Trying Windows 10 Tech Preview

[tpapictures]

I recently got a notebook tablet hybrid and it's become my daily tablet device. I had been using my DV8 Pro but several hardware problems forced me to send it to DELL for repairs. They apparently fixed everything but I haven't really needed to use it due to having the new tablet. I'm considering trying the Windows 10 preview on the Dell though since I signed up for it with Windows.
Does anyone know the answer to the following?
1. If I install the preview will the system will be able to restore back to Windows 8.1? Or will I be stuck having to do several steps just get 8.1 back on there if I want to.
2. I have all the original materials, serials, and the box. Does that get me some downloadable file version of the OS?

 

[ven07]

AFAIK going back to W8.1 will require you to reinstall using a recovery disk (basically just installing 8.1 again)

 

[tpapictures]

Ok, that's what I was afraid of. With no drive to speak of, I imagine you can't safely do a recovery disk from an ISO on the tablet itself and it probably won't be able to run from the microSD slot either.

 

[ven07]

Some of the answers given here might help you somewhat if you decide to go through with it.. One thing is obvious; it won't be a walk in the park lol

How do I reinstall W8 on my Dell Venue 8 Pro (without a keyboard - Microsoft Community

 

[RichardBurt]

I recently got a notebook tablet hybrid and it's become my daily tablet device. I had been using my DV8 Pro but several hardware problems forced me to send it to DELL for repairs. They apparently fixed everything but I haven't really needed to use it due to having the new tablet. I'm considering trying the Windows 10 preview on the Dell though since I signed up for it with Windows.
Does anyone know the answer to the following?
1. If I install the preview will the system will be able to restore back to Windows 8.1? Or will I be stuck having to do several steps just get 8.1 back on there if I want to.
2. I have all the original materials, serials, and the box. Does that get me some downloadable file version of the OS?

As long as you do an *upgrade* to Win10 rather than a fresh install then it will create a rollback to 8.1

 

[tpapictures]

Ok, well that's more reasonable. I suppose that makes it more worth it. I'll try that. I imagine that means you're left with a lot less space in order to store the recovery in a partition but there's always the microSD for storing data. I don't use that many "apps" anyway, moreso programs that can be installed to the microSD drive.

 

[tpapictures]

As long as you do an *upgrade* to Win10 rather than a fresh install then it will create a rollback to 8.1

My only concern is that the page where you download the preview clearly states...
"After you've installed Windows 10 Technical Preview, you won't be able to use the recovery partition on your PC to go back to your previous version of Windows."

 

[RichardBurt]

a lot less space.

The Win8.1 recovery image is about 3.5GB in size.

My only concern is that the page where you download the preview clearly states...
"After you've installed Windows 10 Technical Preview, you won't be able to use the recovery partition on your PC to go back to your previous version of Windows."

Correct, any recovery partition that you have will be deleted. On the other hand, you get a bit more hard drive space back. If it worries you then use something like Acronis to make a drive image before doing the upgrade.

 

[tpapictures]

Correct, any recovery partition that you have will be deleted.

I don't understand, didn't you say that if you upgraded then you would have the rollback? Which one is correct then?

 

[RichardBurt]

I don't understand, didn't you say that if you upgraded then you would have the rollback? Which one is correct then?

The upgrade process creates a recovery IMAGE which is stored on your drive C, not a recovery partition.

 

[tpapictures]

The upgrade process creates a recovery IMAGE which is stored on your drive C, not a recovery partition.

Ah, ok! That's my mistake then. I assumed the recovery was a partition for some reason. Too much reading about this online and got confused, I guess. Thanks, going to try this now, maybe I'll report back with thoughts.

 

[RichardBurt]

Ah, ok! That's my mistake then. I assumed the recovery was a partition for some reason. Too much reading about this online and got confused, I guess. Thanks, going to try this now, maybe I'll report back with thoughts.

Good luck. If you have any problems then give us a shout

 

[tpapictures]

Well so far everything is installed just fine...

- Touch, WiFi, other 'features' work fine.

- The popup keyboard doesn't seem to naturally activate when you tap a text entry field but I'm sure that's just a regular bug they already know about.

- I'm guessing that the Metro portion isn't completed yet or will there simply never be one as before?

- lots of little buggy things here and there that simply don't work from one second to the next like the WiFi button can just stop responding, phantom windows can appear when closing a program in the wrong orientation.

All in all, you can load Windows and browse the internet just fine and even then there is some quirky behaviour that's hard to justify. I found myself wanting to reach for pretty much any other device to look something up online. I've read several people talking about how interesting it is to look at, how it's fine for basic functionality, how it gives you a feel for the OS... I'd say the total opposite. It is not ok for small operations, it does not (at least to me) give anything remotely resembling a sense of what the OS will feel like, it's not at all easier for touch than the Desktop portion of Windows 8 is, nor is it functional enough to be interesting. If Windows was a web page, it looks like someone took it and accidentally messed with its style sheet just enough for it to be recognizable but also enough to ruin a lot of its links. I'm not saying it won't be great, in fact I think Windows 10 will be excellent, but I don't think anyone can get anything whatsoever out of this unless they're on the dev team. But I'm glad they put it out because we can see it for ourselves and because there's quite frankly nothing more pointlessly infuriating than UI "concept" videos on youtube. But to suggest this is in any way usable as an OS, my opinion is that those people are wrong and blinded by novelty of which there is very little to even mention.

 

[jjmorgan64]

The touch keyboard will only pop up when you are in tablet mode, fyi, works well for me.

 

[tpapictures]

The touch keyboard will only pop up when you are in tablet mode, fyi, works well for me.

Cool, I'll check that out. Although I still don't get the purpose of "tablet mode" but surely it's not finished yet.

 

[RichardBurt]

Cool, I'll check that out. Although I still don't get the purpose of "tablet mode" but surely it's not finished yet.

Tablet mode will become the soon-to-be continuum mode

 

[tpapictures]

Good luck. If you have any problems then give us a shout

I could have sworn that I updated but it looks like I didn't because I can't find any recovery image on the tablet.