Windows 8 Pro US$39.99 Experience - Clean Install? Non Legit Win 7? All Answered.

[coyote]

Also, the Upgrade Assistant guided me to the step till entering the Credit card information. Does that mean, it has validated the CD key on my windows is valid & eligible for the USD$39.99 version?

Say, if my existing XP is 32bits, will the downloaded USD$39.99 version be 32bits or 64bits? Of course, everyone would want the 64bits version now.

 

[junialum]

i believe installation is possible.. but activation is not
i am more curious is if its possible to activate after the installation on a blank hdd.

The system I tested it on was instantly activated after a clean install. The SSD it was installed on had Win 7 partitions removed and the entire drive formatted.

But you can say that the Windows 8 installation did see the Win 7 partition before I deleted / reformatted within the Windows 8 setup program. So, may not be the same as a blank drive.

 

[Jas007]

I will test this out next week on another system. Break all partitions and secure delete the SSD before allowing the Win 8 installation disc to touch it.

i cant help but wonder :

does the option to :
1) keep personal files
2) keep nothing
3) do nothing (cant exactly rem this 3rd option actually)

when making online purchase plays a part as to whether one can do a fresh installation from new HDD or SSID ?

suspect it might play a part else why ask which option anyway ...

i purchased mine under "keep personal files" but have not yet decided as to when i wanna do an upgrade from my Win7 ...

next Q : is there a time limit as to when i MUST install this upgrade ? i suspect and hope not ... but best to seek assurance

 

[Irenicus]

Is it possible to dual boot with this Windows 8 Pro download version and an existing Windows 7 installation?

 

[junialum]

Also, the Upgrade Assistant guided me to the step till entering the Credit card information. Does that mean, it has validated the CD key on my windows is valid & eligible for the USD$39.99 version?

Say, if my existing XP is 32bits, will the downloaded USD$39.99 version be 32bits or 64bits? Of course, everyone would want the 64bits version now.

If you follow through the upgrade assistant I'm pretty sure you'll get upgraded to 8 Pro 32bit.

Upgrading from 32bit XP/Vista/7 to 64bit Windows 8: You have to start fresh. Cannot keep stuff.

I googled around for you. No one has said much about doing this after the launch (well it's only been 24 hours).

You can try 2 things: Download the 64bit RTM ISO from bitorrent. Check the MD5 checksum to ensure its legit and untampered with. This is not pirating. The ISO is freely available. It is the product key that counts. Then attempt a clean install with the product key you got from the upgrade assistant. What you are doing here is basically exactly the same as a normal upgrade. Except, instead of using the 32bit Win 8 Pro ISO that the Upgrade Assistant will prompt you to download, you are using a 64 bit ISO instead.

Upgrade as per normal to 32bit Win 8 Pro and then in Win 8 pro upgrade to 64 bit.

I frankly am not sure if either methods will work but these are the paths makes sense to me.

You might also want to check if your CPU (processor chip) is 64 bit compatible. I have this impression that the chip is pretty old. During the Win XP days 64 bit was like unheard of (and WinXP64 was terrible).

 

[junialum]

i cant help but wonder :

does the option to :
1) keep personal files
2) keep nothing
3) do nothing (cant exactly rem this 3rd option actually)

when making online purchase plays a part as to whether one can do a fresh installation from new HDD or SSID ?

suspect it might play a part else why ask which option anyway ...

i purchased mine under "keep personal files" but have not yet decided as to when i wanna do an upgrade from my Win7 ...

next Q : is there a time limit as to when i MUST install this upgrade ? i suspect and hope not ... but best to seek assurance

Good point. I don't know! Haha. I chose Keep Nothing all the way. I'm a clean install type of person. But a good guess would be it won't affect the ISO that you are prompted to download. Whether it affects your key is another thing.

Nah there's no time limit after you purchased and received your key.

 

[junialum]

If you need a secondary knowledge hive for Win 8 upgrading you can also try mydigitallife forum. They have very experienced people there who do a crazy amount of testing (for the fun of it).

This is my post there of which everyone seems to have 0 trouble upgrading for some reason:
Windows 8 Pro US$39.99 Upgrade works with Windows 7 activated by Daz Loader

This is the main Win 8 forum on mydigitallife:
Windows 8

 

[halocast]

The system I tested it on was instantly activated after a clean install. The SSD it was installed on had Win 7 partitions removed and the entire drive formatted.

But you can say that the Windows 8 installation did see the Win 7 partition before I deleted / reformatted within the Windows 8 setup program. So, may not be the same as a blank drive.

then i think its different.. i was refering to a blank drive.

 

[Just Me]

So the upgrade assistant is needed to run in an exisiting OS like windows 7 to purchase and obtain the windows 8 cdkey?

After obtaining the key, I can just download a RTM ISO and do a clean install?

Ok let me clarify. You cannnot just build a PC and use the US$39.99. Why? Because the US$39.99 offer requires this thing called the Upgrade Assistant.

The Upgrade Assistant runs on an existing version of Windows (XP, Vista, 7) and all it does is 2 things:

1. Let you purchase a full product key after checking your current license (and also app compatibility in case you want to do an upgrade without wiping)
2. Let you download Windows 8 Pro RTM ISO Image (which you can BT it if you want, same thing)

So, the Upgrade Assistant is your door to a Product Key. After you got the key, you can go do a clean install which is what I did.

Also, I have no idea why would ppl choose boxed copy over online download (unless no internet access). It's cheaper to get it online and more convenient as well. Also, this route already tested by me haha.

 

[Cypher02]

After obtaining the key, I can just download a RTM ISO and do a clean install?

The upgrade keys works ok with the Win 8 Pro MSDN ISOs.

 

[iron2000]

I will test this out next week on another system. Break all partitions and secure delete the SSD before allowing the Win 8 installation disc to touch it.

Another thing, what if in addition to a new blank HDD/SSD there is also a brand new motherboard (or just a different motherboard)?

I wonder if the Win8 Upgrade Assistant tag the key it gives with info from the Win7 PC it ran on and then stores it on MS servers, an install key with a profile so it can verify.
Or it just dumbly verify via whats physical on the user's side, the traces of previous Win OS installs.
Or does it go down to what ISO you use the upgrade key on (been reading posts on using MSDN ISOs like the post above )?

 

[Egoistee]

So anyone figured out how to do a clean installation?

 

[twosix]

I'm so excited. Installing the downloaded Win 8 Pro now.

 

[ipad19901]

Question...
------------

I am on Win 732Bit.
Ytd, I online pay & download for the legitimate iso copy of Win 8 Pro.

I need to know if what I downloaded is a win 8 32 bit or 64 bit????
Because I wanted to install Win 8 64 bit.

My friend was on win7 64bit and he download ytd the win to upgrade.
If I get the iso (win8 64bit) from him, can I use my win8 cdkey on his iso?
-- I dunno if the same CDKEY can be use for 32 and 64 bit.

Hope to get a quick answer. Thanks in advance.

 

[Irenicus]

Anyone tried using the downloaded Win 8 and dual booting with it?

 

[junialum]

Question...
------------

I am on Win 732Bit.
Ytd, I online pay & download for the legitimate iso copy of Win 8 Pro.

I need to know if what I downloaded is a win 8 32 bit or 64 bit????
Because I wanted to install Win 8 64 bit.

My friend was on win7 64bit and he download ytd the win to upgrade.
If I get the iso (win8 64bit) from him, can I use my win8 cdkey on his iso?
-- I dunno if the same CDKEY can be use for 32 and 64 bit.

Hope to get a quick answer. Thanks in advance.

Shouldn't be an issue. No harm trying. If your key is legitimate and you run in to trouble can always call MS.

So anyone figured out how to do a clean installation?

Mine was a clean installation that wiped my old Windows 7 partition during the clean install. If you're talking about installing it on a brand new PC, that I'm not sure.

Another thing, what if in addition to a new blank HDD/SSD there is also a brand new motherboard (or just a different motherboard)?

I wonder if the Win8 Upgrade Assistant tag the key it gives with info from the Win7 PC it ran on and then stores it on MS servers, an install key with a profile so it can verify.
Or it just dumbly verify via whats physical on the user's side, the traces of previous Win OS installs.
Or does it go down to what ISO you use the upgrade key on (been reading posts on using MSDN ISOs like the post above )?

In the past Retail versions of Windows can be used on new mobos. OEM (aka System Builder) versions cannot but you could always do a phone activation and tell MS you changed your mobo. In Windows 8, MS relaxed that rule and you can move your windows license just as long your old one is removed. In doubt, just call them.

I have no idea if the upgrade assistant tags the key or subsumes the key or ? haha. Community is testing it so more conclusive results soon. I can only vouch for what I did in the opening post.

 

[tyongchi]

Question...
------------

I am on Win 732Bit.
Ytd, I online pay & download for the legitimate iso copy of Win 8 Pro.

I need to know if what I downloaded is a win 8 32 bit or 64 bit????
Because I wanted to install Win 8 64 bit.

My friend was on win7 64bit and he download ytd the win to upgrade.
If I get the iso (win8 64bit) from him, can I use my win8 cdkey on his iso?
-- I dunno if the same CDKEY can be use for 32 and 64 bit.

Hope to get a quick answer. Thanks in advance.

I read from Microsoft support site that 32 bits cannot be upgraded to 64 bits via upgrade assistant. You need to grab hold of a ISO (64 bits version) to install. The key, I believe, is usable for either version.

 

[Jas007]

ok, i can confirm what my buddy experimented :
he was going to install on his second pc (with second set of keys of cos) ...
1) re-used ISO downloaded previously via microsoft - yes
2) option selected during purchase - Keep Nothing
3) Installed on "new" hdd (old, but reformatted prior to Windows 8 Boot DVD [ie HDD reformatting wasn't done during or by Win8 Boot DVD = New Partion-less HDD - YES, can, successful

 

[coyote]

Think you still did not answer the last part, can your buddy activate successfully doing it that way?

ok, i can confirm what my buddy experimented :
he was going to install on his second pc (with second set of keys of cos) ...
1) re-used ISO downloaded previously via microsoft - yes
2) option selected during purchase - Keep Nothing
3) Installed on "new" hdd (old, but reformatted prior to Windows 8 Boot DVD [ie HDD reformatting wasn't done during or by Win8 Boot DVD = New Partion-less HDD - YES, can, successful

 

[Mem2003]

Never use the windows 8 Upgrade Assistant runs on an existing version of Windows (XP, Vista, 7) but just buy the retail boxed upgrade copy, Windows 8 Pro [Come with 32 bit and 64 bit CD/DVD disc]
Not the digital download copy via run windows 8 Upgrade Assistant then buy from internet [like old is tied to new].

CPU (processor chip) is 32 bit and 64 bit compatible [Intel i5, i7 cores].

So, the Upgrade Assistant is your door to a Product Key. After you got the key, you can go do a clean install which is what I did.

================
Questions:


Can we upgrade from XP SP3 (32) to windows 8 Pro (64)? How to do it? Thanks.



How come we do a clean install to windows 8 Pro (64) on a new SSD/HDD without any previous Windows OS (XP, Vista, 7)? Any guide? Thanks.



Must able to activate successfully with the Given key.
====================

If you follow through the upgrade assistant I'm pretty sure you'll get upgraded to 8 Pro 32bit.

Upgrading from 32bit XP/Vista/7 to 64bit Windows 8: You have to start fresh. Cannot keep stuff.

You can try 2 things: Download the 64bit RTM ISO from bitorrent. Check the MD5 checksum to ensure its legit and untampered with. This is not pirating. The ISO is freely available. It is the product key that counts. Then attempt a clean install with the product key you got from the upgrade assistant. What you are doing here is basically exactly the same as a normal upgrade. Except, instead of using the 32bit Win 8 Pro ISO that the Upgrade Assistant will prompt you to download, you are using a 64 bit ISO instead.

Upgrade as per normal to 32bit Win 8 Pro and then in Win 8 pro upgrade to 64 bit.

I frankly am not sure if either methods will work but these are the paths makes sense to me.

You might also want to check if your CPU (processor chip) is 64 bit compatible. I have this impression that the chip is pretty old. During the Win XP days 64 bit was like unheard of (and WinXP64 was terrible).