8.1 Roll back option gone, USB ISO boot not possible. What can i do?

[baandoptager]

So, i absolutely hate windows 10 and MS for making it, so i am more than happy to go back to Windows 8.1. Only problem is, that i cannot.

Roll back option in recovery is gone and i haven't gone for 30 days. So, naturally i went for my trusty old 8.1 ISO that i made, only thing here now is that doesn't work either. I get this: "setup has failed to determine supported install choices"

So..... What can i do? Anyone?

 

[eusty]

Did you remove all partitions during the install?

 

[baandoptager]

I did nothing. I only updated.

When i boot from USB, it just quickly shows a blue screen and the goes straight to the W10 lockscreen.

 

[heickelrrx]

Create another partition then instal windows 8.1 on it.

After it's done. Format your win 10 partition then merge with your 8.1 partition to claim the space

In case you break your MBR you can fix it with command prompt on your windows installation media.

 

[baandoptager]

Size of available shrinkspace 2849 Great job MS!

 

[heickelrrx]

Free some space?

Or if you want just instal windows 8.1 over the partition. Windows 10 will labeled as windows.old folder.

 

[Guzzler3]

​

So, i absolutely hate windows 10 and MS for making it, so i am more than happy to go back to Windows 8.1. Only problem is, that i cannot.

Roll back option in recovery is gone and i haven't gone for 30 days. So, naturally i went for my trusty old 8.1 ISO that i made, only thing here now is that doesn't work either. I get this: "setup has failed to determine supported install choices"

So..... What can i do? Anyone?

I did nothing. I only updated.

When i boot from USB, it just quickly shows a blue screen and the goes straight to the W10 lockscreen.

The problem is that your USB drive isn't marked as active. From an elevated command prompt:

C:\Windows\system32>diskpart

Microsoft DiskPart version 10.0.10240

Copyright (C) 1999-2013 Microsoft Corporation.
On computer: SP3W10

DISKPART> list disk

Disk ### Status Size Free Dyn Gpt
-------- ------------- ------- ------- --- ---
Disk 0 Online 238 GB 0 B *
Disk 1 Online 28 GB 0 B. (this is my USB drive, yours might be different, just check the size to make sure)

DISKPART> select disk 1

Disk 1 is now the selected disk.

DISKPART> list part

Partition ### Type Size Offset
------------- ---------------- ------- -------
Partition 1 Primary 28 GB 4032 KB

DISKPART> sel part 1

Partition 1 is now the selected partition.

DISKPART> active

DiskPart marked the current partition as active.

DISKPART> exit

Leaving DiskPart...

C:\Windows\system32>

Now try booting off your USB recovery drive.

 

[baandoptager]

Free some space?

Or if you want just instal windows 8.1 over the partition. Windows 10 will labeled as windows.old folder.

It's all free. I deleted all my files.

 

[baandoptager]

​

The problem is that your USB drive isn't marked as active. From an elevated command prompt:

C:\Windows\system32>diskpart

Microsoft DiskPart version 10.0.10240

Copyright (C) 1999-2013 Microsoft Corporation.
On computer: SP3W10

DISKPART> list disk

Disk ### Status Size Free Dyn Gpt
-------- ------------- ------- ------- --- ---
Disk 0 Online 238 GB 0 B *
Disk 1 Online 28 GB 0 B. (this is my USB drive, yours might be different, just check the size to make sure)

DISKPART> select disk 1

Disk 1 is now the selected disk.

DISKPART> list part

Partition ### Type Size Offset
------------- ---------------- ------- -------
Partition 1 Primary 28 GB 4032 KB

DISKPART> sel part 1

Partition 1 is now the selected partition.

DISKPART> active

DiskPart marked the current partition as active.

DISKPART> exit

Leaving DiskPart...

C:\Windows\system32>

Now try booting off your USB recovery drive.

Thank you, but i get: The selected disk is not a MBR bla bla bla....

 

[Guzzler3]

Thank you, but i get: The selected disk is not a MBR bla bla bla....

Oh. Copy off the files on the USB drive, then reformat it as FAT32, set it as active, copy back the files, then boot off it.

 

[baandoptager]

Oh. Copy off the files on the USB drive, then reformat it as FAT32, set it as active, copy back the files, then boot off it.

Not possible. I choose language, it reboots and voila, straight back into w10, just like the iso's.

 

[Guzzler3]

Sounds like your ISO is missing some files. Try getting a new copy. Then when you copy the files to the marked active USB drive use robocopy:
c:\robocopy <source> <destination> /mir

 

[baandoptager]

Sounds like your ISO is missing some files. Try getting a new copy. Then when you copy the files to the marked active USB drive use robocopy:
c:\robocopy <source> <destination> /mir

I've tried 3 iso and now doing the recommended Recovery image from my surface pro 3 with serial directly from MS.

It doesn't work! Let's just say, i'm not surprised.

 

[baandoptager]

After 8 attempts. It worked! Don't know what was different. Same USB key, same image. But thx folks. Goodbye W10.

 

[Skamath]

Not possible. I choose language, it reboots and voila, straight back into w10, just like the iso's.

I had a similar issue and I think it might help.

Install produckey from nirsoft I think it will give you a product key if it is from OEM which most laptops have.
When you run the software you get BIOS OEM key. you need to get the media creation tool for 8.1 from MS. google or bing it and boot of that. It will ask you to either repair or install choose install and you will get back to 8.1.
Depending on how long you have been on 10 you might have a ton of updates to go thru before getting 8.1 up and running.

Cheers

 

[baandoptager]

I had a similar issue and I think it might help.

Install produckey from nirsoft I think it will give you a product key if it is from OEM which most laptops have.
When you run the software you get BIOS OEM key. you need to get the media creation tool for 8.1 from MS. google or bing it and boot of that. It will ask you to either repair or install choose install and you will get back to 8.1.
Depending on how long you have been on 10 you might have a ton of updates to go thru before getting 8.1 up and running.

Cheers

Well, what's interesting is that every Surface Pro 3 owner has acces to their factory settings Recovery/Bootable USB ISO incl serials and all. They just need to go to their Surface profile on MS and download it to a USB drivem that's it!. But, for some reason, for me this was not a first time guaranteed fix so to speak. Again 8 attempts. But i am back on 8.1 and happy as can be.

W10 RIP!

 

[Skamath]

Well, what's interesting is that every Surface Pro 3 owner has acces to their factory settings Recovery/Bootable USB ISO incl serials and all. They just need to go to their Surface profile on MS and download it to a USB drivem that's it!. But, for some reason, for me this was not a first time guaranteed fix so to speak. Again 8 attempts. But i am back on 8.1 and happy as can be.

W10 RIP!

So after my quick repair I am back on 10 the only thing that I don't understand is the clowns that are on the other end of the phone don't know what they are there for. IMO MS was rushed into doing this. I was worried something like this was to happen!