Windows 8 Pro, Ultimate Upgrade $39.99

[polypterus]

So does it allow you to install either 64bit or 32bit yet or is it still determined by the machine you use the upgrade adviser on?

 

[AlexAL]

I just installed Win 8, and this will sound silly, but the first thing that hit me about how my computer feels different, is the different sound effects.

Yes, that's right, I can't believe it, but I like my computer more because it sounds more pleasing because of the different Win 8 default sound effects.

All Windows sound the same to me because i turn sounds off in the first 5 mins after a new installation.

 

[Elixer]

I keep thinking I should do this, I think I'm in the Vista works fine minority. Anybody have some thoughts/advantages for Win 8?

Heh, I still use vista as well.
If you have a touch screen, then win 8 is OK.
Otherwise, for the most part, I don't think it has any "must have" features over vista or 7.

When MS drops support for vista, then you pretty much have to upgrade to something else, but, by that time will win 9 be out, and will it be $40 again for the upgrade ? *shrug*

 

[qliveur]

So does it allow you to install either 64bit or 32bit yet or is it still determined by the machine you use the upgrade adviser on?

I never mess around with the in-place upgrade option, but I'm pretty sure that, just like 7, you can only perform an in-place upgrade if the version that you're upgrading is the same as the one you're upgrading to.

 

[SaurusX]

So does it allow you to install either 64bit or 32bit yet or is it still determined by the machine you use the upgrade adviser on?

The key you buy with the $39.99 will work on either 32bit or 64bit versions. However, the upgrade adviser will only download the same "bit version" as what you're currently on. 32bit Vista will download 32bit Win8, 64bit Win7 will download 64bit Win8, etc.

 

[qliveur]

Damn, thank you.

I totally didn't get what he was asking.

 

[13Gigatons]

The price will be $199.99 on Feb 1st guys so buy it before then if you really want it. Maybe just as an optional upgrade.

$200 is kinda laughable though after the $40 price tag.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Can the upgrade keys be used with any installation media, such as an ISO downloaded via bi*****ent?

 

[Elixer]

The price will be $199.99 on Feb 1st guys so buy it before then if you really want it. Maybe just as an optional upgrade.

$200 is kinda laughable though after the $40 price tag.

I thought I read it will be $80 ?

 

[13Gigatons]

Can the upgrade keys be used with any installation media, such as an ISO downloaded via bi*****ent?

yes.

You may need the slmgr trick to activate though if your doing a clean install.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

In theory if I have a retail vista disk or an XP recovery disk could I use this on a clean install? One where almost all the parts of the original machine are replaced?

 

[13Gigatons]

I thought I read it will be $80 ?

Download the Windows 8 Pro upgrade for $39.99 ERP (regularly priced $199.99 ERP) before Jan 31, 2013

 

[Elixer]

I guess so.
Though, I did see you can get the pro pack for $100.

The Windows 8 Pro upgrade edition will be available online and at retail for $199.99 MSRP (U.S.).
The Windows 8 upgrade edition will be available online and at retail for $119.99 MSRP (U.S.).
The Windows 8 Pro Pack will cost $99.99 MSRP (U.S.).
The Windows 8 Media Center Pack will cost $9.99 MSRP (U.S.).

http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/...e/2013/01/18/update-on-windows-8-pricing.aspx

 

[ICXRa]

Well this looks like the best option to upgrade a few of my rigs from XP. I like having a physical real Microsoft DVD as backup, and don't mind paying $15 bucks for it, but would rather not have to buy three of them at $15 each for the same OS. If I were to purchase three of these upgrades would one back up disk work for all of them, or are the keys specifically tied to the back up disk?

 

[sze5003]

Well this looks like the best option to upgrade a few of my rigs from XP. I like having a physical real Microsoft DVD as backup, and don't mind paying $15 bucks for it, but would rather not have to buy three of them at $15 each for the same OS. If I were to purchase three of these upgrades would one back up disk work for all of them, or are the keys specifically tied to the back up disk?

All that matters is the key. You can install the os with any key from the ms website. You can use one of their standard install keys that are available online. But to activate it correctly you would use the key they give you when you purchased the upgrade.

 

[magomago]

can i buy multiple copies of win8? I have 3 licences of win7, but only 1 of them is installed on a PC (yup I stock up when I can). I'd like to have 3 liscenes of win8 as well...will I have to open them up and put them on an old dummy pc to get the win8 key?

 

[sze5003]

can i buy multiple copies of win8? I have 3 licences of win7, but only 1 of them is installed on a PC (yup I stock up when I can). I'd like to have 3 liscenes of win8 as well...will I have to open them up and put them on an old dummy pc to get the win8 key?

You can get as many copies as you want. It's key related not software. You buy them and download them. When it asks what to do say download as an image and it will just save it on your pc or a USB. They will email you the codes.

 

[Monotaur]

Does anyone know where the downloaded file resides? And if I can easily extract the install media myself? I don't want to install the upgrade now (honestly, I want to do it cleanly on a new PC most likely), and so went through the installer to purchase, etc, and at the very end chose "Install later from desktop" rather than any of the "Install now..." options.

Did I miss my opportunity to extract the .iso to a disk of some variety (USB, DVD, external drive, etc)? When I tried to re-run the upgrade .exe from the desktop, it wanted me to re-purchase...

Thanks!

 

[Carson Dyle]

I did the exact same thing. I posted in another thread that you can download either an ISO or a USB image from the following page. Just click the 'Install Windows 8' button and then run the setup program that is downloaded.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/upgrade-product-key-only

 

[sze5003]

Choose install later and you should have an option to make a USB drive.

 

[darkewaffle]

Yea, if you need to re-create the install media just run the Upgrade Advisor again and say you want to Install Windows. When it asks what you want to "keep" just pick "Nothing" and it'll download the install files; then it'll prompt you to create a DVD, write a USB drive, or I think install directly. Just pick whichever of the first two you want. It also asks you for your key again at some point iirc.

 

[Monotaur]

Yea, if you need to re-create the install media just run the Upgrade Advisor again and say you want to Install Windows. When it asks what you want to "keep" just pick "Nothing" and it'll download the install files; then it'll prompt you to create a DVD, write a USB drive, or I think install directly. Just pick whichever of the first two you want. It also asks you for your key again at some point iirc.

Thank you sir, this worked perfectly. I'm not sure why the Windows 8 installer didn't give me this option directly the second time I ran it last night.. weird. Oh well.

 

[ElFenix]

what's the size of the full 64 bit iso? i just downloaded the 'keep nothing' iso from MS and it came out to about 2.8 gigs, well short of the release candidate's size of 3.5 gigs.

 

[sze5003]

what's the size of the full 64 bit iso? i just downloaded the 'keep nothing' iso from MS and it came out to about 2.8 gigs, well short of the release candidate's size of 3.5 gigs.

Yeah its around 2.4 or 2.8 I have it somewhere. You have the correct one.

 

[ElFenix]

Yeah its around 2.4 or 2.8 I have it somewhere. You have the correct one.

thanks


the installer tells me the key can't be verified. i'm trying to put this on a new hard drive on a friend's laptop and didn't want to blow out her old hard drive (which is full) to install windows. is the installer looking for a previous version of windows? seems to me most people who've had to do tricks to get 8 to work on a formatted drive did activation tricks after installing windows 8. didn't see anything in operating systems about this.