Two Hours to Windows 8: An Upgrade Diary - dixonknour2001

Whenever a new version of Windows comes out, I'm always ambivalent. The idea of a new operating system with cool, virgin features sounds enceinte. Exit through the long, sometimes mystifying upgrade process doesn't. But the Windows 8 Consumer Preview seemed so compelling that I threw caveat to the wind and put it on an older Dell screen background I use of goods and services at work.

The good news is that the outgrowth was a little shorter than I remember from previous versions of Windows–and much clearer. I was able to find the Windows 8 preview up and running on my system in inferior than 2 hours.

The defective news? I still encountered a few pitiable surprises. Here's a diary of my upgrade experience.

10:08 a.m. I die down to the Consumer Trailer download pageboy. It has a standard disclaimer stating that the preview is prerelease software and isn't guaranteed, Crataegus oxycantha be updated, and could lead to premature haircloth loss.

The initial download is small, about 5MB, since it's just an installer, not the OS itself.

10:10 a.m. The installer scans my system and then spits unfashionable a four-page compatibility report. IT declares that 12 programs 'need your attention'. The messages vary depending on the program. In more or less cases, I'm told that I should get updates. In other cases, Microsoft reports that much program features might not work. In still other cases, the report warns, I'll need to reinstall the application program once Windows 8 is on my machine.

Microsoft reports that 27 other programs OR devices 'volition work'. Foolishly, I interpret this message to mean that the items wish still exist on my PC when the installation is finished, especially since the report specifies that much other programs will have to be reinstalled. In fact, all those programs listed as 'will work' would go away once the facility was done. (I assume that they 'will work' once I reinstall them, but I haven't gotten a take a chance to answer that yet.)

I would have known that my programs would get blown away if I had gone to Microsoft's FAQ page. The company says there that programs will survive if you upgrade from Windows 7, but non if, like me, you upgrade from Scene or XP.

10:15 a.m. The installer provides me with a product key. I dutifully copy it into Evernote, but never need it again.

10:20 a.m. The installer starts downloading the OS itself. The program gives you an e'er-changing estimate of how long the download will take. For me, the estimate for near of the download session hovered right around 10 proceedings; formerly I was 7 minutes in and single 35 percent of the file had downloaded, I concluded that the reckon wasn't worth much. In the end, the download takes about 20 minutes.

10:40 a.m. Hooray! The download's done with. Clock time to part with installing, right?

Wrong! Now the installer is 'checking the download'. Back to drumming fingers on the table.

10:45 a.m. Hurrah! The installer is fin de siecle checking the download. Time to start up installation, rightist?

Nope. Now IT's 'acquiring files ready'.

10:52 a.m. Hooray! Immediately IT's done 'acquiring files waiting' and asks if I want to set u now, install on a antithetic partition, or install later. I take install instantly, anxious for the magic to lead off.

'Just acquiring a some things available', the installer breezily informs me. What the … that's what you same a minute ago!

10:54 a.m. All the things that have to exist gotten ready are gear up. I see a shield with the license agreement, then a projection screen that asks what I want to keep in the Consumer Preview:

— Windows settings and physical files. — Just person-to-person files. — Zero.

A linked explainer says that Windows settings include the Ease of Access configuration, the screen background background, and Internet favorites, just it also warns that not whol settings will embody kept. If I had been upgrading from Windows 7, I would have had the chance to hold over my applications as well.

10:58 a.m. The installer checks for love or money I need to do before the induction. 'A few changes need to be made before Windows ass continue installing', it reports. That sounds a little ominous, since information technology doesn't set apart what changes need to be made, only I take off a leap of faith and click the Restart Microcomputer button connected the screen.

11:05 a.m. My PC restarts, and the installer asks: 'Ready to install Windows 8 Consumer Preview?' My options are 'Continue from where I nigh soured' or 'Take up over from the beginning'. I find oneself myself wondering what sort of masochist would choose pick 2.

11:07 a.m. Now we're starting the installation in earnest, and Microsoft is finally straight with Pine Tree State: 'This mightiness pack a while. Your PC will restart several multiplication before we're cooked.'

11:27 a.m. In this case, Microsoft has practiced the prowess of underpromising and overdelivering. The installation in reality takes just 20 transactions, pretty brief Eastern Samoa Windows installs go, and my PC restarts only if at the end of the establis.

11:29 a.m. Now the PC has restarted, IT's showing a picture of a Siamese combat-ready fish (or betta fish–get it?), and the PC says it's preparing.

11:35 a.m. My Personal computer restarts again.

11:38 a.m. The PC's back on, but it's still preparing.

11:40 a.m. It's applying user settings.

11:46 a.m. In real time it asks me to pick a background color for my Metro UI Start Screen. Information technology offers a spectrum of colors to choose from. I move a bar along the spectrum, and the screen backgroun automatically changes. I opt an earthy brown.

11:48 a.m. Right away I have to opt Windows settings–mostly concealment issues. If you're in a hurry, you can choose Express Settings, simply that will dedicate Windows access code to pretty so much any information information technology wants from your system. If you elect to customize your settings, you buttocks full stop applications from sending entropy about your location or stop sharing of your personal data with apps, among other things.

11:54 a.m. I've made totally my choices, and I'm ready to dive in and start trying Windows 8.

Tired all, I fanny think of more beautiful ways to spend just shy of 2 hours, but Microsoft seems to have made capital strides in ensuring that installing an OS is an apprehensible and relatively painless procedure.

Have you downloaded Windows 8 Consumer Trailer? Or do you have no interest in changing to a new version of Windows? Either way, we'd like to hear your opinion. Please take PCWorld's Windows 8 Survey. IT'll call for basketball team minutes or less.

Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/468737/two_hours_to_windows_8_an_upgrade_diary.html

Posted by: dixonknour2001.blogspot.com

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