According to ZDNET, Microsoft has detailed its Windows 8 upgrade plans to select partners. The news is mostly good: Windows XP, Vista, and 7 customers can all upgrade to Windows 8, but there are some restrictions. Here’s how it plays out:
Microsoft reveals Windows 8 upgrade paths: XP, Vista, and 7 eligible, but with caveats
Microsoft has detailed its plans for Windows 8 upgrades, and while most existing Windows users will have a clear upgrade, there are some specific restrictions.
Microsoft has detailed its plans for Windows 8 upgrades, and while most existing Windows users will have a clear upgrade, there are some specific restrictions.
- Users running Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, or Home Premium can upgrade to Windows 8 with their system settings, personal files, and applications intact.
- Users running Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, and Professional will be able to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro with system settings, personal files, and applications intact.
- Customers running Windows 7 Pro or Enterprise editions can update to Windows 8 Enterprise with system settings, personal files, and applications intact.
- Vista users without SP1 can upgrade to Windows 8, but only personal files will be preserved. Customers that do have SP1 will have their system settings transferred as well.
- XP users with SP3 can upgrade directly to Windows 8, but only personal files will be preserved.
There are a few more specific restrictions, like cross-architecture upgrades — 32bit XP, Vista, and 7 users can only upgrade to 32 bit Windows 8, and likewise for 64 bit Windows. Upgrading to a new language also bars system settings and applications from being transferred, but personal files will remain unaffected. This leaves current XP, Vista, and Windows 7 users several upgrade options, and with an expected October release date, there is still plenty of time to prepare.
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
