really confused.
Based on the Microsoft announcement yesterday, it seemed perfectly clear that Windows 7 was the exclusive upgrade path to Windows 8.
At least that’s what this chart seemed to insinuate:
[caption id="attachment_15938" align="alignnone" width="600"]
upgrade path to Windows 8[/caption]
I wrote about that and had (kinda) made peace with it until I read Mary Jo Foley’s related blog post.
You see she has some very smart commenters on her blog and I take my hat off to aaron44126 who remembered that Microsoft had said something a little lot different last November.
You see in a post last November called “Improving the Setup Experience”, there was a different story about viable upgrade paths.
An excerpt:
Although millions of people choose to upgrade their existing PCs, most people choose to get a new version of Windows preinstalled on a new PC. In the past that often had to do with increasing system requirements in new Windows releases, and the need to purchase new PCs with more power to run the new version. With Windows 7 however, we made a commitment to work on many more existing PCs by keeping system requirements low and maintaining compatibility. We’ve continued that commitment with Windows 8, so many of you with existing PCs can simply upgrade. Looking just at Windows 7 customers, there are currently more than 450 million PCs that will be able to run Windows 8, but we expect that many systems running Windows Vista and even Windows XP will also be eligible.and even later in the post, there was this: [caption id="attachment_15939" align="alignnone" width="600"]
Windows 8 Upgrade path last November[/caption]
This leaves the following options:
- The November 2011 post is accurate and Windows Vista and Windows XP ARE supported for upgrading to Windows 8
- The November 2011 is inaccurate and things have changed –Â Windows Vista and Windows XP ARE NOT supported for upgrading to Windows 8
- Something else I can’t think of right now  🙂
Microsoft Update
So I just got a response from Microsoft’s PR group.Thanks for your question. We have nothing more to share at this time regarding the upgrade path to Windows 8 beyond what has already been mentioned in the blog posts.There you have it. Time for my nap.]]>
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Like I said, leave Windows and go to a different operating system.
What do you suggest, OSX or Linux?
You want to leave Windows just because you can’t do an in-place upgrade? With your logic, you should stay with Windows because you can’t do an in-place upgrade to Linux from Windows either! At least with Windows 8, you can keep your documents and settings; with Linux, you will need to completely wipe the drive. Mac OSX? Oh, it’s worse because you will have to buy a whole new device with a price tag of at least over 1000 dollers. I am not saying other OS’s are bad, but your logic for switching to them doesn’t make any sense.
 I am sure glad MS is going that way, because I have a Vista system and if I cannot upgrade to windows 8 in a normal manner, then a big thank you is in order to MS for telling all those that have supported buying the windows products goodbye, that we (MS) do not care about you because we made billions off of you.
 Here I was thinking of changing all my smart phones, netbooks, notebooks, and even the ipad2,plus buying a smart TV so I could go all 1 brand, (MS), but, with the way they are saying all users of XP and Vista are SOL, then maybe I will just go by way of Apple evn tho it is over priced.
 So sorry when a huge multibillion dollar corporation has to turn down the wrong road, and they are very great at losing customers, etc, if you do research in MS buyout of Danger/Sidekick and caused total disruption to millions just to save a dollar.
 MS needs to think outside the box and do things to keep exsisting customers and bring on new customers.
 In a few months it will be GOODBYE Windows with no turning back.
Calm down dude. We just don’t have the answers yet. It’s not all lost yet….
🙂
Thank you very much for tge update. Enjoy your nap. 🙂
I have used the Consumer Preview setup on a Vista and XP machine. You can upgrade those versions of Windows, as stated on the blog post. However, upgrading from XP or Vista means you can only upgrade documents and settings, and not actual desktop apps.
It would be nice to hear that from the source.
There was a curious workaround going from xp to win7. You needed to borrow a vista install disk — no product key or license was needed, http://www.emulators.com/xp_to_win7.htm . Maybe it would work on this transition too. For xp this would involve two upgrade cycles.
I too moved off “windows” and onto Ubuntu January of 2009. All the upgrade rules and restrictions were just getting silly and ultimately wasteful.
We’ll have to see what Microsoft say…
:))) they have something more to share??? what???? :)))
all is clear since last nov. … let’s not confuse between “upgrade” and “install and run” … w8 will “run” on XP-systems, of course by installing it from ZERO … upgrade was already in nov. deemed as not possible, apart from a few data files .. is that an upgrade??? :)))
You did read the article right?
we have a license for Vista and 7. Now when we do upgrade to win8,Is this license valid forever even in 8,please tell us about this.
I would love to tell you… If I knew.
Looking at what MS wrote I’d say there is no real upgrade path from XP or Vista. I think they are probably just quoting what you can transfer using ‘Windows Easy Transfer’ or something simliar built into the Windows8 installer.
I would guess that most users upgrading from these OS’s will possibly have to use these tools and then do a clean install.
I might be totally wrong but that would fit with what MS has already quoted.Â
Possibly. Hoping to hear more from them…
I wish that for those of us who can’t aford a new motherboard. That Microsoft would remember us and come out with an OS that would work with all drivers and utilitys. No matter if your motherboard drivers and utilitys are for Windows XP or not.
Impossible to do my friend. Too many third paties make drivers and hardware. You are asking Microsoft to do the impossible.
Dear Onuora,
Â
Usually if we have a Single Operating System running on a machine it’s easy to upgrade to a newer Windows version, but this time it’s a different Operating System release by Microsoft. It’s much easier and faster, then why took the hard way if you have a good machine? All we need is a disk space 20 GB on a local disk drive.
Â
I’d like to share how I treat the Windows Product on my Dell Inspiron 8600 machine without the original CD that was sent from your country. I formatted the Hard Drive into multiple fraction drive system and form the structure.
Â
HARD DISK DRIVE Seagate 120 GB:
===========================
C. System Reserve 987MB; D. WINDOWS XP SP3 9.76GB; E.WINDOWS VISTAÂ 14.6GB; F. Process Files 33.3GB;Â G. RESERVE FORÂ WINDOWS DEVELOPER PREVIEW 19.5GB; Dell Utilitiy 4.35GBÂ I. WINDOWS 7 29.2GB.
Â
EXTERNAL DISK DRIVE Seagate expantion portable drive 320 GB:
================================================
L. Important files, M. Computer Utility, N. Astronomy, O. History, P. Multimedia, Q. Websites, R. Flash Disk, S. Urgent Utility, T. Medicine, U. Business On, V. Business Off, W. Photos.
Â
The Windows Boot Manager Configuration before Windows Developer Preview was install from top to bottom; Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Dos. This is the situation when Drive G is still Empty. Simply run the installation on the reserve drive G for Windows Developer Preview from any sources, such as CD, Flash Disk, or even on any drive on the Hard Drive or External Disk drive.Â
Â
Start the computer again from the beginning, and see the difference, nothing is lost or damage.
 Â
Thank you.
Windows 8 so far is amusing but seems to be an answer to a question nobody is asking.
Microsoft’s goals must hinge on some yet unseen piece of magic bullet hardware.
So an upgrade path at this time is premature.