Is 8.1 much better for Surface 3 (Atom)?
- Thread starter TallSurfaceUser
- Start date
OP
TallSurfaceUser
Member
I am doing this now. I followed the link posted by GreyFox. Also, I found my product license key by using a script in a command line. (I found the script by searching Google. My key popped right up.)
Here is how I found my key:
Open a command prompt as administrator and type:
wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey
Now I hit a dead end because I prepared my USB drive with Windows 8 Pro. I think these only had Windows 8. My key was rejected as a result.
Now I'm going to try 8. (The key might not even be needed I am reading.)
Here is how I found my key:
Open a command prompt as administrator and type:
wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey
Now I hit a dead end because I prepared my USB drive with Windows 8 Pro. I think these only had Windows 8. My key was rejected as a result.
Now I'm going to try 8. (The key might not even be needed I am reading.)
OP
TallSurfaceUser
Member
This was more of an adventure than I bargained for. In case anyone else tries this, in order to get the USB Windows 8 setup to run, I could not just double-click on the "setup" icon on the USB stick. Instead, I had to restart the device holding the volume down button.
This loaded Windows 8. I think that I had to enter my key that I found using the command line. Then the issue was my wifi card would not work because no drivers. So I had to find the Surface 8 drivers on the MS website on another PC, save them to a USB stick and then load them onto the Surface 3. This was harder than it sounds.
Finally, I had trouble certifying the Windows 8 via the internet. Also, I could not install any updates. I thought these were related, but after I plugged into a power source that appears to have fixed the updates problem. (It did not prompt me that it needed to be plugged in.)
Once it installs these updates I will see if it has certified this copy of Windows. I am going to be very upset if I can't figure this out after spending all this time.
If this works, it will have been worth it. I was liking the feel of Windows 8.1. I am not into Windows 10 at all. Don't like it. Don't like trying to change settings, don't like the vertical Metro screen setup, don't like the sharing of my data ala Google, Inc.... etc.
This loaded Windows 8. I think that I had to enter my key that I found using the command line. Then the issue was my wifi card would not work because no drivers. So I had to find the Surface 8 drivers on the MS website on another PC, save them to a USB stick and then load them onto the Surface 3. This was harder than it sounds.
Finally, I had trouble certifying the Windows 8 via the internet. Also, I could not install any updates. I thought these were related, but after I plugged into a power source that appears to have fixed the updates problem. (It did not prompt me that it needed to be plugged in.)
Once it installs these updates I will see if it has certified this copy of Windows. I am going to be very upset if I can't figure this out after spending all this time.
If this works, it will have been worth it. I was liking the feel of Windows 8.1. I am not into Windows 10 at all. Don't like it. Don't like trying to change settings, don't like the vertical Metro screen setup, don't like the sharing of my data ala Google, Inc.... etc.
OP
TallSurfaceUser
Member
Yes, this was a Windows 8.1 (I think, not 8.0) ISO from Microsoft. I'm not entirely certain that it is not upgrading to 8.1 now given the size of these updates it is processing.
So once I installed the ISO from the USB stick, I had no drivers. No touchscreen and no wireless card. This meant that I had to use my keyboard and touchpad on the keyboard (a detail I omitted). If you don't have a keyboard, maybe a USB keyboard would work until you can get the drivers installed.
I have had to go through this many times installing fresh Windows 7 on old Thinkpads. Otherwise, I would have been freaking. Very few users will be willing/able to go through this.
So once I installed the ISO from the USB stick, I had no drivers. No touchscreen and no wireless card. This meant that I had to use my keyboard and touchpad on the keyboard (a detail I omitted). If you don't have a keyboard, maybe a USB keyboard would work until you can get the drivers installed.
I have had to go through this many times installing fresh Windows 7 on old Thinkpads. Otherwise, I would have been freaking. Very few users will be willing/able to go through this.
OP
TallSurfaceUser
Member
By the way of your question, I don't think I could have done a recovery from the 8.1 image. I waited well past the 30-day downgrade window so I presumed that I had to start all over again.
Is it possible that I had an 8.0 or 8.1 image from the factory sitting in a partition? Sheesh, I wasted a lot of time if that is the case.
Is it possible that I had an 8.0 or 8.1 image from the factory sitting in a partition? Sheesh, I wasted a lot of time if that is the case.
Well hopefully this will work but you should be able to Download the 8.1 Recovery image to put on USB and if your Recovery Partition is still intact the option to do a Reset to Factory should also work. The Quick rollback to 8.1 option is gone but that wouldn't prevent other options.
Argus Tuft
Member
If you have done an online upgrade from 8.1 to 10, you only have a month before the old files are deleted. Once that month is up, you are stuck with 10 or you can reformat and reinstall 8.1 from whatever media you have, or can access.
8.1 allowed me to connect wirelessly to my printer, but W10 won't/cant. However, I can connect to my modem wirelessly. Also, I can't transfer from the S3 to my desktop, but I can transfer from my desktop to the S3. ?????????????
8.1 allowed me to connect wirelessly to my printer, but W10 won't/cant. However, I can connect to my modem wirelessly. Also, I can't transfer from the S3 to my desktop, but I can transfer from my desktop to the S3. ?????????????
Telstar1948
Active Member
My S3 is acting more predictably. It will print to my wireless printer OK (just had it search for printers and it pulled up my wireless printer - was able to use it whenever I need to after that). Also, I set up a Homegroup with my desktop machine and I can copy things back and forth from desktop device to S3 and from S3 to desktop device.
Windows 10 is still glitchy in some respects...maybe many respects depending. Sounds like you may have a software issue in Windows 10 (just my guess so take it for what it's worth). Have you considered resetting your S3? I know that's a pain, but if I'm right that may be the only way to clear things up. Just my 2 cents...
Windows 10 is still glitchy in some respects...maybe many respects depending. Sounds like you may have a software issue in Windows 10 (just my guess so take it for what it's worth). Have you considered resetting your S3? I know that's a pain, but if I'm right that may be the only way to clear things up. Just my 2 cents...
Argus Tuft
Member
Actually, I have considered resetting my S3, but using Ubuntu instead of Windows. All the software I use is compatible with Ubuntu anyway, so I should be in front if the operating system goes on the S3.
Telstar1948
Active Member
No idea about Ubuntu. Other than the issues of MS releasing an OS that wasn't quite ready for anyone, my S3 is a gem that I plan to keep (...full disclosure...I'm a tech lover so if the S3 gets truly upgraded in the future (S4), I may have to consider looking at one 
... but I probably won't need an S4, if I do!)
... but I probably won't need an S4, if I do!)
OP
TallSurfaceUser
Member
Wow. The difference with 8.1 is really palpable on this device. EVERYTHING seems to run faster and better. I was relegating the S3 to a toy but now I can actually use it for work again. (I already bought an SP3 on Ebay, but I'm going to keep using this a lot now.)
For example, the OS runs faster, Chrome runs faster and more stable and a pdf editing program I use runs fast enough to actually be useful.
Now maybe it is the auto upgrade process that is to blame with 10. Maybe if I had done a clean install of 10, it would have ran as well as 8.1. I doubt it though.
Bottom line: Don't upgrade to 10 and if you already have downgrade.
For example, the OS runs faster, Chrome runs faster and more stable and a pdf editing program I use runs fast enough to actually be useful.
Now maybe it is the auto upgrade process that is to blame with 10. Maybe if I had done a clean install of 10, it would have ran as well as 8.1. I doubt it though.
Bottom line: Don't upgrade to 10 and if you already have downgrade.
