Step by Step guide onhow to restore Windows 7 after installing the Windows 8 Developer Preview: (Dec. 2nd 2011) Notes: 1) You may find it easier to follow the steps if you print this article first. 2) As mentioned earlier you need a third party Image Backup software utility and the associated “Emergency” recovery CD, since my computer supports Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 I choose to use EASEUS Todo Backup Home (its free).
Install Todo Backup Home and create a bootable emergency disk: 1) Install Todo Backup in Windows 8. 2) Launch Todo Backup and select the ‘Tools’ tab. 3) Select the ‘Bootable media builder’ option located in the upper left of the ‘Tools’ menu options. 4) The default media option is to ‘Create bootable disk’ with the CD/DVD drive selected. 5) Click the ‘Proceed’ button to create the CD. Insert a blank CD when prompted and click ‘OK’.After the CD has been created, verify you can boot from the CD (Warning: Your BIOS must be set so that the CD/DVD is the first bootable device, followed by your hard or SSD drive). Be patient as the recovery environment takes a while to load.
Creating a Image Backup of Windows 8 partition to your USB drive: This Image Backup is the first major step that must be performed prior to recovering your personal installation of Windows 7. This backup will be used in the recovery process and will also serve as a means of recovering Windows 8 should you have the need.
1) Launch Todo Backup and select the ‘Backup’ tab, click on the ‘Disk and Partition backup’ option.
2) Leave the ‘Tasks/Plan name:’ unchanged and enter a brief ‘Description’ of the backup (Example: Windows 8 Backup), no other changes / options need be selected, click the ‘Next’ button.
Click on the 'Next' button.
3) In the ‘Select source disk or partition to backup’ window, place checkmarks in the System, Reserved’ and (C:) Windows 8 partition. You should also see the USB drive, which should not be selected/checked, click on the ‘Next’ button.
Click on the 'Next' button.
4) Select backup destination: Insure your USB drive letter is selected and highlighted. Place a checkmark in the ‘Check backup image integrity after backup’ option. No other changes need to be made.
5) Click ‘Next’ to proceed to the ‘Backup schedule settings’. Select ‘Now’ if it is not already selected. Click on the ‘Next’ button.
Click on the 'Next' button.
6) Review the contents of the ‘Backup information’ window. Click on the ‘Proceed’ button to start the backup.
Click on the ‘Proceed’ button to start the backup.
7) The ‘Backup progress’ window will be displayed.
8) Time to completion will vary depending on how much drive space is used by Windows, applications and data files. On completion of the backup you should see the following in the progress window.
9) Click ‘Finish’ and ‘X’ (upper right corner) and click ‘Yes’ to exit Todo Backup. 10) Open Windows Explorer and check for the presence of the backup file you created.
