How Does the Windows 15.99 Upgrade Work?

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Hey, I had a few questions about this deal they have going on.

1. How does retrieving the Windows 8 work? They said I'll be able to download it. How many times can I download it? Can I download it whenever I want, for instance, I want to download it a year after I purchased the deal?

Microsoft is now taking sign-ups for $15 Windows 8 Pro upgrades, an offer that is available to anyone who purchased a new PC on June 2 or later.

To get this straight, I'd like to know if this copy is the full CD. For instance, if I completely reformatted my computer and ran the download from a USB/CD, will it work? Or must i have windows 7 installed and then perform an upgrade?

2. Can the key I retrieve be used on any computer as well as the Windows 8 I'll be downloading? A friend purchased Windows 8 for me and I'm running it on a laptop that originally came with Windows 7. I still have the Windows 7 key for the computer that now is running Windows 8. If I use my Windows 7 key to get the deal, can I use the Windows 8 key on my wifes computer or is it limited to this computer only (don't think they would be able to track it down, but I feel better asking and making sure).

3. HP has a reimbursement deal where they will refund 15.99. I'm assuming that Microsoft will be taxing the 15.99 deal. Does anyone know if the refund will cover the taxes?

Thanks a lot!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Windows Upgrade Offer - FAQ

I believe that you'll be able to re-download the installer at any time in the future.

It's an upgrade copy. There may be ways to install it on a blank drive, but it normally requires a qualifying version of Windows to be installed to run the updater.

The upgrade doesn't have to be used on the PC that qualifies for the offer. It's stated explicitly under "eligible systems".

Reimbursement for a dollar or so in sales taxes? Do you care?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Window 8 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    I7-3930k
    Motherboard
    Asus P9X79 Pro
    Memory
    16 GB Gskill DDR3-2133
    Graphics Card(s)
    eVGA GTX 680
    Sound Card
    Soundblaster Zx
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus PA246Q
    Screen Resolution
    1920X1200
    Hard Drives
    Corsair Force GT 120GB
    WD Cavair Black 1.5TB
    PSU
    PC Power & cooling Silencer 750
    Case
    Silverstone FT02B-W
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D14 w/ PWM fans
    Keyboard
    cheap Logitech USB wired
    Mouse
    old 5 button Microsoft USB optical
    Internet Speed
    6Mb cable
Acer reimburses the full value £14.99 for certain models.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire E1-571
    CPU
    i5-3230m
    Motherboard
    Acer Type-2
    Memory
    8GB DDR3 1333MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD 4000
    Sound Card
    High Definiton Audio Device
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 850 Pro 256GB
    PSU
    Generic
    Keyboard
    QWERTY
    Mouse
    ELANTECH Touchpad
    Internet Speed
    12.68Mbps
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Hey, I had a few questions about this deal they have going on.

1. How does retrieving the Windows 8 work? They said I'll be able to download it. How many times can I download it? Can I download it whenever I want, for instance, I want to download it a year after I purchased the deal?

Why would you want to re-download it. Once downloaded (about 2GB worth) you can convert to an ISO and burn to a DVD (see link in next answer). This is now the same as having bought an upgrade version of windows 8 from a retailer.

Microsoft is now taking sign-ups for $15 Windows 8 Pro upgrades, an offer that is available to anyone who purchased a new PC on June 2 or later.

To get this straight, I'd like to know if this copy is the full CD. For instance, if I completely reformatted my computer and ran the download from a USB/CD, will it work? Or must i have windows 7 installed and then perform an upgrade?

In theory you should only be using the upgrade on the PC that you bought which had Win 7 installed and offered the cheap upgrade. In practice you can install it on any PC as a fresh install of the full Win 8 Pro OS - see here

2. Can the key I retrieve be used on any computer as well as the Windows 8 I'll be downloading? A friend purchased Windows 8 for me and I'm running it on a laptop that originally came with Windows 7. I still have the Windows 7 key for the computer that now is running Windows 8. If I use my Windows 7 key to get the deal, can I use the Windows 8 key on my wifes computer or is it limited to this computer only (don't think they would be able to track it down, but I feel better asking and making sure).

See the above answer regarding clean install. But also be aware that MS are doing a good 'cheap' deal for all Win XX upgrades to Win 8 (for example here in the UK it is only £25 for everyone - not just for new PC purchasers.

3. HP has a reimbursement deal where they will refund 15.99. I'm assuming that Microsoft will be taxing the 15.99 deal. Does anyone know if the refund will cover the taxes?

You get back your full 15.99 as promised - taxation is an issue then between HP and MS.

Thanks a lot!

All points answered above in blue.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8 Pro - 64Bit
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer 8930
    Memory
    6GB
    Hard Drives
    WD 300GB, WD 500GB
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