Can I keep Windows 8 Release Preview when Win 8 comes out or will I have to reinstall

Phusius · Jun 13, 2012, 10:59 AM

I want to try out Windows 8 Release Preview on a new hard drive I just got that is blank, I have the ISO image ready to go on a flash drive. When Windows 8 comes out retail, can I just buy the CD Key and input it or will I have to re-install everything again?

Mussels · Jun 13, 2012, 11:06 AM

it wont deactivate when retail comes out (that will happen later, at a preset date), but yes to upgrade you will need to reinstall.

btarunr · Jun 13, 2012, 11:09 AM

Yes, you will have to do a clean install to move from Release Preview to RTM/Retail.

Phusius · Jun 13, 2012, 11:09 AM

Thanks Mussels, that is a shame. I would hate to have to re-download everything again. I think I will just use my Win 7 OEM install and be done with it.

qubit · Jun 13, 2012, 11:45 AM

Yes it's true, as the others have said there's no upgrade path between a pre-release OS and the final version.

Also, the pre-release version will stop working in some way a while after RTM comes out. For Windows 7, the beta would blue screen every two hours, with no warning. I think this wasn't a fair way to disable it, as there should have been a five minute countdown timer or something, but there you have it. Chances are that Windows 8 beta will bomb out in a similar way.

BarbaricSoul · Jun 13, 2012, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by qubit

I think this wasn't a fair way to disable it, as there should have been a five minute countdown timer or something, but there you have it. Chances are that Windows 8 beta will bomb out in a similar way.

Well, the blue screening did start happening like almost a year after RTM was released. That's what finally got me get my RTM copy of 7. I can't complain about it. From the start of 7's beta until the beta started blue screening, I got about 18 months of use out of 7 for free, IIRC.

I could be off some on the amount of time I used 7 beta, but I started using it the first week the beta started, and I got my copy of RTM 7 about 2 weeks after the beta started blue screening. So however long that is, I got to use 7 for free for that time.

Kreij · Jun 13, 2012, 01:38 PM

Seems kind of silly that they couldn't just have Windows Update remove any beta code and install RTM code once you have a valid RTM key so you don't have to do a complete system re-install. (shrug)

Phusius · Jun 14, 2012, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kreij

Seems kind of silly that they couldn't just have Windows Update remove any beta code and install RTM code once you have a valid RTM key so you don't have to do a complete system re-install. (shrug)

My point exactly. Thanks.

Jun 13, 2012, 10:59 AM	#1
Phusius Banned Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 1,262 (2.98/day) Thanks: 621 Thanked 380 Times in 208 Posts System Specs	Can I keep Windows 8 Release Preview when Win 8 comes out or will I have to reinstall I want to try out Windows 8 Release Preview on a new hard drive I just got that is blank, I have the ISO image ready to go on a flash drive. When Windows 8 comes out retail, can I just buy the CD Key and input it or will I have to re-install everything again?

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Jun 13, 2012, 11:06 AM	#2
Mussels Doctor Moderator Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bendigo, Australia (NOT THE USA) Posts: 34,550 (10.97/day) Thanks: 3,699 Thanked 8,689 Times in 6,389 Posts System Specs	it wont deactivate when retail comes out (that will happen later, at a preset date), but yes to upgrade you will need to reinstall. __________________ Edumacational thread about PC Audio My external HDD's.5x samsung 1TB + 2x Seagate 1.5TB = 8 TB external storage 32 Bit OS vs 64 bit OS information How to get hardware accelerated H264 playback (DXVA) Netbook Owners United!

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Jun 13, 2012, 11:09 AM	#3
btarunr Editor & Senior Moderator Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Hyderabad, India Posts: 14,982 (7.31/day) Thanks: 788 Thanked 12,896 Times in 5,648 Posts System Specs	Yes, you will have to do a clean install to move from Release Preview to RTM/Retail. __________________ Gadgets, Phones, Tablets, Cameras, TVs, HiFi...NextPowerUp

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Jun 13, 2012, 11:45 AM	#5
qubit Overclocked quantum bit Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Quantumville UK Posts: 8,643 (4.34/day) Thanks: 4,171 Thanked 3,301 Times in 1,941 Posts System Specs	Yes it's true, as the others have said there's no upgrade path between a pre-release OS and the final version. Also, the pre-release version will stop working in some way a while after RTM comes out. For Windows 7, the beta would blue screen every two hours, with no warning. I think this wasn't a fair way to disable it, as there should have been a five minute countdown timer or something, but there you have it. Chances are that Windows 8 beta will bomb out in a similar way. __________________ Siggie in the post.

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Jun 13, 2012, 01:38 PM	#7
Kreij Hardcore Monkey Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cheeseland (Wisconsin, USA) Posts: 12,112 (5.28/day) Thanks: 591 Thanked 5,490 Times in 2,934 Posts System Specs	Seems kind of silly that they couldn't just have Windows Update remove any beta code and install RTM code once you have a valid RTM key so you don't have to do a complete system re-install. (shrug) __________________ Cloud (noun, singular): A dynamic arrangement of multiple potential single points of failure, with a user at one end and their data at the other. Get more tech news on a wide variety of topics at NextPowerUp

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