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Greetings,

I still haven't made the upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 8. I want to though, and very soon. I just can't make up my mind which would be the better option, doing the online upgrade for $39.99 or buying the retail box somewhere for $69.99. I am uncertain which way to go because I only have one chance at this since money is extremely tight for me. If I do the online upgrade and something goes wrong I cannot afford to go out and buy the retail box afterwards. So what do you suggest is best for me?

Regardless of what option I choose above, I understand I should be presented with an option to install onto a new partition, is this correct? So if I choose to install onto a new partition will that install be the full clean version of Windows 8?

Should I create the new partition ahead of time or do it during the install process?

Another question, if I do the online upgrade and I download the ISO file to my computer do I still need to use the USB/DVD Tool to create the disc or is burning the ISO to the DVD enough?

One last question please. My computer only has one harddrive, it's 1 TB in size and I'm currently running Windows 7. All of my programs and games are installed on the C drive there. If I install Windows 8 to a new partition I can still access and run those programs and games from the Windows 8 environment using shortcuts to the programs on the Windows 7 partition yes? Or do I need to reinstall those again onto the Windows 8 partition to use them?

Thank you all in advance for your advice and opinions.

When you upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 8 using either the Upgrade/Retail disc, you can pick upgrade during the install.

This will keep your old files/settings from Windows 7 and upgrade your computer to Windows 8.

upgrade_assistant_tool_05.png

You should see this on your C drive when you have completed the upgrade.

Open it and you should see your files and folders from Windows 7.

remove-windows.old-folder-windows-7-to-windows-8-upgrade-1.png

You should be able to run most of the apps from your previous Windows right out of the box, if not then you have to reinstall the app that is made for Windows 8.

Hope this helps.

So I've got one, how do you pick 32/64 on the Upgrade Assistant? The laptop is older with only 2GBs but by default it put x64 on it.

You can't, you need the upgrade media rather than the web based upgrade assistant which by default only provides 32 bit with 32 bit and 64 bit to 64 bit machines.

Very daft i know.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
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