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    Windows 8 Update or OEM Version?

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by Carbo, Nov 1, 2012.

  1. Carbo

    Carbo Notebook Consultant

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    Running Windows 7 Pro, 64 bit on a Dell XPS15. I'm considering a move to 8 and I see that MS has that $40 offer available to upgrade.
    My preference when installing a new OS is to do so on a formatted hard drive, wiping the disk clean with Kill Disk or something similar, and writing zeros to the drive. If I do this can I install the upgrade version of 8, or will this require the OEM version?
     
    Carbo, Nov 1, 2012
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  2. Rauch

    Rauch Notebook Consultant

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    I took advantage of this deal myself. I figured $40 for Windows 8 Pro, why not. I'm certainly not feeding into a $100+ OS.

    You are entirely capable of doing a clean install with the upgrade. I did so myself. Although, you can only format with the windows utility, unfortunately. I believe if you get an MSDN iso the key you received will work as well, including with killdisk. My only gripe with this "upgrade" is that the install.wim is an encrypted file (install.ESD) on the upgrade. Which, unfortunately, hampers me from updating, removing, and altering files within the wim.

    When you use that Windows upgrade check utility (or whatever it's called), you'll have to choose the option to not move files over, and to save it as an .iso. to burn to a DVD or write to a USB driver.
     
    Rauch, Nov 1, 2012
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  3. 6730b

    6730b Notebook Deity

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    May be of interest: had Release Preview on a separate hd (used for testing out w8 builds, been trough all of them), and tried the $40 upgrade to pro on it, worked fine!

    No oem, got the full license, did the install from usb stick. The old preview installation + all user files were moved to windows.old as usual.

    So, got the full w8, with no need to sabotage the original w7 installation (and key) on this laptop.

    (Regarding w8, Classic Shell installed within 1 minute and bye,bye to metro)
     
    6730b, Nov 1, 2012
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