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February 10th, 2026 19:33
m18 R2, uninstall Windows 11 Home, install Windows 8.1?
I am a 79 year old guy who suffers from essential tremours. My new laptop was purchased new some time ago and it remains barely used as it has W11-64 as the OS and it is an 18 inch. My older 15 inch has W8-1 as the original its OS and it was given to me by my son.. I am not a tecky at all and I like 8-1 as it is much easier for me to use. The 18 would be better for me because I am 79 and my eyes are no where near as good as they used to be.
I use the 15 mainly for emails,news, games ( simple) etc. Currently, the sound is gone but the screen is still very good. Is there a way to safely and completely remove W11-64 off of my new 18 laptop and to install W8-1 or 10 into the new laptop? I do not need all the stuff in 11 at all. W8-1 would be great but W10 would be OK for me to learn and use. My. typing is bad and slow because of the shakes.
DELL-Cares auto response
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February 10th, 2026 19:33
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(edited)
ejn63
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February 10th, 2026 20:55
The short answer is no - the system will not run Windows 8 and because Windows 8 went end of life (no updates) six years ago, it's a completely insecure OS.
If the screen resolution is high, the pixel size (and therefore characters) will be small. You can alter that in the display settings under Scale to make them larger.
If it's the interface you don't like, there are ways to address that starting with the open source shell called Open Shell, which lets you overlay whatever Windows interface you want (XP, 7, 8, etc.) onto Windows 11 so it appears like the older version of Windows did.
Just getting any version of Windows earlier than 10 to run on this system will be a nightmare, and you will find system devices that no longer function even if you can get it installed.
anne_droid
6 Professor
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February 11th, 2026 11:33
Hi
In adition to the above excellent answer ...
There are internet answers like this one
NB: If/When you have updates your changes may get cancelled, an need re-applying.
AND
If in doubt please ask.
Getting the official Windows 8.1 ISO
Microsoft no longer hosts Windows 8.1 ISOs directly for retail download (it's end-of-support since 2023), but you can obtain a legal copy if you have a valid key.
Use Microsoft's media creation tool or official ISO sources for older Windows (search "Microsoft Windows 8.1 download ISO with product key").
Once you have the ISO, use 7-Zip (free) to extract files—no installation needed.
Extract wallpapers from ISO
Open the Windows 8.1 ISO with 7-Zip and navigate to
sources\install.wim\[edition number]\Windows\Web\Wallpaper(pick an edition folder like for Pro).Extract the
Wallpaperfolder for desktop backgrounds (includes defaults like the famous "Bliss"-style landscapes and abstract themes). [][]Lock screen images are in
Screen; higher-res versions may be in subfolders.This gives you original PNG/JPG files dated to 2013, exact to what shipped with 8.1.
Extract icons from ISO
Icons live in
sources\install.wim\[edition]\Windows\System32or\imageres.dll(use 7-Zip to open the .wim and .dll files).Core system icons (This PC, Recycle Bin, folders) are embedded in imageres.dll and shell32.dll—extract with Resource Hacker (free tool) or 7-Zip's built-in viewer.
For a full pack, search for "Windows 8.1 icon cache" or extract from
%Windir%\System32\shell32.dllafter a VM install, but ISO extraction is cleaner and authentic.anne_droid
6 Professor
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February 11th, 2026 11:37
ELSE
Windows 11 offers built-in Voice Access for full voice control of your PC, including navigation, mouse emulation, dictation, and app interactions, all processed on-device without needing internet.
Enable Voice Access
Go to Settings > Accessibility > Speech, toggle Voice Access on, and download the speech model if prompted. Select your microphone, then say "Voice access wake up" or use Alt+Shift+B to start; a control bar appears at the top of the screen.
Core Voice Commands
Use these for basic control (say them clearly after waking Voice Access):
Modes let you toggle between commands-only, dictation-only, or mixed use.