Hi,
I have a Sony tablet which I purchased in the last quarter of 2011 and now I want to install the latest Windows 8 Customer preview into the device. Is there any expert who can stretch out a helping hand to me with this issue?Â
Windows 8 Consumer Preview install
Windows 8 is different. It's designed to work on tablets, laptops and PCs and essentially has two interfaces. The main interface, and the one you see first, is the new 'Metro' interface. Its large icons are optimized for touch screens, but you can still control it with a mouse.
The Classic desktop is hidden away and no longer has a Start menu. It's there so you can run programs written for older versions of Windows. Again, this can be controlled by touch, but it's best to revert to a keyboard and mouse for most tasks. You’ll need to buy a full copy when Microsoft eventually releases Windows 8 as the Consumer Preview will stop working when that happens.
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Installing Windows 8 Consumer Preview.
1. Browse to Microsoft's website (
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/) and click on the Consumer Preview link. Click the 'Download Windows 8 Consumer Preview' button. A 5MB file is downloaded which you need to run. The Setup program will analyze your computer and tell you if your computer and programs are compatible.
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2. Return to the same page on Microsoft's website and click on the 'ISO format' link below the big blue button. Choose the 32bit or 64bit version depending on your requirements. Most people should opt for 64bit, but choose 32bit if you want to be able to run old 32bit programs or don't have a 64bit processor.
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3. Next, you need somewhere to install Windows 8 Consumer Preview. If you don't have a spare hard disk, create a partition of at least 4GB for a dual-boot system. In Windows XP, Vista or 7 go to Start, Control Panel and choose Disk Management to check how much free space you’ve got.
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4. Right-click on the drive you want to partition. Windows will determine how much unallocated space is available. If there’s very little, you could shrink the current partition, but space can be freed up using Disk Cleanup. We gained a further 1.5GB of drive space using this tool. Choose Create new simple volume.
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5. Follow the wizard’s prompts. You can choose between FAT and NTFS drive types. Stick with the latter and click Next to proceed. Either accepts the default drive name or type in your own. You’ll need to allow the drive to be formatted too.
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6. Burn the ISO image you downloaded in step 2 to a DVD. If you're running Windows 7, it's simply a case of double-clicking on it to launch the Windows Disk Image Burner tool.
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7. Reboot your PC and leave the DVD in the drive (or insert it into the drive of the computer onto which you want to install Windows 8). If your computer doesn't boot from the disk, reboot again and enter the Bios. Look for a 'boot priority' menu and put the CD/DVD drive at the top of the list.
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8. When the PC has booted from the DVD, follow the instructions and enter the product key *****-*****-*****-*****-***** when prompted. Click Install Now to proceed. Don't choose Upgrade installation but click Custom install. Make sure you choose the new partition you created, so you don't overwrite your existing Windows setup.
9. The installation process will reboot your PC several times and will eventually boot into the new Metro user interface with its colorful tiles.Â
