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Windows 8 Upgrade Price - Includes FREE Media Center Addon
Jul 03 2012 01:40 PM |
Mike
in Media Center
MIcrosoft have announced that it's offering a special promotion for users of Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 who want to upgrade to Windows 8.For those customers, the upgrade will be available beginning at the general availability of Windows 8, (expected to be in October) and running through Jan. 31, 2013.
The cost will be $39.99 via Windows.com, or $69.99 on DVD through local retailers.
As part of the promotion, Media Center can be added "for free" through the "add features" option within Windows 8 Pro after the upgrade, according to Microsoft. That might not seem like much, but had Microsoft said previously that Media Center must be "acquired" via "Add Features to Windows 8" and that Media Center Pack pricing would be "in line with marginal costs."
Before you decide to upgrade, it's worth reading the caveats on what files and apps you can bring with you, especially if you're on a version of Windows older than Windows 7.
From Microsoft's blog:
You will be able to upgrade from any consumer edition of Windows 7 to Windows 8 Pro and bring everything along which includes your Windows settings, personal files, and apps. If you are upgrading from Windows Vista, you will be able to bring along your Windows settings and personal files, and if you are upgrading from Windows XP you will only be able to bring along your personal files.
For those of us who prefer a bare metal start, Microsoft advise "or if you prefer to format your hard drive as part of your upgrade experience, you can do so as long as you boot from media and then format your hard drive from within the setup for installing Windows 8, not prior to it."
15 Comments
Justin
yes.
What if I want to reinstall in 12months time? I'm wondering if I'll have to purchase it.
If you bothered to look at the offer page you would see that it's only available for a period of time, until January 31, 2013.
Additionally the fine print also states "Your product key must be activated no later than January 31, 2013.", the same day the offer expires. Use it or loose it.
To clarify my question above - If I obtain and activate the key now what happens if I have a hard drive crash post 31/1/2013?
Will it activate ok or will I have to pay for it? I wonder if the windows app store will be like the apple store and remember that I have purchased/obtained for an app and won't make me pay for it again.
1. Run the registry editor (regedit)
2. Find the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\OOBE
3. Change the value for 'MediaBootInstall' from 1 to 0
4. Open an elevated command prompt (run as admin)
5. Run the following command: slmgr -rearm
6. Reboot
There seemed to be a bunch of stuff that you can't do until it is activated.