Q: I recently bought a Windows 8 laptop, and the only thing I don't like about the PC is Windows 8. I want to replace Windows 8 with the more familiar Windows 7. How can I do this?
Robert Anderson, Bloomington
A: To put it mildly, Windows 8 isn't very popular. While it makes sense for touch-sensitive tablets, it makes little sense on a PC because it forces people to use the computer in an entirely different way for little apparent benefit.
Not surprisingly, consumers haven't flocked to Windows 8. Microsoft hasn't talked about Windows 8 sales in two consecutive quarterly earnings reports. And third-party market research firm Net Applications says fewer people have bought Windows 8 than bought the much-maligned Windows Vista in the first five months after the respective operating systems were introduced.
If you don't like Windows 8, there are three things you can do:
1. There are several programs that will alter the Windows 8 Start Screen to look and behave more like the Windows 7 Start Menu. See tinyurl.com/boj8ecr. This is by far the easiest solution.
2. Pay a computer repair shop to install Windows 7 for you.
3. You can replace Windows 8 with Windows 7, but it's not easy.