Hah UEFI has humbled me see below for my rant
 

So, I tried to install Linux on my HP ENVY Windows 8 AMD 6-core 1.5 TB w/ 10 GB DDR3 and busted something as I was picking the partitions. My stubborness has got me refusing to use my factory reset disks ... I am mad at Windows for their UEFI anti-Linux setup and most of my Windows files are most likely intact but currently unavailable to me. (I am dissatisfied with HP as well.) I am on here using TAILS :p on the pc in question!
1) What is a good way to get to those windows files and save them on removeable media?

2) What is the "best" way to zap the UEFI without using a distro that has bowed to Windows to unlock the UEFI? A productive discussion on how to do this would be wonderful ... any ideas?

3) Is there an "elegant' way to do this whole thing and get a nice distro running? (this may be a rhetorical question, I don't know)

4) A Mint thread suggested converting the HDD from GPT to MBR. What is the consesus about doing this? If this method is suggested then what is the "best" way to do this?

Here is my own start on this: https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...0v-4175441330/

If you do not want to use Windows, simply disable Secure Boot and set the BIOS setting to Legacy Mode. I call it BIOS, because I do not remember what the actual term used is. I only saw it long enough to change the setting. If you want to dual-boot with Windows, you could try the same procedure, but I doubt it will work. I do not use Windows, but I believe Windows 8 must use Secure Boot and multi-booting is only possible if Secure Boot is disabled. The procedure some people successfully use to dual-boot with Windows is more complex.

A few linux-based OS's have a key to be able to dual-boot with secure boot enabled, but most do not yet.

Boot from a live CD (Knoppix is my favourite), mount the Windows partition and copy the files onto a USB stick or portable HD.
Enter setup and disable "secure boot". This will cripple Windows 8, but there is no other way. You have to decide whether you would like to keep Windows 8 or not. If you do, then you're SOL because there is currently no "good" way to dual boot Linux with Win8.
Yes. I recommend reading this guy's web pages on the issue: http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/ He is a bit long-winded, but his information is good.
You don't need to do this. Most Linux distros have supported GPT partitions for a good while now. It should be noted that GPT has the benefit of supporting larger partition sizes. It isn't just a change for change's sake. MBR partitions are limited to a size of 2TB.

Slackware would certainly qualify as a distro that has not bowed to Windows, or even the current popular trends in Linux!
See this on installing Slackware on UEFI systems: http://docs.slackware.com/howtos:sla..._uefi_hardware
Also, see post #2 in this thread from Pat Volkerding on installing Slackware on Windows 8 systems to dual boot:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...fi-4175448945/
Hope this helps.

@rkelsen I will try KNOPPIX as that seems to be one of the most popular distros for this type of thing so I guess I should learn it. http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/ looks good, I'll read it!

@tommcd I will check into the slackware

@Randicus I've been toying with the BIOS as it's different and I am learning the UEFI behaviors and I think I figured out how to do what you said. There is some redundancy (in my BIOS) but am now booting TAILS without doing anything special so I'm pretty sure I'm in Legacy mode. I have a problem with them calling it Legacy by the way ... I prefer "classic boot" (as opposed to secure boot) ... it makes more sense to me.

@Timothy Thank you but I believe those distros had to pay a price to Windows. We need some distros as a crossover point for Windows users though. I am a converted Windows user. Perhaps I should start a youtube channel/ blog/ webpage detailing the adjustments from windows ---> Linux.

It turned out easier to use Puppy Linux to recover my important files from the corrupted Windows 8 system. Once I had this in legacy mode I was able to wipe everything clean and install what I had available: Debian 7 Wheezy. Thank you to everyone on this thread, I will mark this solved.