How to: Recover Stock Windows 8 on an Acer Iconia W700 Tablet

2»

Answers

  • paja
    paja Member Posts: 20 New User

    Hi mic

    thank you for your effort to explain and for advice.

    I will examine your advice and when have time test it.

    In this moment son and me are using it for job and boatmodelling.

    Regards 

  • sirixamo
    sirixamo Member Posts: 3 New User

    Thanks for being so helpful with the thread mic, I started it and then never came back. You've been spot on with all your advice!

     

    Unfortunately the Windows 8 product keys are VERY specific, you would need to find an ISO of the Single Language version of Windows 8 which I imagine is fairly difficult to do. You might be able to contact Microsoft for help, they might be able to sell or send you just an installation disk, but the restore disks Acer sends won't be of much help as they will just install the OS the way it was when you got it. Honestly if you use something like CCleaner getting the bloatware off of it isn't too hard, and I was able to get it pretty clean. I only did a fresh install because I was installing a new harddrive.

  • kmd1970
    kmd1970 Member Posts: 15 New User

    Guys, If you install a fresh copy of windows 8 in LEGACY mode, you will not be able to boot again in UEFI mode. You will get a "No Bootable Device" error like I did. Your Acer will boot windows fine in legacy mode, but not in uefi mode.

     

    I've also noticed that Windows 8 setup will create 2 partitions in LEGACY mode and 4 partitions in UEFI mode (thats if you choose custom and delete/recreate all partitions during setup).

     

    Having those 2 partitions will cause the recovery DVD to fail and keep asking you to switch between LEGACY and UEFI modes. 

     

    To perfom a fresh windows 8 install or full recovery:

     

    1. You need a USB DVD drive. (I just bought one and returned it)

    2. Make sure BIOS is in UEFI mode.

    3. Move the USB DVD drive up as first boot device (you may have to reboot into BIOS a second time to change this)

    4. Turn off FAST boot in BIOS 

    5. Insert DVD into drive.

    6. Hold w700 power button down for 6 seconds

    7. Power ON.

     

    When the w700 recognises the DVD drive it will reboot and pause on the ACER logo screen. There is a slight delay while the w700 reads the DVD, so wait. (watch the DVD drive light and listen for it spinning).

     

    To do a full recovery you must first delete everything on the drive. I just used a windows 8 dvd:

     

     a. start the windows 8 setup:

     b. choose custom install

     c. delete all drive partitions

     d. create new drive partitions (there should now be 4)

     e. format largest partition

     f. exit the windows setup.

  • agoetz512
    agoetz512 Member Posts: 1 New User
    Install Windows 8 in UEFI and you will not have the graphics glitch. Also the W700 will respond better.
This discussion has been closed.