How to Install Windows 8 Developer Preview
The Windows 8 Developer Preview is open to anyone who wishes to try it out. Both 32-and 64bit versions are available, and you don’t need to be part of the Microsoft TechNet inner circle to trial it. You can grab your copy from our website (head to tinyurl.com/3zqh77t for the 32bit version, and tinyurl.com/6xe4Lo2 for 64bit)*. The download will be in the form of an ISO file, which you should burn to DVD. Right-click the file, choose ‘Burn Disc Image’, check your DVD drive is selected, then click Burn.
Then click Start. Computer, then double-click your disc drive. Click Yes when asked whether you want to run the program. The Windows 8 installation will commence, and should last no longer than 10 minutes.
You’ll be prompted to enter a name for the PC, then click Next. Windows will detect any wireless networks in range. Assuming that you aren’t using an ethernet connection to access the web, select your wireless network from the list and enter your password. You can skip this step if you don’t have this information to hand.
Click Next, and the installer will ask whether you want to accept Microsoft’s Express Settings. These include a range of pre-defined options for your region, preferred keyboard
PREPARATION IS EVERYTHING
We can’t stress enough that it’s a very, very bad idea to install the Windows 8 Developer Preview on your primary PC. Microsoft makes no claims for the stability of the Developer Preview. It’s also highly probable that some of the software you use on a daily basis won’t work with this early build of the OS. Worse still, you could lose important documents, precious photographic memories and vast collections of music and video stored on the PC.
If a second machine isn’t available to serve as a test bed for the new OS, you should install the Developer Preview on a separate partition of your hard drive to your current OS – or an external drive.
layout, automatic updates and filesharing. Click ‘Use Express Settings’, or select only the options that are relevant to you by choosing ‘Customize’.
A Windows Live ID isn’t necessary to install and run the OS. but it’s useful if you’ll be using more than one Windows 8 device
Follow the instructions we’ve given above for downloading the ISO image and burning it to disc. If you’re using a spare hard drive, choose Windows 8 as the OS you want to use when it reboots. If you’re using a separate partition of your primary hard drive, ensure that you specify as much during installation. You can then continue with the rest of the procedure as we’ve detailed above.
and would like to sync your bookmarks, browser history and more between them. There’s an option to create this ID if you don’t already have one, although your PC must be connected to the web. Note that a mobile number or alternate email address will be requested in case you forget the password for your Windows Live account.
Following a reboot, you’ll see a screensaver displaying the time and date. Simultaneously hold down the left-click button and scroll upwards to remove this. If you chose the Windows Live option in the previous step, you’ll now need to enter your associated email address. Alternatively, enter your local user account name. Enter the password to reveal the Start screen.
Faster boot times
Microsoft claims that a Windows 8 PC can go from powered down to the Start screen in less than 10 seconds. This is possible due to a hybrid system that mixes processes
If you absolutely must install the OS over the top of your previous Windows installation, back up all your important data to an online storage service or external hard drive. Dig out your Windows disc and licence key, plus those for any software you currently run on your machine. Should anything go wrong, you can reinstall your current OS, software and data. See tinyurl.com/3zLd3aj.
used in cold boots with Hibernation mode. “We designed Windows 8 so that you shouldn’t have to boot all that often. But when you do boot, we want it to be as fast as possible,” says Steve Sinofsky.
If you’re worried about whether your current system is up to the job of running the new OS, don’t be. Microsoft says the system requirements for Windows 8 are exactly the same as for Windows 7.
“In both our Windows 8 previews, we talked about continuing on with the important trend that we started with Windows 7, keeping system requirements either flat or reducing them over time,” says Window’s corporate vice-president, Tami Reller. “Windows 8 will be able to run on a wide range of machines because it will have the same requirements or lower.”
The minimum system requirements for a PC running Windows 7 include a 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of hard-disk space and a DirectX 9-compatible graphics card. These are also the minimum requirements for the OS’ predecessor, Windows Vista.
NAVIGATE WINDOWS 8
1. Start up a Windows 8 PC and, in place of the Classic desktop, you’ll be presented with the touch-optimised Metro interface. A series of live tiles contain shortcuts to apps or data that’s updated in real time (see Step 3). You can alter their grouping by clicking and dragging on individual tiles.
2. Click a tile to launch its associated app in a new window. No longer will you find a red cross in the top right corner to later close this window; instead, tap the onscreen Start button or press the Windows key ( 0) on your keyboard. Press Alt, Tab to see all running apps. Use Windows, Tab to skip through them.
3. Various tiles offer live data, including a Socialite tile that connects with your Facebook account and displays various images on the social network. Another neat feature is Windows Snap. This lets you run two apps side by side, with one occupying around 70 percent of the display and the other taking up the remainder.
4. Hold down the left-click button and drag the cursor from the bottom right to left of the screen to access Windows 8′s five ‘Charms’: Start, Search, Share, Devices and Settings. Start always returns you to the home screen, while the other Charms relate to the app that’s currently open.
5. The Share Charm lets you make content relevant to the current app available to other users. In Internet Explorer, for example, you can post a link to the site you’re browsing on Facebook or Twitter. The Devices Charm lets you access items such as networked printers, while Search finds specific files on your PC.
6. f you would prefer to use Windows’ Classic desktop, it’s straightforward to switch between the two interfaces. Simply press the Windows key on your keyboard or click the Desktop app on Metro’s home screen. Your will now see the familiar Windows desktop, complete with shortcut icons.
7. Internet Explorer 10.0 is bundled with the Developer Preview. In Metro, the browser doesn’t support Flash or plug-ins. It also has a sparse design with no Favorites bar. Press Start, Desktop and open the browser in the classic Windows interface, however, and the browser history will remember the page you were viewing in Metro.
8. Windows Explorer has had a redesign in Windows 8, and now features Microsoft’s Ribbon toolbar first introduced in Office 2007. When you’ve finished looking around the Developer Preview, open the Settings Charm from the home screen and choose to shut down or restart the PC from the box on the right.
We can’t stress enough that it’s a very, very bad idea to install the Windows 8 Developer Preview on your primary PC. Microsoft makes no claims for the stability of the Developer Preview. It’s also highly probable that some of the software you use on a daily basis won’t work with this early build of the OS. Worse still, you could lose important documents, precious photographic memories and vast collections of music and video stored on the PC.
If a second machine isn’t available to serve as a test bed for the new OS, you should install the Developer Preview on a separate partition of your hard drive to your current OS – or an external drive.
The Windows 8 Developer Preview is open to anyone who wishes to try it out. Both 32-and 64bit versions are available, and you don’t need to be part of the Microsoft TechNet inner circle to trial it. You can grab your copy from our website (head to tinyurl.com/3zqh77t for the 32bit version, and tinyurl.com/6xe4Lo2 for 64bit)*. The download will be in the form of an ISO file, which you should burn to DVD. Right-click the file, choose ‘Burn Disc Image’, check your DVD drive is selected, then click Burn.
Then click Start. Computer, then double-click your disc drive. Click Yes when asked whether you want to run the program. The Windows 8 installation will commence, and should last no longer than 10 minutes.
You’ll be prompted to enter a name for the PC, then click Next. Windows will detect any wireless networks in range. Assuming that you aren’t using an ethernet connection to access the web, select your wireless network from the list and enter your password. You can skip this step if you don’t have this information to hand.
Click Next, and the installer will ask whether you want to accept Microsoft’s Express Settings. These include a range of pre-defined options for your region, preferred keyboard
PREPARATION IS EVERYTHING
We can’t stress enough that it’s a very, very bad idea to install the Windows 8 Developer Preview on your primary PC. Microsoft makes no claims for the stability of the Developer Preview. It’s also highly probable that some of the software you use on a daily basis won’t work with this early build of the OS. Worse still, you could lose important documents, precious photographic memories and vast collections of music and video stored on the PC.
If a second machine isn’t available to serve as a test bed for the new OS, you should install the Developer Preview on a separate partition of your hard drive to your current OS – or an external drive.
layout, automatic updates and filesharing. Click ‘Use Express Settings’, or select only the options that are relevant to you by choosing ‘Customize’.
A Windows Live ID isn’t necessary to install and run the OS. but it’s useful if you’ll be using more than one Windows 8 device
Follow the instructions we’ve given above for downloading the ISO image and burning it to disc. If you’re using a spare hard drive, choose Windows 8 as the OS you want to use when it reboots. If you’re using a separate partition of your primary hard drive, ensure that you specify as much during installation. You can then continue with the rest of the procedure as we’ve detailed above.
and would like to sync your bookmarks, browser history and more between them. There’s an option to create this ID if you don’t already have one, although your PC must be connected to the web. Note that a mobile number or alternate email address will be requested in case you forget the password for your Windows Live account.
Following a reboot, you’ll see a screensaver displaying the time and date. Simultaneously hold down the left-click button and scroll upwards to remove this. If you chose the Windows Live option in the previous step, you’ll now need to enter your associated email address. Alternatively, enter your local user account name. Enter the password to reveal the Start screen.
Faster boot times
Microsoft claims that a Windows 8 PC can go from powered down to the Start screen in less than 10 seconds. This is possible due to a hybrid system that mixes processes
If you absolutely must install the OS over the top of your previous Windows installation, back up all your important data to an online storage service or external hard drive. Dig out your Windows disc and licence key, plus those for any software you currently run on your machine. Should anything go wrong, you can reinstall your current OS, software and data. See tinyurl.com/3zLd3aj.
used in cold boots with Hibernation mode. “We designed Windows 8 so that you shouldn’t have to boot all that often. But when you do boot, we want it to be as fast as possible,” says Steve Sinofsky.
If you’re worried about whether your current system is up to the job of running the new OS, don’t be. Microsoft says the system requirements for Windows 8 are exactly the same as for Windows 7.
“In both our Windows 8 previews, we talked about continuing on with the important trend that we started with Windows 7, keeping system requirements either flat or reducing them over time,” says Window’s corporate vice-president, Tami Reller. “Windows 8 will be able to run on a wide range of machines because it will have the same requirements or lower.”
The minimum system requirements for a PC running Windows 7 include a 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of hard-disk space and a DirectX 9-compatible graphics card. These are also the minimum requirements for the OS’ predecessor, Windows Vista.
NAVIGATE WINDOWS 8
1. Start up a Windows 8 PC and, in place of the Classic desktop, you’ll be presented with the touch-optimised Metro interface. A series of live tiles contain shortcuts to apps or data that’s updated in real time (see Step 3). You can alter their grouping by clicking and dragging on individual tiles.
2. Click a tile to launch its associated app in a new window. No longer will you find a red cross in the top right corner to later close this window; instead, tap the onscreen Start button or press the Windows key ( 0) on your keyboard. Press Alt, Tab to see all running apps. Use Windows, Tab to skip through them.
3. Various tiles offer live data, including a Socialite tile that connects with your Facebook account and displays various images on the social network. Another neat feature is Windows Snap. This lets you run two apps side by side, with one occupying around 70 percent of the display and the other taking up the remainder.
4. Hold down the left-click button and drag the cursor from the bottom right to left of the screen to access Windows 8′s five ‘Charms’: Start, Search, Share, Devices and Settings. Start always returns you to the home screen, while the other Charms relate to the app that’s currently open.
5. The Share Charm lets you make content relevant to the current app available to other users. In Internet Explorer, for example, you can post a link to the site you’re browsing on Facebook or Twitter. The Devices Charm lets you access items such as networked printers, while Search finds specific files on your PC.
6. f you would prefer to use Windows’ Classic desktop, it’s straightforward to switch between the two interfaces. Simply press the Windows key on your keyboard or click the Desktop app on Metro’s home screen. Your will now see the familiar Windows desktop, complete with shortcut icons.
7. Internet Explorer 10.0 is bundled with the Developer Preview. In Metro, the browser doesn’t support Flash or plug-ins. It also has a sparse design with no Favorites bar. Press Start, Desktop and open the browser in the classic Windows interface, however, and the browser history will remember the page you were viewing in Metro.
8. Windows Explorer has had a redesign in Windows 8, and now features Microsoft’s Ribbon toolbar first introduced in Office 2007. When you’ve finished looking around the Developer Preview, open the Settings Charm from the home screen and choose to shut down or restart the PC from the box on the right.
We can’t stress enough that it’s a very, very bad idea to install the Windows 8 Developer Preview on your primary PC. Microsoft makes no claims for the stability of the Developer Preview. It’s also highly probable that some of the software you use on a daily basis won’t work with this early build of the OS. Worse still, you could lose important documents, precious photographic memories and vast collections of music and video stored on the PC.
If a second machine isn’t available to serve as a test bed for the new OS, you should install the Developer Preview on a separate partition of your hard drive to your current OS – or an external drive.
