Windows 8 Upgrade Questions.

[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? :o

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 ;)

[Noir Angel]

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?

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? :o

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 :p

[Lee G. Veteran]

I have Windows 7 and would like to replace it with Windows 8. However, I would like to keep my retail Windows 7 license rather than upgrade it, so I can use it on another computer. I would instead like to upgrade my Windows Vista license that I had installed before Windows 7. Do I have to install Windows Vista and then run the upgrade assistant?

[Noir Angel]

Did you ever have a qualifying copy of Windows on any of your machines? From what I can gather the qualifying copy doesn't have to be installed, you just need to have a valid license for it :) Still, I can't see them beating your door down for it, if you're purchasing a licence you're still making an attempt to own your software legally!

I have Windows 7 and would like to replace it with Windows 8. However, I would like to keep my retail Windows 7 license rather than upgrade it, so I can use it on another computer. I would instead like to upgrade my Windows Vista license that I had installed before Windows 7. Do I have to install Windows Vista and then run the upgrade assistant?

From what I gather, again, the qualifying licence doesn't have to be the one you use to do the upgrade, you just need to have a qualifying licence somewhere so I think you should be safe ;)

[FaiKee]

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?.

Both are the same, retail keys not bundled to a machine, bound by the 1 key 1 machine rule(of course).

[soulburner]

I don't have anything to prove I had a Windows license once.

But... I ran the Windows Upgrade Assistant on my RP and it gave me the option to buy the full version for $39.99!

edit - additional question. If I change my PC's hardware and Windows becomes deactivated (let's say, I exchange my faulty motherboard with a new one), can I reactivate it, or is it bound to this one machine only?

[threetonesun]

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.

Technically, this should be true. What the EULA states, I have no idea.

My understanding was that the OEM copy of Windows 8 was single use, mostly for people building computers to sell to others. So, since there is no other full version around, the upgrade copy would stand to be the full version for everyone else.

[Noir Angel]

Both are the same, retail keys not bundled to a machine, bound by the 1 key 1 machine rule(of course).

How sure are you about that, because the evidence I am seeing in this thread is conflicting? As someone who upgrades regularly I wouldn't want to buy the 14.99 key only to find I was unable to transfer it?

I don't have anything to prove I had a Windows license once.

But... I ran the Windows Upgrade Assistant on my RP and it gave me the option to buy the full version for $39.99!

Legally I'm not sure then, I guess someone here will know the answer though, however your purchased copy will still work

[FaiKee]

How sure are you about that, because the evidence I am seeing in this thread is conflicting? As someone who upgrades regularly I wouldn't want to buy the 14.99 key only to find I was unable to transfer it?

As I said, a PCBeta guy asked MS China, so I guess the best thing to do is to ask MS customer service at your end, if Lady India tells you the same thing, then everybody is happy. :)

[Noir Angel]

Hopefully Brandon will show up and answer these questions soon enough, there still seems to be a lot of confusion.

[o2558804rtrtrcom]

It might not be such easy.

The http://windows.micro...ctivate-windows states:

If you see error 0xC004F061 when you try to activate Windows 8, it means that you're using a product key for an upgrade version of Windows 8 and a previous version of Windows wasn't on your PC when Windows 8 was installed. To install an upgrade version of Windows 8, you must already have Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP installed on your PC.

If you formatted the drive before the upgrade version of Windows 8 was installed, you won't be able to use your upgrade product key to activate Windows 8. To activate Windows 8, you'll need to install your previous version of Windows, and then reinstall Windows 8. For help with the activation process, contact support.

I see some difficulties there. Initially, the customer has Win 7 license and purchased an upgrade to Win 8. At that very time, it loses the Win 7 license as it is replaced by Win 8 license. In the beginning (aka at the time of the purchase) the customer might have the WIn 7 installed and activated, so it can upgrade to Win 8. However, after a hardware failure, the customer is not legally allowed to install Win 7 again (as it no longer have that license), so the customer is not able to process the technical upgrade any more. So it depends how the checks are implemented which might result in the quoted activation error message.

Edit: I have spoken with the Microsoft activation line and after their internal discussion they have agreed on the following.

1) Each time you install the Windows 8 upgrade license it needs to be physically installed as an upgrade from a previous version Windows (ie. it could not be installed on a clean disk). If you install the Windows 8 upgrade license on a clean disk, you need to go through the Microsoft phone activation line and have a call with a live person which provides you a separate code which "fixes" the activation error caused by the clean install.

2) As the Windows 8 upgrade license can be transfered to another computer in the future, you are making just a temporary license replace (upgrade) - ie. after you unassign the Windows 8 upgrade license from a particular computer, you are again a legal user of the license you have upgraded from on that particular computer. When you later on install the WIndows 8 upgrade on another computer, you temporarily "loose" the license you are upgrading from on that another computer. In other words, to use Windows 8 on a computer, you need to assign two licenses to that computer, a previous version of Windows and the upgrade license. These two are not permanently connected, so after removing Windows 8 from that computer you have again two separate licenses, the previous version and the upgrade.

Hope this clears most of the confusions about the Windows 8 upgrade license.

[Axel]

Okay, so conflicting information now. Has anyone managed a clean install AND had no issues activating? I really don't wanna have to dig out my old copy of Vista to do this properly.

[Doli]

I have Windows 8 ready to install from my USB but I wanted to keep an .iso copy but the upgrade assistane wont let me go back and if i try to run it again it goes into install mode. Do anyone know where the .iso is downloaded so i can save it?

edit: Nevermind I ran the "install Windows" program again (3rd time) and it gave me the option to install to .iso

[hobsgrg]

How sure are you about that, because the evidence I am seeing in this thread is conflicting? As someone who upgrades regularly I wouldn't want to buy the 14.99 key only to find I was unable to transfer it?

Legally I'm not sure then, I guess someone here will know the answer though, however your purchased copy will still work

You get the same type of key, the only difference is you get a discount in the checkout process with the lower price

[SiliconGod]

Does the license that comes with the $40 Online Upgrade download support both 32bit and 64bit installs?

I have an older AMD system right now with only 3GB of DDR. I plan to upgrade early next year. So I want to upgrade my Win 7 Pro (32bit) to Win 8 Pro, also 32bit. But then later, after I a major hardware upgrade, I would want to install 64bit Win 8 Pro.

Would this be possible with the Online Upgrade license, or would I need to but an OEM copy from a retailer?

I'm hoping someone can answer, because I haven't seen this addressed anywhere.

Thanks!

SiliconGod

[freeza]

So, If I go to best buy and get Windows 8 Pro for $69 and bring it home, will I be able to install it on a freshly formatted drive with no prior OS?

[Jose_49]

Guys is it possible to purchase the upgrade key only (the one which costs 40$) without downloading Win 8 all over again? I have it as an .iso

[Shane Nokes]

Does the license that comes with the $40 Online Upgrade download support both 32bit and 64bit installs?

I have an older AMD system right now with only 3GB of DDR. I plan to upgrade early next year. So I want to upgrade my Win 7 Pro (32bit) to Win 8 Pro, also 32bit. But then later, after I a major hardware upgrade, I would want to install 64bit Win 8 Pro.

Would this be possible with the Online Upgrade license, or would I need to but an OEM copy from a retailer?

I'm hoping someone can answer, because I haven't seen this addressed anywhere.

Thanks!

SiliconGod

The license supports the SKU, not the architecture when it comes to 32/64. So a key for Pro will work for either 32-bit or 64-bit, but obviously not both at the same time.

[George P Global Moderator]

Guys is it possible to purchase the upgrade key only (the one which costs 40$) without downloading Win 8 all over again? I have it as an .iso

Yes, after you reach the part in the process where you pay and get the key itself you can then cancel out I've read. The next step is the download itself anyways which you already have.

The problem though, with the download option is that you don't get an ISO with both 32bit and 64bit on it. If you get Win8 via the download assistant it will download the same architecture your current Windowns install is. Like in my case I have Win7 32bit installed but want to upgrade to Win8 64bit. If I use the download option it will only give me the 32bit ISO image. If you want to get 64bit like me you have to get the $69.99 DVD which has both 32bit and 64bit on it and then use that to upgrade.

[Shane Nokes]

Yes, after you reach the part in the process where you pay and get the key itself you can then cancel out I've read. The next step is the download itself anyways which you already have.

The problem though, with the download option is that you don't get an ISO with both 32bit and 64bit on it. If you get Win8 via the download assistant it will download the same architecture your current Windowns install is. Like in my case I have Win7 32bit installed but want to upgrade to Win8 64bit. If I use the download option it will only give me the 32bit ISO image. If you want to get 64bit like me you have to get the $69.99 DVD which has both 32bit and 64bit on it and then use that to upgrade.

I believe the DVD version you buy actually has 2 disks in it...one for 32-bit and one for 64-bit. It would be odd if they were both on the same disk due to having different requirements for launching at boot.

[George P Global Moderator]

I believe the DVD version you buy actually has 2 disks in it...one for 32-bit and one for 64-bit. It would be odd if they were both on the same disk due to having different requirements for launching at boot.

Hmm, well I haven't picked up on if there's 2 disks or not but didn't Win7 have it all on one disk? Either way, that's the only option if you want to go from 32bit to 64bit.

[Shane Nokes]

Hmm, well I haven't picked up on if there's 2 disks or not but didn't Win7 have it all on one disk? Either way, that's the only option if you want to go from 32bit to 64bit.

Nope, Vista & 7 have different discs for the different architectures. I believe 8 is the same way...at least I know it is on MSDN & Technet...different ISO's for 32-bit & 64-bit.