and I downloaded Intel chipset drivers, but the system restore still didn't work.

I will wait for Dell's recovery media instead.

bobjoe said:

I updated the BIOS and I downloaded Intel chipset drivers, but the system restore still didn't work.

I will wait for Dell's recovery media instead.

You can do clean install. That will be better. But before that get the key and drivers from dell for win10.

lvgandhi said:

You can do clean install. That will be better. But before that get the key and drivers from dell for win10.

Actually something weird happened. I went to Settings > Update & Recovery, then Reset This PC and Clean my Drive. Somehow, it's working now. I'm currently at a screen showing the Dell logo and 32% completed of "Resetting this PC".

I will report back what happens.

Windows's built in recovery didn't work. It got to 53% then it gave me the "there was a problem" error.

using the windows 10 Reset feature - requires you to first create a provisioning package of the system drivers..