Fresh install Windows 8 Pro (purchased via Upgrade)

[chrisgt]

Hi all,

I am looking at buying a Samsung SSD (currently using an Agility 3) and want to do a fresh install of Windows 8 Pro.

My current SSD had a 64bit version of Win 7 Home Premium, which I used the Windows 8 Pro upgrade on. So I have the product key on an e-mail, but I want to install Windows 8 Pro on the new SSD and format the Agility.

How do I go about doing this, without having the first install Win7 and follow the upgrade process? I don't have the Win8 media as it was all done via the upgrade tool...so I thought I could get the ISO from the aforementioned Upgrade tool, but when I try running it now (from http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows/buy) it says 'Sorry, Windows 8 isn't available for online purchase in the country/region that you're in.' I'm in the UK?!?

What gives?

 

[yashiro]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQyxD-ifsGo

 

[JAzz]

Just create either a DVD or a USB stick with Windows 8 on it. Put your new SSD in, boot from the DVD/USB, do a fresh install and it should be fine.

 

[Elevon]

Hi all,

I am looking at buying a Samsung SSD (currently using an Agility 3) and want to do a fresh install of Windows 8 Pro.

My current SSD had a 64bit version of Win 7 Home Premium, which I used the Windows 8 Pro upgrade on. So I have the product key on an e-mail, but I want to install Windows 8 Pro on the new SSD and format the Agility.

How do I go about doing this, without having the first install Win7 and follow the upgrade process? I don't have the Win8 media as it was all done via the upgrade tool...so I thought I could get the ISO from the aforementioned Upgrade tool, but when I try running it now (from http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows/buy) it says 'Sorry, Windows 8 isn't available for online purchase in the country/region that you're in.' I'm in the UK?!?

What gives?

You can make a bootable DVD for Win8 from ESD folder(it maybe hidden),another option is win8 email will have download link for Win8.

As to clean install do this trick for activation.

The work around for this, while probably not officially supported for obvious reasons (they want more money), is to change a registry key. This was posted for Windows 7 update keys doing the same thing on a forum (though I had an update version AND did a clean install MULTIPLE times without having to do this) but worked without an issue on my laptop running Windows 8 regardless.

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

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_8-windows_install/windows-8-pro-upgrade-product-key-cant-be-used-to/1726d238-98fb-4634-a468-04645a8ee097