Upgrade question

J4rrod

Member
Member
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I have a PC with JUST Win8 RP on it. That's it. No
Win7 or any other previous version of Windows anywhere on the hard drive. Now,
my question is: how do I upgrade to Win8? I know the $40 upgrade applies to
previewers like myself, however I read that in order for that to work you have
to have an underlying Win7 or older license (which obviously I don't). Now, I
would have no problem with buying the full version of Win8 for the full price
and just doing a clean install, but now it's being said that MS will not sell a
full version of Win8 so I can do that. I've heard that they'll be selling a
"system builder" version but I have no idea what that even is.

Someone
help me out.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Release Preview
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Sony VAIO
    CPU
    Intel Core i3
    Memory
    4GB
The "system builder" is a full retail version for people building a PC for themselves and not for selling the system. From what I have read you can move it from PC to PC as long as its only on one PC. Not sure how the upgrade process actually checks the RP version to see if you qualify for the upgrade. I guess we will have to wait until Oct 26 to see how it works out.

Jim :cool:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 HP 64bit, Windows 8.1 Pro w/Media Center 64BIT
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS - Home Built
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X6 1100T
    Motherboard
    ASUS M5A99X EVO
    Memory
    Crucial Balistic DDR-3 1866 CL 9 (8 GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI R6850 Cyclone IGD5 PE
    Sound Card
    On Chip
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS VE258Q 25" LED with DVI-HDMI-DisplayPort
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Two WD Cavier Black 2TB Sata 6gbs
    WD My Book Essential 2TB USB 3.0
    PSU
    Seasonic X650 80 Plus GOLD Modular
    Case
    Corsair 400R
    Cooling
    Antec Kuhler H2O 620, Two 120mm and four 140mm
    Keyboard
    AVS Gear Blue LED Backlight
    Mouse
    Logitech Marble Mouse USB, Logitech Precision Game Pad
    Internet Speed
    15MB
    Antivirus
    NIS, Malwarebytes Premium 2
    Other Info
    APC UPS ES 750, Netgear WNR3500L Gigabit & Wireless N Router with SamKnows Test Program,
    Motorola SB6120 Gigabit Cable Modem.
    Brother HL-2170W Laser Printer,
    Epson V300 Scanner
The "system builder" is a full retail version for people building a PC for themselves and not for selling the system. From what I have read you can move it from PC to PC as long as its only on one PC. Not sure how the upgrade process actually checks the RP version to see if you qualify for the upgrade. I guess we will have to wait until Oct 26 to see how it works out.

Jim :cool:

I don't know about the Win8 System Builder License, but if it's like the Win7 one, you have most of this backwards.

The Win7 System Builder license is a generic OEM one. It is supposed to only be used on systems intended for resale. (There is no enforcement of this that I know of, so an unknown number of people use it on a personal machine.) It is supposed to be locked to the first PC on which it is installed. For PC, read motherboard. It may be possible to persuade Microsoft to activate it on a PC that has been repaired by replacing the motherboard with a different model, if the original motherboard type is no longer readily available.

I have yet to hear whether the upgrade version of Win8 can detect whether the RP was installed on a machine that had an older version of Windows on it that qualified for the use of a Win8 upgrade license. I'd be willing to place a small (5¢) bet that there is no such physical requirement. (A Windows 7 retail license, for example, would install over the Win7 Release Candidate. The RC didn't qualify for the use of an upgrade license.) If you can install the Win8 upgrade over the RP without ever having had a qualifying OS on the machine, that would be a violation of the EULA (end user license agreement). We may have to wait until after October 26 to find out whether unscrupulous people could break the EULA that way without any hacking.
 

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
This is not Windows 7 and the rules have changed for Windows 8. The OEM version is for companies building systems for resale. The "system builder" version is for hobbyist to build systems for their own use. Read this article by Ed Bott.

How the new Windows 8 license terms affect you | ZDNet

This post is based on the contents of three new documents with the following headings:

MICROSOFT SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT (aka Personal Use License for System Builder, referred to in this post as “PUL”)
MICROSOFT SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT RETAIL UPGRADE (“Upgrade”)
MICROSOFT SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT WITH COMPUTER MANUFACTURER OR SOFTWARE INSTALLER (“OEM”)

Jim :cool:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 HP 64bit, Windows 8.1 Pro w/Media Center 64BIT
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS - Home Built
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X6 1100T
    Motherboard
    ASUS M5A99X EVO
    Memory
    Crucial Balistic DDR-3 1866 CL 9 (8 GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI R6850 Cyclone IGD5 PE
    Sound Card
    On Chip
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS VE258Q 25" LED with DVI-HDMI-DisplayPort
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Two WD Cavier Black 2TB Sata 6gbs
    WD My Book Essential 2TB USB 3.0
    PSU
    Seasonic X650 80 Plus GOLD Modular
    Case
    Corsair 400R
    Cooling
    Antec Kuhler H2O 620, Two 120mm and four 140mm
    Keyboard
    AVS Gear Blue LED Backlight
    Mouse
    Logitech Marble Mouse USB, Logitech Precision Game Pad
    Internet Speed
    15MB
    Antivirus
    NIS, Malwarebytes Premium 2
    Other Info
    APC UPS ES 750, Netgear WNR3500L Gigabit & Wireless N Router with SamKnows Test Program,
    Motorola SB6120 Gigabit Cable Modem.
    Brother HL-2170W Laser Printer,
    Epson V300 Scanner
This is not Windows 7 and the rules have changed for Windows 8. The OEM version is for companies building systems for resale. The "system builder" version is for hobbyist to build systems for their own use. Read this article by Ed Bott.

How the new Windows 8 license terms affect you | ZDNet

This post is based on the contents of three new documents with the following headings:

MICROSOFT SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT (aka Personal Use License for System Builder, referred to in this post as “PUL”)
MICROSOFT SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT RETAIL UPGRADE (“Upgrade”)
MICROSOFT SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT WITH COMPUTER MANUFACTURER OR SOFTWARE INSTALLER (“OEM”)

Jim :cool:

My apologies.

I'm embarrassed to say that I probably read Bott's post when it appeared a little over a month ago. Apparently the "System Builder" definition has radically changed since Win7. It's no longer a generic OEM version for mom&pop white-box PC builders.

Windows 8 pricing for system builders said to be roughly the same as Windows 7 | ZDNet

If this post is true, the new System Builder license functions like the old one for a system built for resale. (That is, the license would not be transferable to a new machine by the buyer.) The new SB license is authorized for do-it-yourself builders, and for them it would be transferable to a new machine. If I understand it correctly, the SB license could be transferred to a different user with the PC, but that user couldn't transfer it to a new PC. In short, it acts like an OEM license or a retail one, depending on how it's used. Is that correct? Yikes.
 
Last edited:

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
I think you got it now and no apologies needed. When Oct 26 rolls around maybe we will get more information.

Jim :cool:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 HP 64bit, Windows 8.1 Pro w/Media Center 64BIT
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS - Home Built
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X6 1100T
    Motherboard
    ASUS M5A99X EVO
    Memory
    Crucial Balistic DDR-3 1866 CL 9 (8 GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI R6850 Cyclone IGD5 PE
    Sound Card
    On Chip
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS VE258Q 25" LED with DVI-HDMI-DisplayPort
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Two WD Cavier Black 2TB Sata 6gbs
    WD My Book Essential 2TB USB 3.0
    PSU
    Seasonic X650 80 Plus GOLD Modular
    Case
    Corsair 400R
    Cooling
    Antec Kuhler H2O 620, Two 120mm and four 140mm
    Keyboard
    AVS Gear Blue LED Backlight
    Mouse
    Logitech Marble Mouse USB, Logitech Precision Game Pad
    Internet Speed
    15MB
    Antivirus
    NIS, Malwarebytes Premium 2
    Other Info
    APC UPS ES 750, Netgear WNR3500L Gigabit & Wireless N Router with SamKnows Test Program,
    Motorola SB6120 Gigabit Cable Modem.
    Brother HL-2170W Laser Printer,
    Epson V300 Scanner
Ok, I think this is still a little confusing.

System Builder can be EITHER an OEM license, or a Personal Use License. If you build your own PC (or just install the OS from a system builder copy on an existing PC) and it's for your own use, then you can in fact transfer the copy to another machine.

If you are building a PC for someone else, say a family member or co-worker, then the non-transferable OEM clause applies. So if you build a PC for a friend, you should have your friend buy the OS themselves. (Although practically speaking, this is not enforceable)

The key in the the Personal Use License is that you must be the original purchaser to be able to transfer it to another computer. You can re-sell it to someone else, but they are not allowed to resell it afterwards (the transfer rights apply only to the first purchaser)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    CPU
    Intel i7 3770K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Z77X-UD4 TH
    Memory
    16GB DDR3 1600
    Graphics Card(s)
    nVidia GTX 650
    Sound Card
    Onboard Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Auria 27" IPS + 2x Samsung 23"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440 + 2x 2048x1152
    Hard Drives
    Corsair m4 256GB, 2 WD 2TB drives
    Case
    Antec SOLO II
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000
    Mouse
    Logitech MX
Ok I don't give two cents about licenses; is the System Builder version the FULL version of Windows 8? Can I buy System Builder & install it on my PC and it run just like when 7 was released if you went and bought the full version of 7, not the upgrade version?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Release Preview
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Sony VAIO
    CPU
    Intel Core i3
    Memory
    4GB
Think about it. How could you build a new PC and install an Upgrade to it? System Builder licenses are intended for new PC's (though they can be used on existing PC's, their primary purpose is for new PC's).

Yes, System Builder licenses are full versions. In fact, the only way to buy Windows 8 full version seems to be a System Builder license.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    CPU
    Intel i7 3770K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Z77X-UD4 TH
    Memory
    16GB DDR3 1600
    Graphics Card(s)
    nVidia GTX 650
    Sound Card
    Onboard Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Auria 27" IPS + 2x Samsung 23"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440 + 2x 2048x1152
    Hard Drives
    Corsair m4 256GB, 2 WD 2TB drives
    Case
    Antec SOLO II
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000
    Mouse
    Logitech MX
Think about it. How could you build a new PC and install an Upgrade to it? System Builder licenses are intended for new PC's (though they can be used on existing PC's, their primary purpose is for new PC's).

Yes, System Builder licenses are full versions. In fact, the only way to buy Windows 8 full version seems to be a System Builder license.

Thanks you!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Release Preview
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Sony VAIO
    CPU
    Intel Core i3
    Memory
    4GB
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