Can You Get Windows 7 on a New Computer? Window 7

 
Windows 7 is two Windows versions old. Yet, it is still available - you can still buy new PCs with Windows 7 pre-installed, in 2014. While business users have the easiest access to Windows 7, home users have ways to get the older operating system on a new computer, too. You might need to go to a little trouble and pay extra, though.


Your first choice - look for a computer that ships with Windows 7


Walmart's online store sells a number of laptops with Windows 7 preinstalled, even today. For about $440, for instance, you can buy an Acer laptop with a Core i3 processor and Windows 7 Home Premium. Amazon has a wide range in Windows 7 laptops, too - you get models from every brand starting at $275.


The problem with buying a laptop with Windows 7 preinstalled is that every model available today is at least a year old. You won't be able to take advantage of the latest developments. Intel's Haswell processors with their lower power usage and greater battery life aren't an option on older, Windows 7 models. The prices of tech products fall over time. If you choose an older model, you'll end up paying last year's prices.


Buy a boxed, full-retail copy of Windows 7


Many people believe that when you buy a boxed copy of an operating system, you can only install it on one computer. They believe that an OS copy is used up once it is registered on a computer. This isn't true, though. Boxed, full-retail copies can go on multiple computers, just as long as they are installed one computer at a time. Only OEM copies of Windows restrict you to one installation forever. If you've ever bought a boxed copy of Windows 7 for another computer, you can uninstall it on the first computer and bring it over to the new computer that you buy. Only rarely are new computers incompatible with Windows 7.


If you don't have such an older copy of Windows 7, look for an OEM copy


Nearly every store that sells computer products sells unsold stocks of OEM Windows 7. They usually sell for between $80 and $150 on websites like Amazon and Newegg, depending on the specific version.


Take advantage of the downgrade rights that your computer comes with


Windows 8 computers meant for businesses come with a downgrade license to Windows 7. Microsoft allows businesses an easy downgrade path because businesses cannot be expected to train all their employees in a new operating system when they aren't ready. You can only downgrade to Windows 7 if your new computer comes preinstalled with Windows 8 Pro, though.


Some users with regular, personal editions of Windows 8 sometimes wonder if they could pay something to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro and then downgrade to Windows 7. This isn't possible, though. The downgrade option is only available to computers that come with Windows 8 Pro built in.


Your employer may be able to help you with the company's Volume Licensing Agreement


If your place of work uses Windows 8 computers, they own a volume licensing agreement to apply to each computer they own. You can take advantage of this agreement to downgrade your work computer to Windows 7.


You could simply live with Windows 8, but make it better


Before you invest time and money into turning the clock back on your computer's OS, you should think about whether your new computer might work well with Windows 7. New touchscreen-based laptops, for instance, do not work well with Windows 7. If you do determine that Windows 7 is a good fit for your new computer, you could consider making cosmetic changes to Windows 8 or 8.1 to see if the results seem acceptable. A number of guides on the Internet show you how to make Windows 8 look like Windows 7.