Windows 8 Enterprise RTM Free Evaluation available for anyone

It looks like MS has made a 90 day eval release of Windows 8 Enterprise that you can download and install right now even without a technet or MSDN or other for pay account. (Though you may need to sign up for a live account to get it).

Read more here:
Download Windows 8 Enterprise Evaluation

P.s. I have not gone through the process of getting this version, so if there are any hiccoughs, post back here about it.

 

[R0bR]

Installed it on my backup PC. Went to the App store to install Slacker Radio but its not listed. Looks like some Apps are filtered out if you are running the Enterprise Edition. I did a Google search for that App and then clicked the "View In Windows Store" link and go a "Not available for your PC" message. That may not be the exact wording but it was something like that. This sucks. This could be a very short lived install.

I managed to install Slacker Radio again. Even though it's not available in the store and it does come up in a search but not install, from the Store I right clicked and selected "Your Apps" from the top menu and it listed all the Apps I had downloaded. Not only did it list what I downloaded from RTM but also on previous builds and one was Slacker Radio, I selected it and clicked install at the bottom of the page and sure enough it installed. Not sure why it works this way but there you go, if you installed it before you should be able to install it again.

 

[alphanumeric]

Installed it on my backup PC. Went to the App store to install Slacker Radio but its not listed. Looks like some Apps are filtered out if you are running the Enterprise Edition. I did a Google search for that App and then clicked the "View In Windows Store" link and go a "Not available for your PC" message. That may not be the exact wording but it was something like that. This sucks. This could be a very short lived install.

I managed to install Slacker Radio again. Even though it's not available in the store and it does come up in a search but not install, from the Store I right clicked and selected "Your Apps" from the top menu and it listed all the Apps I had downloaded. Not only did it list what I downloaded from RTM but also on previous builds and one was Slacker Radio, I selected it and clicked install at the bottom of the page and sure enough it installed. Not sure why it works this way but there you go, if you installed it before you should be able to install it again.

That's interesting. The only thing left from my Enterprise install is a Windows To Go setup on my external IDE/USB drive. The App Store is disabled on that but there is likely a way to turn it on again. I might play around with that latter, I'll let you know how it goes if I do.

 

[alphanumeric]

@ R0bR Slacker radio installed OK from the "Your Apps" screen, thanks for the work around.

 

[R0bR]

@ R0bR Slacker radio installed OK from the "Your Apps" screen, thanks for the work around.

Sweet! There is an advantage of using your Hotmail account for W8 after all, it's not all doom and gloom. Actually, I found that some Apps I installed previously like MetroTwit were already configured when I installed it again even with a total clean install of RTM.

 

[alphanumeric]

I have a Microsoft Live ID that I use for the Windows 8 logon. On a clean install if it has internet access, it will sync some settings, like my account picture, desktop wallpaper and colors, etc. Also settings for any of the preinstalled apps that I may have used in the past. Those settings are stored in the cloud and tied to my Microsoft Live ID. if you go to the PC Settings screen, there is a "sync your settings section" where you can turn things to be synced on and off.

 

[snowman]

got it and love it.

 

[jimbo45]

Yeah, I have no Idea if its Microsoft or Slacker Radio that blocked it, all I know is it's not an option for the Enterprise trial.

Hi there
I might be being obtuse here of have mis-understood something --- why can't you just INSTALL the app NOT USING the wretched app store -- surely a standard "stand alone Windows install" using an .EXE or .MSI file should work.

There's no way on this planet the every Windows application will be installed via "the store" -- and if MS try and restrict it then they could be up against some very hefty "Monopoly" and "Restraint of Trade" legislation.

Even the EULA doesn't restrict you from installing software from wherever you want to source it.

In any case the direct link works on Enterprise which is what I'm using.

I can't get any stations however as I'm in Belgium at the moment and slacker radio only currently seems to work for USA (and probably Canada).

enc screenshot --- just forget the whole "App store" idea.

cheers
jimbo

 

[alphanumeric]

Jimbo, I did go that route and pocked around their site. What I found was there are different Slacker Radio Apps depending on what version of Windows you are running. The Windows 7 version runs in the taskbar. Its not the same App. It quits after 10 songs per day and asks you to upgrade to the paid version to listen to any more. That one you can install stand alone, but its not the one I wanted. When I tried to down load the Windows 8 app it just linked me back to the app store and the not available for your PC screen. I could have missed a better direct download link, I don't know. I'm not running the Ent trial anymore anyway.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
I can understand giving up for all sorts of reasons but if you've got say WINAMP installed you can use shoutcast radio --loads and loads of free stations all over the internet or as a separate application what about tunein radio.

WINAMP works fine -- decent equalizer built in too

Listening currently to a Dutch classical music station

cheers
jimbo

 

[alphanumeric]

My main PC is dual booting with 8 RP and I'm using Slacker Radio on that. I was running the Enterprise just for a look see at what might be different from the RP. I don't have access to Technet or MSDN so the RTM builds that I could actually get my hands on couldn't be activated. I'll keep your suggestions in mind though for my other Windows 7 PC.

 

[Mustang]

Just downloaded and installed. This is quite ironic. Both earlier versions had boot problems, even after installing on a separate HD and with main SSD HD unplugged while installing. With RP it would not detect the spinner SATA HD in the external docking bay, and even though there was no linked boot menu, it borked W7 boot up, and the OS itself.

Luck'a a forutne. Quite by accident, I left the main SSD HD plugged in while installing enterprise to the external SATA spinner in the docking bay. Not only did it detect the HD in the docking bay, but it loaded W8 WITHOUT creating a linked boot menu to W7. And no boot problems.

If W8 HD is in the ext docking bay on boot up, it auto loads W8.

If W8 HD is unplugged from ext docking bay, it auto loads W7. The only small glitch is it wants to run CHKDSK at first boot up after W8 HD is unplugged. But if this is circumvented by hitting any key on keyboard, W7 boots fine. All in all though, a good result.

I installed it with a local account, so it never needs to log into M$. And I'm not using any M$ store apps ... bought or free.

Windows Media player and WinLiveMail both work fine. Ditto with IE10.

Haven't fully loaded all third paty apps yet, but so far the only casualties are Zone Alarm and software for HP Printer. However, with the printer, the settings are in the machine, not on the hard drive, so it works fine. Only draw back is need to calibrate heads using W7 when a new ink cartridge is installed. I would imagine ZA and HP will be sorted after retail release becomes available to the public. ZA & HP always takes a while to catch up.

Intel mobo drivers are not yet available, but most of the W7 ones seem to work fine for Chipset, SATA3, eSATA, Marvel Yukon, RAID Rapid Storage, etc. Specific drivers for NVIDIA GTX graphics card are available and work OK. Ditto for Samsung LED 24in Wide screen High Def monitor connected with HDMI.

The following all work fine:

Avast, Super Antispyware, Malwarebytes, Glary Utlities, Cleanup, EasyClean, Acronis, onboard USB Bluetooth & wireless dongle, Nero, M$ Office 10, SKYPE, PalTalk, external USB3, SATA3, eSATA, SATA3 SSD HD, VLC Media Player, WinZip, WinRAR, Revo Uninstaller, M$ LfeCAm, Free Studio Manager, IMGBurn, etc.

It does most of what I want, but not a lot of difference in performance, if any, compared to W7; using a SATA3 SSD HD, Intel i7 CPU, 3 SLI Linked graphics cards, and 12GB RAM. It took a bit to get used to the new places for a lot of optional settings; and it's certainly not intuitive. Classic Shell is not as good as W7 Start Menu in size and format, but tolerable.

In summary, I doubt it warrants using as my main OS, but who knows what SP1 will bring?

 

[R0bR]

Hi there
I might be being obtuse here of have mis-understood something --- why can't you just INSTALL the app NOT USING the wretched app store -- surely a standard "stand alone Windows install" using an .EXE or .MSI file should work.

There's no way on this planet the every Windows application will be installed via "the store" -- and if MS try and restrict it then they could be up against some very hefty "Monopoly" and "Restraint of Trade" legislation.

Even the EULA doesn't restrict you from installing software from wherever you want to source it.

In any case the direct link works on Enterprise which is what I'm using.

I can't get any stations however as I'm in Belgium at the moment and slacker radio only currently seems to work for USA (and probably Canada).

enc screenshot --- just forget the whole "App store" idea.

cheers
jimbo

You can only install Metro Apps through the store, although some desktop applications are listed in the store there is no install option. For the few desktop applications listed there is a button to take you to the software website where you download the executable as trial or purchase as it's always been.