Installing windows 8, bye bye vista, advice needed.

[Jason B]

One for Lost and the other computer gurus.

I purchased windows 8 today as it was on special at Hardley Normal. My question is will I need to reload all of my program's once it installs or will it just patch over and around vista.

My machines is a quad core with a graffix and power supply upgrade from new, but vista has been a PITA from day one. The machine now hangs up and generally miss behaves. I have had it looked at and the tech said to can vista.

Any advice appreciated.

Jas

[Bird]

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-AU/windows-8/upgrade-to-windows-8
Before upgrading to Windows 8, we recommend that you run the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant. It scans your current PC to see if it is ready for Windows 8 and then provides a compatibility report and optional steps for you to buy, download, and install Windows 8.


http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33642_7-57505867-292/upgrading-to-windows-8-what-you-need-to-know-faq/


I havent played with 8 yet - I tried but the installation wouldn't work on our laptops at work - dodgey download possibly..

But you should be able to do an upgrade to Win8, and reinstall nothing

IM not a fan of upgrades, I prefer fresh install from scratch.

[Jason B]

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-AU/windows-8/upgrade-to-windows-8
Before upgrading to Windows 8, we recommend that you run the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant. It scans your current PC to see if it is ready for Windows 8 and then provides a compatibility report and optional steps for you to buy, download, and install Windows 8.


http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33642_7-57505867-292/upgrading-to-windows-8-what-you-need-to-know-faq/


I havent played with 8 yet - I tried but the installation wouldn't work on our laptops at work - dodgey download possibly..

But you should be able to do an upgrade to Win8, and reinstall nothing

IM not a fan of upgrades, I prefer fresh install from scratch.

Thanks Mr,

I did look into the upgrade download a while back. However today I actually purchased the windows 8 pro software from Hardley Normal. So I have the disks etc. I too would like to do a full install and start from scratch as I believe this is what my system needs, but there are a few program's I don't have the disks for if you know what I mean.

Can I save the program files somewhere and reinstall or do I actually need to have the original disks and product keys.

Jas

[Bird]

Thanks Mr,

I did look into the upgrade download a while back. However today I actually purchased the windows 8 pro software from Hardley Normal. So I have the disks etc. I too would like to do a full install and start from scratch as I believe this is what my system needs, but there are a few program's I don't have the disks for if you know what I mean.

Can I save the program files somewhere and reinstall or do I actually need to have the original disks and product keys.

if you can export registry keys for those programs, find out every little hidden file that is used during installation - then you can copy all that elsewhere- - **** that..
download a new version from torrents, much easier, and your upgrading


While at it, put in a larger Hard Drive!

[Jason B]

While at it, put in a larger Hard Drive!

Hey what's the go with the solid state drives, I have herd they are the go? I have a 640gig HD now and two 1TB external hard drives (run in and external drop in dock). It has 8gigs of Ram also.

I am just hoping to get a couple more years out of it.

jas

Ps. What is torrents ?.?

[D4D]

I have recently upgraded an older machine with a 120Gb SSD as a boot disk and 1Tb HDD for data, the improvement is dramatic. Keep in mind most machines are slowed by the performance of the storage subsystem, therefore upgrading an older machine to SSD will give it a few more years of life.

In your situation you could fit an SSD, install Win 8 on that and use all your existing data without migrating it.

[Bird]

Solid State have no moving parts as such so are a lot more durable. but they are fawkin expensive compared to normal Sata in the same size..

I went with sata at home in the new machine, only 4x3TB's at the moment, I'll get a SSD for the Boot drive in a few months when they come down in price.

And the speed you can get with some of the newer ram combined with SSD is amazingly faster.
http://www.overclockers.com/hdd-vs-ssd/
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/260291-32-speed-compared-sata

Ps. What is torrents ?.?

http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/peersharing/a/torrenthandbook.htm
http://isohunt.com/

[Symon]

If you are installing Win8 on a desktop or laptop (ie, not a tablet) you really need to get something like Classicshell - http://www.classicshell.net/

Otherwise the new UI will drive you nuts.

[D4D]

What's wrong with the built-in desktop option? It is funny how people want to make Win8 look like XP

[Bird]

What's wrong with the built-in desktop option? It is funny how people want to make Win8 look like XP

People are used to it. People like familiarity. They just want a bug freer OS (Compared to Vista, Dos 1 would be an upgrade)

Specially when you have old **** users at work that went on stress leave when we went from Office 03 to 07... GOd help us when the next round of PC's show up with 8 or 10 or PPP or what ever it will be called

[Symon]

What's wrong with the built-in desktop option? It is funny how people want to make Win8 look like XP

Have you tried it?

[MIC78C]

IM not a fan of upgrades, I prefer fresh install from scratch.

This ^^

Back up all your stuff to an external drive, if you're not confident, get a 14yo to help

Start with a fresh install, and you won't drag all your old problems along.

BTW, if you thought Vista was a PITA, you wait until you're balls deep into Windows 8.

I have about 180 machines, all running Windows 7 Pro.

[D4D]

Have you tried it?

Win 8, yup I have been using it for months, took a few days to get used to it but now I can't go back.

[Symon]

My major problem is the tile start screen.  I can understand, and quite like, it on a tablet.  Drives me bananas on a desktop.

[Vk3bq]

You could just buy a mac ) (not helping)

[D4D]

My major problem is the tile start screen.  I can understand, and quite like, it on a tablet.  Drives me bananas on a desktop.

Yeah on a non touch device that is a challenge.

[Jason B]

My major problem is the tile start screen.  I can understand, and quite like, it on a tablet.  Drives me bananas on a desktop.

Can't you just right click in the bottom left of the screen? This brings up a control menu very similar to xp I thought?

Jas

[Bird]

Can you downgrade it to Win7 for free?

I'd do that in a heartbeat.

[D4D]

Can't you just right click in the bottom left of the screen? This brings up a control menu very similar to xp I thought?

Yes

[Jason B]

Can you downgrade it to Win7 for free?

I'd do that in a heartbeat.

Lol, I have spoken to people who love and those who hate it. I am sure I will learn to live with it. I just want the bugs within vista gone. It coat me $58 to have a go.

Any one want to come to Bathurst and sort this for me, you blokes are starting to confuse the sh!t out of me.............

Jas

[Bird]

It will install itself. just go with it. What do you have to lose?

But have a Ubuntu disc ready to boot off, so you can get to the interwebs to search for help.
I always have one at home incase of maydays

[D4D]

Any one want to come to Bathurst and sort this for me, you blokes are starting to confuse the sh!t out of me.............

Can it wait until October 13

[Jason B]

Can it wait until October 13

Lol.....will probably still be trying to sort it out then!

[Jason B]

Lost/Symon

Thanks for the links, some interesting reading. I will give it a crack during the week.

Jas

[areyonga]

If you are installing Win8 on a desktop or laptop (ie, not a tablet) you really need to get something like Classicshell - http://www.classicshell.net/

Otherwise the new UI will drive you nuts.

X2

Classic shell was a life saver, or should I say a computer saver as it nearly went out the window because Windows 8 is so much of a change from the previous versions.  Trying to navigate around it was a nightmare until I researched and found the addon.  Classic Shell gives you back the standard start button and all the shortcuts with the toolbar and after a few more surprises with Windows 8 the usability becomes a bit easier.  If I had the choice again I would stick with Windows 7.

The good points of Windows8 over Windows7 are:
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There, you have them all

Trevor
PS: If you go to Windows8 then download ClassicShell,,,,,,,,Its a life saver