51 replies to this topic 2 votes

[Zain Adeel]

i need some help.

I am on the Windows 8 Release Preview. I ran the Windows 8 Pro Upgrade Assistant and it says all green! just buy the online download for $39.99.

If I buy that. Will I be able to do a clean install of Windows 8 Pro on my PC? or not?
No I don't have a windows 7 license.

[]SK[]

Zain Adeel, on 26 October 2012 - 11:53, said:

i need some help.

I am on the Windows 8 Release Preview. I ran the Windows 8 Pro Upgrade Assistant and it says all green! just buy the online download for $39.99.

If I buy that. Will I be able to do a clean install of Windows 8 Pro on my PC? or not?
No I don't have a windows 7 license.

If you don't have a licence how are you using Windows now?

[threetonesun]

]SK[, on 26 October 2012 - 11:55, said:

If you don't have a licence how are you using Windows now?

Windows 8 Release Preview didn't require a paid license to use.

[ThePokedPenguin]

I bought the £24.99 upgrade from the upgrade assistant, at the end of the purchase it says "heres your key if you want to install on a different partition"

I then ran the bootable usb that the upgrade assistant made from the download on a completely blank drive, put the key in and it activated fine

[FaiKee]

The "upgrade key" is actually a retail key, so:

Unofficially: the key can be used with MSDN ISO's, MS wouldn't clarify on this, but it has been reported and confirmed by many users,

Officially: A PCBeta guy has asked MS China Customer Service, the key can be transfered to other machine(s), you can check with MS at your location.

[Ibrahim Haseel]

Can anyone tell me how to get windows 8 pro?

[Zain Adeel]

Brilliant!!!
that explains it!

I thought it was maybe preactivated the upgrade... but its a ISO??
sweet!

[+skilithead]

Ibrahim Haseel, on 26 October 2012 - 12:18, said:

Can anyone tell me how to get windows 8 pro?

Depends on your location :

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/buy?ocid=GA8_O_WOL_SM_Meet_FPP_Null

[Ibrahim Haseel]

skilithead, on 26 October 2012 - 12:27, said:

Depends on your location :

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/buy?ocid=GA8_O_WOL_SM_Meet_FPP_Null

u mean?

[+skilithead]

It is available for purchase through the Microsoft store .

[Darrian]

As I have just completed the upgrade twice (sort of) here is what I know. When you complete the purchase using the Windows 8 upgrade advisor, you are given the option to 1) install now, 2) create an installation media (iso?) or 3) keep a shortcut on your desktop to install later. This should indicate that you can burn it to a disc or make a bootable USB and install clean (I know from posts in other threads that these keys can be used for clean installs).

I also discovered that if you have, erm, installed the RTM prematurely and are on a grace period or *cough* activated via KMS, you can activate using the "upgrade" key without having to do an upgrade or clean install. Simply go to your system properties, view activation details, and select to activate with a different key.

[Axel]

Thanks to all of you for your input. So to confirm -

The upgrade key is effectively just a full retail key, clean install can be performed regardless of whether a previous copy of windows is detected AND the license can be transferred to a new computer if desired?

That. Is. Awesome.

[soulburner]

I have a PC that has Windows 8 Release Preview installed. The computer has never experienced any other, earlier version of Windows. Are you guys 100% sure I can buy the $39.99 upgrade and have a fully activated, legal licensed RTM copy of Windows 8 Pro?

Thanks for clarification regarding the option to install on a clean drive, but it seems kind of too beautiful to be true to upgrade a release candidate to pro

[Javik]

FaiKee, on 26 October 2012 - 12:16, said:

The "upgrade key" is actually a retail key, so:

Unofficially: the key can be used with MSDN ISO's, MS wouldn't clarify on this, but it has been reported and confirmed by many users,

Officially: A PCBeta guy has asked MS China Customer Service, the key can be transfered to other machine(s), you can check with MS at your location.

How about the £14.99 key? From what I hear that's more limited and can only be used (non transferrably) on a single PC?

soulburner, on 26 October 2012 - 14:40, said:

I have a PC that has Windows 8 Release Preview installed. The computer has never experienced any other, earlier version of Windows. Are you guys 100% sure I can buy the $39.99 upgrade and have a fully activated, legal licensed RTM copy of Windows 8 Pro?

Thanks for clarification regarding the option to install on a clean drive, but it seems kind of too beautiful to be true to upgrade a release candidate to pro

Do you have a valid XP, Vista, or 7 license for *any* of your computers? Because from what I gather the license doesn't have to be limited to the computer the qualifying upgrade was brought for, as long as you have one computer with a qualifying license you can choose to install your upgrade on another.

[soulburner]

Nope, currently at home I have only the Release Preview - I sold my OEM Windows 7 with my old PC