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A new thread just appeared in Soft-Forum by WZOR:

http://soft-forum.ws/threads/microsoft-windows-8-bulid-8888-sign-off-as-final-rtm-build.31966/

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Google translate:

We, (BillGates, Uncle-TSYA and Co) are pleased to inform you excellent news! Microsoft has signed the final "gold code" of the operating system Microsoft Windows 8 RTM (Release To Manufacturing), the final assembly of the gold as expected by us, has become an assembly: 8888.16384.win8_rtm.120724-1555 From now on, the assembly 8888.16384.win8_rtm.120724-1555 has the official status of the final version of Microsoft Windows 8 RTM (Release To Manufacturing), and that this assembly will be posted on Microsoft's subscription resources such as MSDN, it will be available to subscribers at the end of August this year . Also, the assembly 8888.16384.win8_rtm.120724-1555 will be sent to all partners of Microsoft including OEM partners, ie, it is this assembly will be to contemplate a new computer from various PC manufacturers. On September 27 this year, will start selling boxed (RETAIL) versions of Microsoft Windows 8 in stores around the world. We hope that we can provide the final distributions of Microsoft Windows 8 RTM (Release To Manufacturing) earlier than they become available to subscribers of Microsoft, we are working on it. But this does not mean that the distributions are the first place we are. Since then, distributions may fall into the network from anyone who has access to the final distributions, and this is Microsoft's employees as well as large OEM partners, such as Lenovo, DELL, HP i.t.d We wish all to be patient and wait for news.

Yes,I have read that Windows 8 is going to be released on 26th October 2012. But the other day I was talking to a shopkeeper in a computer store. After I bought yet another copy of Windows 7. And I asked him about Windows 8.

And he told me that from what he read Microsoft will only be selling upgrade CDs not full installation CDs like with Windows 7, and the other versions of Windows. Although he said it has not been confirmed.

I hope this is not true because from reading the Windows Forums. All of which advise you to do a clean install NOT an upgrade install. And so I want to do a clean install of Windows 8 on one of my laptops,when the time comes.

But if we can only buy Windows 8 as an upgrade CD,we won't be able to. And this will cause a lot of problems. As say for example,you could not boot into Windows and the computer could not find any OS? Or if something else went wrong with Windows? The only way out is a clean install of Windows to re-install it from scratch. And we won't be able to do that with an upgrade install CD. You would need a full install CD.

So what we would have to do In a situation like that, is to first do a clean install of Windows 7 our old OS. And then once Windows 7 is installed, use the Windows 8 upgrade CD to upgrade to Windows 8. But this is very time consuming and inconvenient for us and me.

Because what I and other Windows 8 users want to do is install Windows 8 in the first place. But if this plan does ahead,I and other users will be faced with the inconvenience of having to first install Windows 7 and get that OS up to date.Before we can go ahead and install Windows 8 by doing an upgrade. This is not practical at all.

And Microsoft say we can upgrade to the final version also from Windows 8 RP. But if our OS crashes after January 2013,Windows 8 RP will no longer be valid then. So we will have to first install Windows 7 or Windows Vista,and then upgrade back to Windows 8.

This is not right. As with every other version of Windows,you have the choice of doing an upgrade install or a clean,custom install. And you have a full installation CD. It should be the same with Windows 8.

But I suppose the good news is that they cannot take Windows 7 CDs off the shelves.Because people who do not have Windows 7,will need to buy a Windows 7 full install CD first. To install the full version of Windows 7.So that they can then install Windows 8 by doing the upgrade install. But still the whole idea is stupid. Andrea Borman.

9200.16384.120725-1247

so 8888 is more than likely NOT RTM

I'd venture to say that 9200 is the first build of the next version, Windows 9, and 8888 is infact RTM, just not sure if it will be 8888.16384 or 16385. I am betting that the issue yesterday was a driver problem not an OS issue, so it will be 16384.

I'd venture to say that 9200 is the first build of the next version, Windows 9, and 8888 is infact RTM, just not sure if it will be 8888.16384 or 16385. I am betting that the issue yesterday was a driver problem not an OS issue, so it will be 16384.

Normally I would agree but this build is in the windows 8 releases folder under win8_rtm, if it was a 9 build it wouldn't be in the win 8 folder.

I don't buy end of August for MSDN. They need to get it and VS2012 in our hands ASAP so there can be more apps in the store before GA.

Exactly, and if 7 was any indication, we'll have it within a week or two of RTM announcement.

Yes,I have read that Windows 8 is going to be released on 26th October 2012. But the other day I was talking to a shopkeeper in a computer store. After I bought yet another copy of Windows 7. And I asked him about Windows 8.

And he told me that from what he read Microsoft will only be selling upgrade CDs not full installation CDs like with Windows 7, and the other versions of Windows. Although he said it has not been confirmed.

I hope this is not true because from reading the Windows Forums. All of which advise you to do a clean install NOT an upgrade install. And so I want to do a clean install of Windows 8 on one of my laptops,when the time comes.

But if we can only buy Windows 8 as an upgrade CD,we won't be able to. And this will cause a lot of problems. As say for example,you could not boot into Windows and the computer could not find any OS? Or if something else went wrong with Windows? The only way out is a clean install of Windows to re-install it from scratch. And we won't be able to do that with an upgrade install CD. You would need a full install CD.

So what we would have to do In a situation like that, is to first do a clean install of Windows 7 our old OS. And then once Windows 7 is installed, use the Windows 8 upgrade CD to upgrade to Windows 8. But this is very time consuming and inconvenient for us and me.

Because what I and other Windows 8 users want to do is install Windows 8 in the first place. But if this plan does ahead,I and other users will be faced with the inconvenience of having to first install Windows 7 and get that OS up to date.Before we can go ahead and install Windows 8 by doing an upgrade. This is not practical at all.

And Microsoft say we can upgrade to the final version also from Windows 8 RP. But if our OS crashes after January 2013,Windows 8 RP will no longer be valid then. So we will have to first install Windows 7 or Windows Vista,and then upgrade back to Windows 8.

This is not right. As with every other version of Windows,you have the choice of doing an upgrade install or a clean,custom install. And you have a full installation CD. It should be the same with Windows 8.

But I suppose the good news is that they cannot take Windows 7 CDs off the shelves.Because people who do not have Windows 7,will need to buy a Windows 7 full install CD first. To install the full version of Windows 7.So that they can then install Windows 8 by doing the upgrade install. But still the whole idea is stupid. Andrea Borman.

From what I know: 1. With a win8 upgrade CD you can still do a clean install, but firstly you need to have a windows XP~win8 on the drive, it doesn't have to be legit, 2ndly you have to do it with a media, after booting from the media, on the choose drive screen there is an option "Drive Options", click on it and you can choose to format, after which you can make a clean install; running the ISO within a windows OS doesn't show this option. 2. From what's told by Thurrott/Mary Jo, MS will provide a "System Builder Series", which are actually OEM(COEM)DVD's that allows you to install on clean drive/VHD/virtual machine/ ; both method had been mentioned in Mr. LeBlanc's blog.

Normally I would agree but this build is in the windows 8 releases folder under win8_rtm, if it was a 9 build it wouldn't be in the win 8 folder.

What if the ARM builds continue for a while? :wacko:

Yeah, future Win9 builds wouldn't be in the RTM folder, they'd be in whatever the winmain branch is etc.

I'm thinking the bump to 9200 all the way from 8888 might be a load of visual changes we haven't seen yet? Or maybe it's just wishful thinking, but regardless, going by past history, whenever they bump the first 2 numbers it often brings some type of big change. When Windows 8 was still back in the 7xxx range we didn't have the start screen, that showed up in the 8xxx line. So who knows what they might have sneaked in for 9xxx? Guess we'll have to wait and see.

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