Windows Windows 8 Pro promotion >> ENDED <<

[adam_bagpuss]

only problem ive got is the bloody creative drivers. Has anyone else had sound issues.

Basically my sound does not work until i change the preset from game to music or vice versa in creative audio panel. Every restart or cold boot loses the sound.

Ive tried re-installing the driver, installing the beta driver, disabling fast boot.

Anyone have any thoughts ?

[cpl]

Originally Posted by GoodBytes

Windows 8 Upgrade follows the RETAIL license, so it will not be locked to the system.
You can do a clean install with Windows 8 Upgrade.

Many thanks for your full and clear reply, GoodBytes, finally I understand :-)

Upgrading from Vista OEM to W8 retail for £25 appears to real bargain, IMO! I will certainly do this before the end of the month.

[NigelT]

I decided this morning to purchase a 3rd license for my HTPC. I won't install it yet though.

I was a bit annoyed last night when I added the Media centre features and nothing was downloaded, it's all there already, seems a bit of a cheek asking people in the future to pay for it. It didn't even access the internet to activate!

[RichCreedy]

Originally Posted by NigelT

I was a bit annoyed last night when I added the Media centre features and nothing was downloaded, it's all there already, seems a bit of a cheek asking people in the future to pay for it. It didn't even access the internet to activate!

you are paying what Microsoft has to pay to license it, it might be already there, but, to use it you need the license.

[faugusztin]

Originally Posted by NigelT

I was a bit annoyed last night when I added the Media centre features and nothing was downloaded, it's all there already, seems a bit of a cheek asking people in the future to pay for it. It didn't even access the internet to activate!

It is exactly the same thing a the MPEG2 and VC-1 licence for Raspberry PI. The firmware knows how to decode those using the integrated graphics core, but you need the serial number to enable the feature due licencing requirements.

[GoodBytes]

Originally Posted by adam_bagpuss

only problem ive got is the bloody creative drivers. Has anyone else had sound issues.

Basically my sound does not work until i change the preset from game to music or vice versa in creative audio panel. Every restart or cold boot loses the sound.

Ive tried re-installing the driver, installing the beta driver, disabling fast boot.

Anyone have any thoughts ?

Ah yes Creative. Creative wants you to buy a sound card for every version of Windows (I kid you not). The exception was with Vista where you had the law suit and everything, which forced Creative to make the Vista drivers for all cards. My X-Fi under Windows 7, ""lost"" (purposely removed) some features related to surround sound, so I didn't care as I only have a 2.1 setup. Then by the time Windows 8 is out is remove any traces of drivers for the card no mater what OS you have. As my sound card was VERY picky with hardware configurations in any case, and I had a lot of freezing issues where the sound card itself would freeze (reboot doesn't fix it, if you have to shutdown and cut the power to the motherboard to really cut the sound card of power to fix it). I had other problems with my previous computer, including not working if I had 4GB of RAM (3GB it was happy).

Anyway, I got the Xonar Essence STX, after all these years of suffering, works great on Windows 8, has drivers for it. They are alternative drivers for it as well, but I didn't need them, as the official ones works perfectly.

Anyway, in your case, you can try PAX alternative drivers for your sound card.
http://www.paxyoursoundout.com/pax/d...iversmain.html
(there isn't any Windows 8 drivers, but 7 should work).

[RichCreedy]

I have one of the older x-fi fatality cards, working on win8, I do have a minor issue, in that the sound stops working, but going into the x-fi control panel, switch mode then back again fixes it. i'm using the last set of drivers for that particular card(think they are win 7 ones)

[boiled_elephant]

Originally Posted by RichCreedy

I have one of the older x-fi fatality cards, working on win8, I do have a minor issue, in that the sound stops working, but going into the x-fi control panel, switch mode then back again fixes it. i'm using the last set of drivers for that particular card(think they are win 7 ones)

We've experienced this too. On a fresh loadup with Asus H61 boards, the onboard sound doesn't work even though the driver's in and the control panel works and everything says it's working. The fix in this case (which took a bit of trial and error to discover) was to open Playback Devices and wait a moment, then it seems to 'find' the onboard output and start working. I was hoping it was a one-off but seeeing your post, I wonder whether there's some bugs to iron out in the way w8 handles audio devices.

[azrael-]

So... I bit the bullet and purchased that Win 8 Pro license for DKR 229, even though I continue to loathe the Metro UI. Like others here, I simply wanted to have the opportunity to use it if and when the need should arise and do so by spending as little money as possible.

I've been a bit stumped with the Media Center upgrade, though. Apparently you need to activate that particular key from within your running version of Win 8 Pro on January 31st 2013 at the latest, but what if you have to reinstall Windows at a later date? Would you have to buy another key? Or does the activation possibly modify your product key in such a way that subsequent installs automatically activate the Media Center pack?

[GoodBytes]

Originally Posted by azrael-

I've been a bit stumped with the Media Center upgrade, though. Apparently you need to activate that particular key from within your running version of Win 8 Pro on January 31st 2013 at the latest, but what if you have to reinstall Windows at a later date? Would you have to buy another key? Or does the activation possibly modify your product key in such a way that subsequent installs automatically activate the Media Center pack?

I think Microsoft just generate a key for you, and when you enter it, it registers the key with your license of Windows. So When you re-install Windows, you can use the key again and it will get Media Center, but you won't be able to use the same Media Center key upgrade with another Windows 8.

[azrael-]

Originally Posted by GoodBytes

I think Microsoft just generate a key for you, and when you enter it, it registers the key with your license of Windows. So When you re-install Windows, you can use the key again and it will get Media Center, but you won't be able to use the same Media Center key upgrade with another Windows 8.

That's pretty much how I believe it works, but I'm not sure. Hence my (pseudo) question.

I'm wondering if I should install Win 8 in a VM just to activate the Media Center license, but I'm not sure if I want to associate the key with virtual hardware I'm not really using just to activate a license I'm not even sure I need. Decisions, decisions...

[GoodBytes]

Yea, I understand what you mean. Sadly that is something I can't answer at 100%.

I don't think the key will associate itself with the hardware (as it's a retail license). I mean you'll need to do a phone activation after. that's for sure, but it will work.

[RichCreedy]

ref the media center key, I accidently used a media center key, that had already been used, and couldn't order a new key from the existing incorrectly licensed machine, had to order on another machine, that didn't have it, stop the install, and enter the key on the machine with the unlicensed media center.

[Pookie]

Originally Posted by faugusztin

The most stupid part of promotion ? If you got a device with Windows 8, upgrading to Windows 8 Pro is 69 euros .

I was shocked when I saw the price too. So I ran the upgrade assist on another machine and went throgh the purchase procedure (made sure it was 64bit) and used the product key to upgrade to Pro. Went through absolutly fine and activated instantly saving £25.

[GoodBytes]

Yea, I noticed this too. But if you customize your computer with Windows 8 Pro, it's a 69$ more over the normal price. So it comes to the same point at the end. At least for now, because the 69$ upgrade includes Media Center and DVD playback.

So wait... in fact, you are better off NOT getting the Pro, and get the 69$ upgrade, than get the Pro from the manufacture for 69$ and then cash out 15$ for Media Center add-on for DVD playback.

[cdb]

If I missed the answers to this I apologise,
but can you upgrade from 32bit vista to 64bit win8
and Is a resolution o 1200x 800 a problem as it's below minimum requirements (it's a laptop)
Also, can I download it on my pc and transfer it over to the wifes' laptop for the install?

[GoodBytes]

Yes you can, however you get into a complication. You see, in order for Windows 8 Assistance software which you need to buy and download Windows 8 (it will also scan to see if you meet the minimum requirements of Windows 8), it won't get you the 64-bit version. But rather the 32-bit. Why? Because while it CAN download teh 64-bit version, it can't make as bootable your disk or USB drive for a 64-bit OS, as it needs to write 64-bit long instructions, but your CPU can only process 32-bit.

So you need to run the setup (and cancel it before you start the install process as it will start immediately once your disk or USB flash drive (which you picked as option) is done), on a Windows Vista 64-bit or Windows 7 64-bit system. Or you need to get the in store Windows 8 Upgrade box, which has the 2 disks. Cost more thought.

Windows 8 will work with your resolution. However, I believe Modern UI apps or some features like snapping a Modern UI app on the left or right of the screen will not work.

[cdb]

So I can download it to a usb flash on my desktop (64bit win7 pro) then move it over to the vista 32bit laptop and install 64bit win8 over it?

Just checked the cpu (core duo2 T7300) and it's 64bit capable.

How big is the download?

[GoodBytes]

Yes you can do that perfectly fine. Just be ready to cancel the setup once it prepared the USB flash drive, else it will install Windows 8 on your Windows 7 Pro system

The download is about 3.3-3.4GB if I recall correctly.

Please note, because you will jumping from Vista to Windows 8, let alone 32-bit to the 64-bit version of Windows, the upgrade process will do a clean install. It will take your everything you have in your C:\ drive, move it to a folder called : Windows.OLD, and then install Windows 8 Pro 64-bit. Once Windows 8 Pro is installed, you can delete Windows.OLD folder, if you don't need anything from it.

[modd1uk]

Does this expire tomorrow at midnight or as soon as it hits the 31st ? Got a few family members that want to upgrade :/