So I wrote this article before the last one, Failure to Boot…Camp was published, because I solved my own problem. Once that article was published, I started receiving very helpful emails from our readers about solutions to problems I was having.
Anne W. gave me some tips about formatting, so that when I ran the Windows installer, I was reformatting the Windows partition from FAT32 to NTFS. A customer named Dave responded and gave me a link to downgrade Windows 8 to Windows 7, legally, thank you. I ended up using an install disc I had for my PC at home — the last remaining PC with Windows 7! Yes, I had used the license already, but I used the 30 days or so to activate Windows to upgrade using my Windows 8 install disc.
You might be asking how I managed to use my Windows 7 and 8 CDs when my optical drive doesn’t work? I found out there was a clothes tag inside the drive that was from a pair of snowboard pants. I pulled out the tag, and lo and behold, I was able to use CDs again. That made things easier. I was able to properly use Boot Camp because my computer required that you use an optical drive for the installation of Windows, at least if you want to use the Boot Camp utilities for the Apple hardware.
Once Windows 7 was installed, it all worked beautifully, but once I made the upgrade to Windows 8, things started to get interesting. I needed to reinstall the track pad and keyboard drivers because the compatibility from Windows 7 to Windows 8 wasn’t there. My trackpad wasn’t seen at all but with the help of an external USB mouse I was able to reinstall the drivers and then everything ‘clicked’ back into place.
There are still a few things concerning me about Windows 8 on my machine, however. The start up time is horrid, and there are a few graphical anomalies every now and then, but they are all things I can deal with in order to get what I need out of Windows 8. Everything from the experience and compatibility with data recovery software to complement the Apple software I use at work.
I’m doing all this to learn and to test to see if it would be practical for us to use in the tech department at SDE, and so far it all looks promising.
Thank you to those that gave feedback on my last article. I enjoyed reading the helpful material provided by those who emailed me their hints and tips.