Will Consumer preview allow upgrading?

Will the consumer preview offer an upgrade option from Windows 7 or is it still just clean install only?

It isn't confirmed yet but seeing as Developer Preview gave you the option of upgrading from Windows 7, Consumer Preview should too. I wouldn't really reccomend upgrading from Windows 7 but you should be able to upgrade from Windows 8 Developer Preview.
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There's only three days to go so we'll find out soon. [/DEL]
Well, it looks like you can.

IMO it should be a clean install, otherwise there is no point in testing it.

If you want to continue developing metro apps then there is a Microsoft update which extends the life of the DP to Jan 16,2013

usually it has an upgrade option

Upgrade installs have historically been problematic. Since the CP is a free OS, why not make a clean install. I would hate to destroy my well running Windows7.

Agree. Better reserve some space and have it dual boot.

From what I had read over at MSDN, it will just upgrade the DP to the CP, unless the DP doesn't exist, then it will clean install.

Why would you want to upgrade a working 7 system anyway? What if you can't stand the new build? What happens when it expires and you can't find your 7 disk and key? Dual boot or a separate drive will be much better....

i myself have a big video project (for a contest) and since my last clean reinstall i had to work too hard to get even the correct codec for the videos, and talking about the videos, i had to define their new location manually... so i'm going to try out the upgrade, but i will still try to atleast prepare for the clean install, because nobody is perfect... not even microsoft. and what i've learned when i tried windows vista developer preview: Risking important files is stupid, when you can just pack all the files into one 7z / zip file and remove it afterwards if everything went fine.

But i'm going to definitely go and try the upgrade (just the way i explained above)

Ivan the SoSo said:

Why would you want to upgrade a working 7 system anyway? What if you can't stand the new build? What happens when it expires and you can't find your 7 disk and key? Dual boot or a separate drive will be much better....

Click to expand...

Ivan, that is the EXACT reason we learn GOOD backup and recovery techniques. After all this testing is completed I will just hook up my SSD drive and put my PCs back to original condition. That's *IF* I remember too in March 2013. LoL

Kynix...BACKUP...BACKUP...BACKUP!!!!! Don't RISK losing IMPORTANT files!

Too many people with a preinstalled W7 have installed the DP and then started moaning because they cannot get their W7 back.

W7 remains my working OS together with installed programs. All user files are redirected to other drives. The DP was installed as a dual boot but on yet another dedicated drive together with associated user files. That drive has now been wiped and is ready for the Consumer preview.

The consumer Preview system drive will also only contain programs with user data going to another partition on that drive. If the drive letters are set to read the same for each OS then comparisons with, say, a video editing program can be made quite easily.


By having only the OS and programs on the system drive enables a disc image backup to be created which is ready for emergencies or as a baseline for future use.

Excellent drh!

I think it is the best to just make images of everything. And if you do not want to install an imaging program on Win8, use the WinPE CD of free partition Wizard. That works beautifully.

I have two 500GB HDD's so I don't think dual booting will be an issue.

i am gonna back up my data and do a clean install. its kinda better

abhijitrucks said:

i am gonna back up my data and do a clean install. its kinda better

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The thing about clean installs is that you waste another 5-6 hours reconfiguring all your files and re-downloading all the crap that it won't let you transfer. Upgrading is always what I've preferred.

GamerLCD said:

abhijitrucks said:

i am gonna back up my data and do a clean install. its kinda better

Click to expand...

The thing about clean installs is that you waste another 5-6 hours reconfiguring all your files and re-downloading all the crap that it won't let you transfer. Upgrading is always what I've preferred.

Click to expand...

That is only the case if you want to use Win 8 as your main system. But most people (I would guess) will use Win8 only to experiment.

I install mine on an external eSata disk in dual boot. Then I have to make no extra accomodations on my running Win 7. I will also try to run it in Virtual Box (which would be my preferred solution because than I can run /8 and /7 in paralell). But with the Developer preview I could not get the screen resolution over 800x600. And that is a bit small on a 22" screen. With Ubuntu in vBox I do not have that problem. I get a full screen resolution.

I concur Vrosa.