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Windows 8 Consumer Preview


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#1 cdob

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Posted 29 February 2012 - 06:38 PM

*
POPULAR

Windows 8 Consumer Preview ISO images
http://windows.micro...S/windows-8/iso
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#2 sambul61

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Posted 29 February 2012 - 06:53 PM

Saturday is a better day for such news. :) What I found interesting, they provided 2 ways to install: an ISO (presumably good to test on a VM or with Grub4DOS, and Setup package), and MS ISO-to-USB converter now comes standard with the Setup package due to lack of DVD-drives in new laptops.

"Windows 8 Consumer Preview ISO files (.iso) are provided as an alternative to using Windows 8 Consumer Preview Setup. If you are on a PC running Windows and want to install the consumer preview on another partition, another PC, or a virtual machine, we recommend you download Windows 8 Consumer Preview Setup and use the built-in tools for converting an ISO image into installation media, such as a DVD or USB bootable flash drive."
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#3 bblaauw

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Posted 29 February 2012 - 09:52 PM

Would be convenient if it was the complete ISO and a tiny SETUP.EXE that would take care of everything else. Wonder if MS will ever implement Linux (and OS-X) stuff like bare installation from the internet, RAM booting and end-user-friendly running from USB SSD/HDD and flash devices.

#4 sambul61

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Posted 29 February 2012 - 10:11 PM

Certainly, never Linux (and OS-x) stuff. :D MS already offers a separate ISO-to-USB tool for the masses, and its enough user friendly for my taste. Once ISO is extracted to USB, one just needs to run a standard Setup.exe from it. USB boot support exists in Windows for a while, for sure will be exposed to end users at some point, and its available for Reboot community now AFAIK.

#5 steve6375

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Posted 01 March 2012 - 12:46 AM

When you install Windows 8 Consumer Preview you’ll be asked for a product key. You can use DNJXJ-7XBW8-2378T-X22TX-BKG7J for the 32-bit or 64-bit versions of Windows 8 Consumer Preview. This key will most likely expire after Microsoft officially launches Windows 8 later this year.
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#6 wimb

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Posted 01 March 2012 - 11:41 AM

Thanks cdob ! :cheers:

Win 8 Setup ISO was mounted via R-mouse in ImDisk Virtual drive
and then WinNTSetup was used to prepare the Target drive.
On Reboot then Install of Windows 8 is extremely fast (a few minutes).

But the user interface is not so easy
and requires a lot of mouse movement (from extreme Left to extreme Right corner)
It took me some time to find the button for Shutdown and Reboot (mouse in Right corner and then gently Upwards to Settings)
How to launch programs also took a while (Left corner and then R-mouse gives Apps)
With User Account Control Off you are not allowed to do Pictures or Music or ......
After first use with UAC on then you can switch to UAC Off and are allowed to go in Pictures.

There is a bug in Google Maps - the zoom slider is invisible.

Windows 8 allows Grub4dos grldr.mbr is added to BootManager Menu file BCD
But Selection of Grub4dos results in reboot, and then menu.lst appears ......
So it is always indirect via Reboot and you are never allowed to direct use the extra boot options in Win8 Bootmanager Menu.
In fact in Win8 BCD store I found that /bootsequence option is used to set once booting with e.g. Grub4dos grldr.mbr

On trying to use Grub4dos entry in Win7 Bootmanager Menu and use chainloader for booting Win8 then it does not go into BCD of Win8,
but instead it displays the BCD (in which grub4dos was installed) of the Win7 boot drive, so that Win8 cannot be launched.
In case of chainload to Win7-x64 it works as expected and then you arrive at BCD of Win7-x64 so that you can launch Win7-x64.
I fixed Win8 booting direct from Win7 BCD by making New entry in Win7 BCD
by copy of Win7 entry followed by set device and osdevice to partition of Win8

Install of 7-Zip - Even with UAC Off it is needed to run the app as Administrator if you want to set File Associations.
For cmd window you cannot use context menu but need to launch from system32 to get Administrator rights.

:)
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#7 MedEvil

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Posted 01 March 2012 - 02:15 PM

Imo, shells follow now the trend of the browsers to be less and less usable for use by non-idiots.
Hope they soon invent shell extensions!

:cheers:

#8 0scar

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Posted 01 March 2012 - 02:31 PM

The interface is clearly oriented to tablets and touch screens what makes me feel more nostalgia for XP yet .
BTW, I cannot login in this forum using iexplore 10 of W8, when trying to sign in the signing dialog box never loads.
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#9 Brito

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Posted 01 March 2012 - 02:49 PM

...
BTW, I cannot login in this forum using iexplore 10 of W8, when trying to sign in the signing dialog box never loads.

Here we go again.. :lol:

#10 sambul61

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Posted 01 March 2012 - 03:07 PM

For those tired of using Metro UI on a PC, you can try unabling & disabling Win8 Metro User Interface with some Reg hacks and several utilities - just look on the web.

#11 steve6375

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Posted 01 March 2012 - 03:32 PM

Does this actually work on Consumer Preview? There are reports that it does not work on new Consumer Preview version?

#12 sambul61

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Posted 01 March 2012 - 03:38 PM

There are several such utils. I tried in Dev's version, hope some may work on this one or will be updated soon - already switched to Win7 with all apps, may be later. :)

#13 steve6375

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Posted 01 March 2012 - 03:38 PM

The interface is clearly oriented to tablets and touch screens what makes me feel more nostalgia for XP yet .

One would think that a company like Microsoft could write some code like:
if Touchscreen present then enable Metro else enable Start Menu

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#14 steve6375

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Posted 01 March 2012 - 05:35 PM

Useful
http://www.zdnet.com...osoft/4540?pg=1

#15 Tripredacus

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Posted 01 March 2012 - 06:27 PM

Why does that origami fish look familiar to me. Did MS use a fish in the past or what am I thinking of?

#16 sambul61

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Posted 01 March 2012 - 06:29 PM

Windows To Go is a feature in Windows 8 that allows this OS to boot and run from USB mass storage devices such as flash drives and external hard drives.

Learn how to Create a Windows To Go USB Drive . :)

#17 steve6375

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Posted 01 March 2012 - 06:34 PM

Windows To Go is a feature in Windows 8 that allows this OS to boot and run from USB mass storage devices such as flash drives and external hard drives.

Learn how to Create a Windows To Go USB Drive . :)

or here http://www.rmprepusb...orials/win8togo :music_guitar:
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#18 sambul61

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Posted 01 March 2012 - 06:38 PM

I can't believe, you already made a Tutorial for it. :ermm: :lol:

#19 steve6375

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Posted 01 March 2012 - 06:59 PM

More useful tips here http://www.ghacks.ne....op0ao029eu.gaz

#20 paraglider

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Posted 02 March 2012 - 01:02 AM

I installed win8 into a vhd hoping to dual boot between win7 / win 8. It inconveniently replaced the winload.exe in my win7 x64 with the win 8 version thus making win7 fail to load.

Tried to boot from the win7 install dvd and do a repair. That failed saying that windows was not a supported version.

Managed to restore the winload.exe file from the win7 wim file and have my win7 working again.

Now I have reorganized my partitions so I can install win 8 into a separate partition.

Also could not get win8 to install from a USB thumb drive created with the MS win7 usb tool. It would give an error saying a DVD driver was required.

#21 steve6375

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Posted 02 March 2012 - 09:33 AM

I installed Win8 to VHD on a Win 7 system with no problem.???
See www.rmprepusb.com for Win8 tutorials.

#22 sambul61

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Posted 02 March 2012 - 03:13 PM

I installed win8 into a vhd hoping to dual boot between win7 / win 8. It inconveniently replaced the winload.exe in my win7 x64 with the win 8 version thus making win7 fail to load

Why not setup a partition where you can drop all kind of VHDs: Win8, 7, XP.... Then use EasyBCD solution for Win8 (update) or Windows 8 BCD tools to add these VHDs to Win8 Boot Menu. Changes in Win8 boot process described by the EasyBCD dev. may be related to long term MS strategy to limit the ability of booting uncertified & moded OS versions.

Here's Scott Hanselman's Guide to Installing and Booting Windows 8 off a VHD. See also Windows8 and VirtualPC thread.

#23 edborg

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Posted 02 March 2012 - 03:54 PM

I installed Win8 Consumer Preview from WinXP to an USB HD, overwriting a previous Win8 Developer Preview installation.

I followed the same fujianabc method as for the first install and everything went well... unless this time the MBR of my HD was overwritten :angry: :frusty: and I'll have to try and restore it to get my working OS back.

Thanks to MS!!! :ranting2:

edborg

Edit: This time it was my fault, not MS's :rolleyes: .
I misinterpreted fujianabc's menu and wrongly indicated C: as the boot partition. This led to writing a bootcode on the bootsector in C: with a BCD linking to the USB HD.

#24 Fabercut

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Posted 02 March 2012 - 04:20 PM

pls post link to fujianabc method.

#25 edborg

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Posted 02 March 2012 - 05:27 PM

Problem solved with: bootsect.exe /NT52 C: :good:

edborg

P.S. The link is here, though it should be not to difficult to find ... ;)
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