New SSD Install Win 8 RTM or wait....

Pdog

Pdog

Pdog

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Peeps,
Looking for a bit of advice,

I have just purchased a Samsung 830 SSD from OCuK.

I currently have Windows 7 installed, I don't really want to install Windows 7 only to be installing windows 8, five to six weeks later when the retail copy is out.

Looking around I see a certain retailer is offering Windows 8 on pre-order for £49.99 (Clearly stating that it is is the full edition)

When the new SSD arrives next week, could I install Windows 8 RTM, and re-arm it until I buy the retail copy?

Would this be possible?

What would you do?
 
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You can install the Release Preview, and then do an upgrade with the retail disk. However you will have to reinstall all your apps and stuff like that, you just get all your data stored in Windows.old to get back.

I have Windows 8 Pro installed on here, which I upgraded from Windows 8 release preview.
 
I am pretty you can install Windows 8 without a key. I did it in a vm, although I can't recall how many days I had to activate.

So in theory I could do a clean install with Windows 7 Retail
Upgrade tol Windows 8 pro RTM
keep re-arming until October 26th (if I get 30 days per re-arm) and then use the key once I purchase the upgrade from MS?
 
hmm,

Looking at it from another angle If I buy the £25 upgrade on October 26th does that allow a clean install, or will Windows 7 have to be installed prior to installing?
 
MS have been cagey and not outright said, it's on one of their blog comments, but it basically says you shouldn't need to have installed a prior version as long as you have a qualifying license - how that will be checked is unknown.
 
Thanks,
Look like Windows 7 it is, then Windows 8 Upgrade when available in October.
 
Windows 8 only takes 10 mins to do a clean install. Also it should be fairly fast to do an in place upgrade. It's not like older versions of Windows where a clean install is almost mandatory, but if you wanted to once you have it licensed and installed on your machine, Windows 8 can perform a factory reset - again it only takes about 10-20mins and removes all traces of your previous install.
 
I can't install windows 8 pro RTM without the key as you said. I think Windows 7 is the way i'll go and then either do an in place upgrade when the time is right.

Thanks for the heads up.
 
Yep, I was meaning in my last post - if you went the Win7 then upgrade route, Win 8 is pretty painless to install or reset even if it's a clean install you're bothered about :)
 
Done a bit of research, I can amend the ISO, it then prompts which version to install and it doesn't prompt for the key :)

Decisions, decisions, decisions
 
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