Frequently Bought Together
Special Offers and Product Promotions
- Purchase any software item sold by Amazon.co.uk and receive a £1 MP3 credit to try out our MP3 Downloads Store. Here's how (terms and conditions apply)
System Requirements
- Platform: Windows 8
- Media: DVD-ROM
- Item Quantity: 1
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Product Description
Product Description
This product comes in 5 different box designs. The box design you receive may differ from that shown in the image above. The image to the right shows the different designs available.
If you currently have a personal computer running Windows 7, Windows XP or Windows Vista then you can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro (Professional). With Windows 8 Pro, you can connect and share your files. Windows 8 Pro also adds enhanced features if you need to connect to company networks, access remote files, encrypt sensitive data, and other more advanced tasks.
The new Windows 8 start screen is your personalized home for items you use the most and can be customized according to your user preferences. Windows 8 Live tiles provide real-time updates from your Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail accounts. Along with the new Start screen, the lock screen now includes e-mail, calendar, and clock widgets.
To access your PC, Microsoft has replaced a standard PIN or password with a swipe gesture; unlock your PC by clicking or swiping preset locations you’ve selected on the lock screen. New functions also allow you to search for your favorite software programs, open, close, hide, resize, or run multiple apps simultaneously with the swipe of a finger or a swipe of the mouse.
Windows has also made changes to make your PC more secure by boosting its existing security features and adding "SmartScreen," which acts to prevent suspicious programs or apps from being installed or running on your machine. Finally, Windows 8 also gives you the ability to "refresh" itself to give users a new starting point and a cleaner version of Windows.
You can upgrade to Windows 8 from Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 8 Release Preview, Windows 8 Consumer Preview, or Windows Developer Preview, but you might not be able to keep all of your files, software programs, and settings. The following table shows what you can keep during an upgrade, depending on the current version of Windows you are running. If you choose to boot from removable media, you won’t be able to keep your software programs, Windows settings, or personal files when you upgrade.
| Upgrading from: | What you can keep: |
|---|---|
| Windows 8 Preview | Personal files |
| Windows 8 Developer Preview | Nothing, but your old files will be saved in the "windows.old" folder |
| Windows 7 | Software programs; Windows settings; personal files |
| Windows Vista | Windows settings; personal files |
| Windows XP | Personal files |
System Requirements
- 1 GHz processor
- 2 GB RAM
- 20 GB available hard disk space
- 1366 × 768 screen resolution
- DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM driver
Additional Requirements to Use Certain Features
- Internet access (fees may apply)
- For touchscreen, you need a tablet or a monitor that supports multi-touch
- Microsoft account required for some features
- To access the Windows Store and to download and run apps, you need an active Internet connection and a screen resolution of at least 1024 x 768
- To snap apps, you need a screen resolution of at least 1366 x 768
Product Description
Microsoft WIN PRO 8 3264BIT VUP VERSION UPGRADE 3UR00006 Software Operating Systems
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
206 of 217 people found the following review helpful
By Master1
Windows 8
I would advise that someone who wants to upgrade their machine to Windows 8 to first download Microsoft's upgrade advisor. This will check applications and hardware for compatibility with Windows 8.
Microsoft also has its own pages called Microsoft Compatibility Centre which lists a vast range of software and hardware which will (or won't) work with Windows 8. Both 32-bit and 64-bit, Windows 8 RT and Windows 7 are also included.
Having worked in I.T. for many years (going back to the days of Windows 3.1), and have already installed the pre-releases of Windows 8, I knew what to expect from the upgrade and its new look.
My PC is nearly 4 years old with a 320 Gig Hard Drive, 4 Gigs of RAM, 1 Gig Nvidia Graphics card and a USB Wireless adapter.
I created a new spare partition from the free space on my Hard drive and copied over all the documents and data that I wanted to keep. I already had another copy of documents and data on DVD.
I powered up my machine and set it to boot from the Windows 8 DVD. I selected clean install, resized and formatted my first and second partitions. The installation was fairly quick and I had Windows 8 installed on my machine in under 1 hour.
Windows 8 had installed most drivers apart from my printer, Wireless Adapter and Graphics Card. I downloaded the latest drivers for my USB Wireless adapter and had some trials at getting it to work. Looking on the Internet I found that other people had the same issue and the solution was to install the driver in Windows 7 compatibility mode. Doing this I got access to the internet.
I ran the Windows update in the Control Panel and this downloaded a further 750 Megs of updates.
Once all the drivers where working I installed Office 2010 and other standard applications, and customised the Windows 8 Start tiles.
Finally I created a standard user account which I use for everyday use.
I have now been using Windows 8 for a couple of weeks without any problems, and no crashes.
I'm used to the interface and have created a few shortcuts on my desktop's start bar.
Should you upgrade to Windows 8 ?
If you are still using Windows XP, then remember that Microsoft will stop supporting it from 9th April 2014.
If you are still using Vista then Microsoft will stop supporting it from 18th April 2017.
If you are using Windows 7 and happy with it then the choice is yours if you want to upgrade to Windows 8. Support for Windows 7 will stop in 15th January 2020.
(That is the current dates for extended support from Microsoft. The products themselves will of course still work).
I would advise that someone who wants to upgrade their machine to Windows 8 to first download Microsoft's upgrade advisor. This will check applications and hardware for compatibility with Windows 8.
Microsoft also has its own pages called Microsoft Compatibility Centre which lists a vast range of software and hardware which will (or won't) work with Windows 8. Both 32-bit and 64-bit, Windows 8 RT and Windows 7 are also included.
Having worked in I.T. for many years (going back to the days of Windows 3.1), and have already installed the pre-releases of Windows 8, I knew what to expect from the upgrade and its new look.
My PC is nearly 4 years old with a 320 Gig Hard Drive, 4 Gigs of RAM, 1 Gig Nvidia Graphics card and a USB Wireless adapter.
I created a new spare partition from the free space on my Hard drive and copied over all the documents and data that I wanted to keep. I already had another copy of documents and data on DVD.
I powered up my machine and set it to boot from the Windows 8 DVD. I selected clean install, resized and formatted my first and second partitions. The installation was fairly quick and I had Windows 8 installed on my machine in under 1 hour.
Windows 8 had installed most drivers apart from my printer, Wireless Adapter and Graphics Card. I downloaded the latest drivers for my USB Wireless adapter and had some trials at getting it to work. Looking on the Internet I found that other people had the same issue and the solution was to install the driver in Windows 7 compatibility mode. Doing this I got access to the internet.
I ran the Windows update in the Control Panel and this downloaded a further 750 Megs of updates.
Once all the drivers where working I installed Office 2010 and other standard applications, and customised the Windows 8 Start tiles.
Finally I created a standard user account which I use for everyday use.
I have now been using Windows 8 for a couple of weeks without any problems, and no crashes.
I'm used to the interface and have created a few shortcuts on my desktop's start bar.
Should you upgrade to Windows 8 ?
If you are still using Windows XP, then remember that Microsoft will stop supporting it from 9th April 2014.
If you are still using Vista then Microsoft will stop supporting it from 18th April 2017.
If you are using Windows 7 and happy with it then the choice is yours if you want to upgrade to Windows 8. Support for Windows 7 will stop in 15th January 2020.
(That is the current dates for extended support from Microsoft. The products themselves will of course still work).
249 of 263 people found the following review helpful
Windows 8 runs well but is very different and the new tablet focused interface is somewhat jarring on a desktop PC. That this has been designed for platform devices to compete with the dominance of Apple is very apparent in it's whole design.
When you boot, the first thing you see is the new Start Screen. This has replaced the old start menu and pulls apps and services together into this one screen presented as "live tiles" integrating deeply with Windows Live and it's services.
The look and feel is now very clearly optimised for tablets and it's going to be a shock to the system for a lot of people and you have to question whether it's of any real use to Windows 7 users who have all they need.
Programs are all now available via the "apps" search from the start screen, you need to search for them and can then pin them to there or your task bar. Once you start to get used to where things are it does fall into place. A tip for easier navigation is to press the windows key and just start typing the name of what you want to do.
If you prefer to work with the desktop in the traditional way then you'll want to hit the "desktop" option from the start screen.
I've tested a range of my programs and most worked fine for me. The only thing I've had to change was to switch to using Windows Defender for anti virus as my old one didn't work anymore.
Windows 8's main strength is in performance. It runs well and is slightly snappier than Windows 7 was. Having said that, you will get a much more significant speed boost if you install a Solid State drive, that brings huge gains rather than small boosts though I have experienced some reliability concerns of late with mine.
So windows 8... runs well but is very different and I couldn't recommend it for those happy with their current set-up.
When you boot, the first thing you see is the new Start Screen. This has replaced the old start menu and pulls apps and services together into this one screen presented as "live tiles" integrating deeply with Windows Live and it's services.
The look and feel is now very clearly optimised for tablets and it's going to be a shock to the system for a lot of people and you have to question whether it's of any real use to Windows 7 users who have all they need.
Programs are all now available via the "apps" search from the start screen, you need to search for them and can then pin them to there or your task bar. Once you start to get used to where things are it does fall into place. A tip for easier navigation is to press the windows key and just start typing the name of what you want to do.
If you prefer to work with the desktop in the traditional way then you'll want to hit the "desktop" option from the start screen.
I've tested a range of my programs and most worked fine for me. The only thing I've had to change was to switch to using Windows Defender for anti virus as my old one didn't work anymore.
Windows 8's main strength is in performance. It runs well and is slightly snappier than Windows 7 was. Having said that, you will get a much more significant speed boost if you install a Solid State drive, that brings huge gains rather than small boosts though I have experienced some reliability concerns of late with mine.
So windows 8... runs well but is very different and I couldn't recommend it for those happy with their current set-up.
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
By Adam29
From user's point of view, <small>windows 8</small> is ideal for touchscreen platforms like Tablets and Smartphones only! For Desktop PCs and Laptops - Absolutely NOT!
However, personally I have to say that I can't wait to put my hands on a brand new Nokia Lumia 920. Microsoft, I'll pass on your cheap Windows 7 to <small>windows 8</small> upgrade.
I won't allow you to ruin my fantastic, so far, experience with version 7.
Knowing that you provide few years of support to your previous operating systems, I'll stay with Windows 7 for as long as possible and I also hope that Windows 9 will come to the rescue as Windows 7 did with Windows Vista.
However, personally I have to say that I can't wait to put my hands on a brand new Nokia Lumia 920. Microsoft, I'll pass on your cheap Windows 7 to <small>windows 8</small> upgrade.
I won't allow you to ruin my fantastic, so far, experience with version 7.
Knowing that you provide few years of support to your previous operating systems, I'll stay with Windows 7 for as long as possible and I also hope that Windows 9 will come to the rescue as Windows 7 did with Windows Vista.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
fantastic speed
It has improved the speed on my computer 100% I have recommended to my family and friends , Easy to fine your way around
Published 1 day ago by sally gorman
4.0 out of 5 stars
Windows 8 pro upgrade
Upgrade installed with few problems just a few very minor blips which were easy to resolve.
I like Windows 8
I like Windows 8
Published 2 days ago by S. H. Harrison
1.0 out of 5 stars
Worst ever operating system
Do not waste your money on Windows 8, it is without doubt the worst operating system Microsoft have managed so far (Vista included). Read more
Published 2 days ago by Mr. S. J. Harrison
1.0 out of 5 stars
Stinks ,stay away!!!!
There's a reason Windows 8 PC sales sank this year,there's also a reason Microsoft are releasing an update called windows blue to overhaul windows 8.Because its awful. Read more
Published 3 days ago by B. Dunne
4.0 out of 5 stars
Def different to Windows 7
I bought this for the computer I have just built for my son. He is now one happy bunny.
It hasn't taken us too long to get used to using the new layout of Windows 8,... Read more
It hasn't taken us too long to get used to using the new layout of Windows 8,... Read more
Published 3 days ago by T. A. Hathaway
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good buy
My wife and I wanted to upgrade our computers, to buy in a well known shop
cost more but do's the same thing, to put on one computer took 1hour 30 minutes
and it asks if... Read more
cost more but do's the same thing, to put on one computer took 1hour 30 minutes
and it asks if... Read more
Published 3 days ago by B. Dore
2.0 out of 5 stars
Microsoft thinks they know how you want to use your computer
Microsoft think that they know how you want to use your computer... They don't. Metro/modern is too far outside the box
Published 5 days ago by M Proud
4.0 out of 5 stars
If only it didn't have the touch friendly start screen.
Win8 is a very efficient Windows OS that improves on stability and performance. Its only real drawback is the touch friendly interface clearly not designed for regular keyboard and... Read more
Published 5 days ago by Damir Cilovic
4.0 out of 5 stars
windows 8
Takes some getting used to as it is quit different from windows 7, still have not found out how to shut it down?
Published 6 days ago by M. Kisser
2.0 out of 5 stars
Windows 8 Upgrade
When I tried to load this I discovered that my computer did not have enough memory allow to laod it.
Published 6 days ago by James Munro
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192198663_.gif){kind=small}
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
|
