Introduction
Okay, so you’ve decided to take the plunge to Windows 8—and, rather than buy a new PC with Windows 8 installed, you want to upgrade your current version of Windows. The big first questions, then: Can you upgrade to Windows 8 directly from your current version, and if so, how?
The answer is yes, so long as you’re currently running Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP, along with the right software updates. And, as we found in our testing and experiments with all three, that upgrade process is generally smoother than it was in years past with previous Windows versions. Prior to Windows 8, many users would install a new version of Windows from scratch. Though more time-consuming than upgrading, a fresh install would ensure a clean, new Windows and circumvent the glitches that sometimes popped up during an upgrade.
You can still do that, and sometimes it's the right (or only) way to do it. But with Windows 8, Microsoft has revamped the "in-place upgrade" process so that it’s relatively stress-free. (An in-place upgrade refers to upgrading the OS on top of an earlier version, without wiping out the drive first. This usually—but not always—preserves your files and/or settings.) We say “relatively,” though, because figuring out the sequence of what you need to do can still be tricky, depending on the circumstances. Where and how do you get the upgrade? Will your files and applications survive the trip? And how much will it cost you?
In this article, we clear up many of the questions and mysteries surrounding the Windows 8 upgrade. We explain where to find it, how to apply it, and what to expect when it’s all finished. Note, however, that we're talking here strictly about the in-place upgrade process. It will be different for you if you're building a Windows 8 PC from scratch, or wiping off the hard drive on your current PC and starting the install from zero. (In the latter case, you might choose to do that to clean up a messy PC, or because the OS version you're currently running requires it.) Those eventualities would require an OEM, or "System Builder," version of Windows 8, which is a different animal than what we're dealing with here.
Do You Qualify for the Upgrade?
You can upgrade directly to Windows 8 from Windows 7, Windows Vista (with or without Service Pack 1), and Windows XP (with Service Pack 3). But what do you get to keep and what will you lose? It depends on which version of Windows you are currently running, as well as, in some cases, which Service Pack you have installed for that version of Windows.
Upgrading from Windows 7
Those of you running Windows 7 are in the best position to jump to Windows 8. If you upgrade from Windows 7, Windows 8 retains all of your applications, customized settings, and personal files and documents, so nothing gets lost.
Upgrading from Windows Vista (with Service Pack 1)
Upgrading Windows Vista with SP1 retains your personal files, your documents, and your customized settings, but your applications will be lost. You’ll need to reinstall all your software from scratch.
Upgrading from Windows Vista (without Service Pack 1)
Upgrading from Vista without SP1 keeps your personal files intact, but not your applications or customized settings. In this case, you’ll have to install SP1 beforeupgrading to Windows 8 if you want to retain your settings.
Upgrading from Windows XP (with Service Pack 3)
Finally, upgrading to Windows 8 from XP with SP3 keeps your personal files in place, but you’ll lose your applications and customized settings.
The Bottom Line
So, to summarize: Except for you lucky Windows 7 users, the rest of you will need to make sure you have all of the appropriate software installation discs or install files handy to reinstall your programs once Windows 8 is up and running.
Just as important: Whichever version of Windows you're starting from, we also recommend performing a full backup of your current version of Windows before you attempt the upgrade. At the very, very least, you should make certain that your documents and critical files are backed up before moving forward. Though the upgrade promises to retain your personal files, it doesn’t hurt to err on the side of safety.
One other thing you need to factor in is the architecture of Windows you're coming from and going to: 32-bit or 64-bit. If your current version of Windows is a 32-bit one, you can upgrade directly only to the 32-bit version of Windows 8. Likewise, if your current version is 64-bit, you can upgrade to the 64-bit version of Windows 8. But if you want to shift between architectures (say, from a 32-bit version of Windows 7 to a 64-bit version of Windows 8), you’ll need to perform a clean install.
Note that the promotional pricing Microsoft is offering until Jan. 31, 2013, is for Windows 8 Pronot the standard version of Windows 8. For most users, the Professional edition is preferable, seeing as it includes such options as Remote Desktop and BitLocker encryption, and gives you the ability to add Windows 8’s Media Center module for free.
Upgrade Pricing (and How to Get It)
Here in early January 2013, upgrading to Windows 8 Pro will cost you $69.99 to get the software on a DVD or $39.99 to download the program. That price holds for Windows 7, Vista, and XP users. Choosing the $39.99 download is a good way to save cash, since you can always burn the downloaded file onto a DVD yourself.
If you bought a PC recently, though, you may have an even cheaper option. Those of you who purchased (or may still buy) a Windows 7-based PC between June 2, 2012, and January 31, 2013, can download the Windows 8 Pro upgrade for just $14.99, saving you a cool $25.
You can upgrade a maximum of five PCs under either deal, with each PC costing you $14.99 or $39.99 to upgrade. Both deals are good only until January 31, 2013, after which time Microsoft's Windows 8 upgrade prices will increase substantially. On Jan. 18, Microsoft announced that the Windows 8 Pro upgrade edition would increase five-fold, to $199.99; a Windows 8 (non-Pro) upgrade edition would be $119.99; and the Windows 8 Pro Pack (which upgrades plain Windows 8 to Windows 8 Pro) would be $99.99. (See this Windows blog page for more info.)
Needless to say, that's a massive incentive to do it before Jan. 31, 2013. Before then, you can download the $39.99 Windows 8 Pro upgrade from Microsoft’s "Upgrade now and save" page and the $14.99 Windows 8 Pro upgrade from the company’s Windows Upgrade Offer page. Microsoft’s Program Information page provides a host of details on the $14.99 offer.
As we outlined earlier, upgrading from Windows 7, Vista, or XP differs in terms of which content you get to keep. However, the actual upgrade process is virtually the same across all three versions. You can also download the upgrade using any computer and apply it to a different computer by storing it on a USB stick or saving it as an ISO file to burn onto a DVD.
Downloading the Upgrade
If you bought a Windows 7 PC on or after June 2, 2012, and before January 31, 2013, go to the Windows Upgrade Offer page to get the $14.99 deal, which you can register for until Feb. 28, 2013...
At the $14.99-special Web page, select your region and then fill in the relevant details, such as your name, your e-mail address, and when and where you bought your Windows 7 PC, on the screen shown below.
After you fill out that information, another page pops up asking for your Windows 7 product key...
After you enter the product key, you should receive a response page telling you that the registration was successful. This page will provide you with a registration ID and instructions on how to look for a “promo code” you’ll need to proceed...
The code will show up in your e-mail, or you can fetch it by manually checking the offer site, as shown here...
If you choose not to check the site, check your e-mail: Microsoft will send you a message containing your promo key and a link to download the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant. (Check your spam folders if it doesn't show up.) In that e-mail, click on the button to Download the Upgrade Assistant. The button opens a Web page called Upgrade to Windows 8.
At the Web page, click on the button called Download Upgrade Assistant. That will prompt you to download a file named Windows8-UpgradeAssistant.exe, which you can save in a convenient spot on your PC. (Microsoft’s Upgrade to Windows 8 page provides full details about the Upgrade Assistant. Incidentally, you can also download the Upgrade Assistant from here and run it before you do anything else, to see if the Windows 8 upgrade is right for your PC.)
If it's before Jan. 31, 2013, and you purchased your Windows 7 PC before June 2, 2012, or you’re upgrading from Vista or XP, then you’ll need to head to this Microsoft page to grab the $39.99 deal. At that page, click on the button that says: “Download Pro for $39.99 ERP.” That will prompt you to download the Windows8-UpgradeAssistant.exe file.
Running the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant
Whether you scored the $14.99 deal or the $39.99 offer (or you have to pay the higher prices later), the Upgrade Assistant process is the same.
Double-click the Windows8-UpgradeAssistant.exe file to start the ball rolling. The Upgrade Assistant will check your Windows environment to see which applications and devices are compatible with Windows 8, and which ones are not. In Windows XP and Vista, the Upgrade Assistant will also remind you that you’ll have to reinstall your compatible applications and hardware devices in Windows 8.
After the compatibility scan completes, click on the compatibility details to see the full list. The items listed under “For you to review” are the ones deemed incompatible with Windows 8. Each item should provide a link that you can click on to view more information. In some cases, you may need to upgrade an application or driver; in other cases, you may have to find a replacement. The items listed under “Compatible,” like you can see in the sample screen below, are the ones that should work fine under Windows 8...
To proceed, close the compatibility-details list and click Next. In Windows 7, the Upgrade Assistant asks whether you want to keep your Windows settings, personal files, and apps; just your personal files; or nothing. In Windows Vista and XP, the program asks if you want to keep personal files, or keep nothing. Choose the appropriate option (depending on what you want to keep) and then click Next.
The Upgrade Assistant displays a screen prompting you to order the Windows 8 Pro upgrade for $39.99. Click on the order button...
The Review Your Order screen gives you an option to include Windows 8 on a DVD for an additional $14.99. Choose that option if you wish to receive the physical media. Leave it off if you just want the downloaded file. Then click Checkout...
At the next screen, fill in your billing address and other information. Click Next...
Select a payment method at the next screen, either credit card or PayPal. Click Next.
At the "Confirm your order" information screen, the shopping cart will show a price tag of $39.99 plus tax. Those of you who purchased a Windows 7 PC on or after June 2, 2012, should enter the promo code that you received in your upgrade e-mail into the promo code field on the form. Click Apply. You should then see the price drop to $14.99 plus tax, as it did here...
The rest of you can leave the order as is. Click the Buy button to complete the purchase.
The next screen thanks you for your order and displays your product key. You’ll also receive a confirmation e-mail with the details of your order and the Windows 8 p
Downloading & Running the Installer
Once you've clicked Next, the Upgrade Assistant will download Windows 8. You may want to take a nice, long coffee break at this point, since the download will run for quite a while.
Set it to work, and the Upgrade Assistant will check the downloaded file for integrity and get it ready, tasks that might extend your coffee break a bit further. Pour another cup.
After the download is complete, the Upgrade Assistant pops up to offer you three choices:
1) You can install the software now to upgrade your current PC (the one to which you downloaded the file).
2) You can create the installation media on a USB drive or an ISO file (which you can burn onto a DVD) to install on a different PC.
3) You can download the installation software on your current PC to install at a later time.
Pick the appropriate option and then click the Close button. For example, if you want to apply the upgrade to a different computer than your current one, pick option 2 to create the installation media. Otherwise, pick the first option to install it now on your current PC.
The Upgrade Assistant takes you through a few screens, getting itself ready to install Windows 8. A "Ready to install" screen confirms your selection. Click Install to proceed.
The Windows 8 installation will kick off and then reboot your PC at some point. Your job for now is to just sit back and let it do its stuff, or grab yet another cup of coffee. By now, decaf is probably a good idea.
After your PC reboots, you’ll see the Windows 8 Personalize screen. Choose the color scheme you wish to use for your Start screen. Click Next.
At the Settings screen, choose whether you want to use Express settings or customize each setting separately. This screen explains the options that are enabled if you choose Express settings. You can always choose Express settings for now and then go back to tweak individual settings after Windows 8 has been set up. In that case, click the "Use express settings" button...
At the "Sign in to your PC" screen, enter your e-mail address if you already have a Microsoft account and wish to use that to log in to Windows 8. Then click Next. Otherwise, click on the link to "Sign up for a new e-mail address" if you want to create a Microsoft account, or click on the link to "Sign in without a Microsoft account" if you want to use a local account for Windows 8. You can also click on the Skip button to use the same account that you used with your previous version of Windows. For this example, we’ll use an existing Microsoft account...
If you use a Microsoft account, Windows will prompt you for its password...
Then, at the "Add security info" screen, Windows will prompt you to confirm or enter a phone number that can be used to verify your account, should you ever forget your password.
Windows 8 creates your account and finalizes your settings. In the meantime, you’ll see a quick tutorial on how to use the hot corners in the new OS. (It’s well worth your time viewing it, if it’s new to you.) Windows takes a few more minutes to ready your PC and install some apps, and then finally you’re plopped onto the Start screen where you can start snooping around your new OS...
Your next step may be to confirm exactly which items were retained from your old operating system and which items are gone. If you upgraded from Windows 7, then all of your applications, customized settings, and personal files should be intact. If you upgraded from Windows XP or Vista, on the other hand, you’ll need to reinstall your applications and possibly recreate your customized settings.
Upgrading to a new version of Windows is always time-consuming. But the road to Windows 8 is certainly less bumpy than previous upgrades. And since the $14.99 and $39.99 Windows 8 Pro upgrade deals won’t last much longer, now is the right time to upgrade your current PC if you want to dive into Windows 8. Once you’re in and running, you’ll then want to check out our mega-guide, “Windows 8 Mega-Guide: 50 Insider Tips” to turn yourself into a Windows 8 pro (small “p,” there, mind you) in no time.
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