Windows 8 Consumer Preview Question

[chanchan05]

I was wondering, I found that I could install it on a virtual 20GB drive on my laptop. But if I do, will it still use my current Win7 user folder? I know the settings may probably be have to be rebuilt from scratch, like my default programs, my object dock, etc, but do I still have to make a new user for it?

 

[KSoD]

Yes. It is a completely new OS, nothing will be carried over.

 

[office politics]

would it be legal for someone to create a install on a vhd and post online for download.

this would make it easier to have someone try the software. they wouldnt have to install. just import and run.

 

[KSoD]

It would be illegal to do. Only Microsoft can post/host or do anything when it comes to offering Windows. They own the name, look and everything. You would have to get a license from them in order to do it.

Plus why would you need to? The software is already FREE. All people have to do is download it and install it. There is already guides available online on how to setup VM of it all over the place. So what would be the point of breaking the law when you can do it all legally?

 

[office politics]

higher priorities. no time.

automated installs are prolly a better route then.

 

[KSoD]

If you dont have time, then you shouldnt be messing with Preview software that is not fully functional in the first place. As it does not operate as expected or like previous versions of Windows. It takes time to understand why things dont work and how to fix them. Since your excuse would be that people dont have time to even do a clean install which takes roughly 5-10 minutes at most, then they wouldnt have the time to waste to fix the issues cause by the OS either. They are only hurting themselves and others by even attempting to run the OS.

Higher Priorities is a joke as well. I work full time and raise a kid. I have bills to pay and everything just like everyone else. Yet I was able to "make" a few minutes to install this and get it running. If people have such higher priorities, then why are they sitting at their PC trying to mess with Preview software in the first place? Wouldnt their time be better spent doing what they had to do in a working environment so they can get on to the next task? Instead of doing exactly the same thing I said above and wasting time trying to figure out why things dont work the way they expect?

This is what people HAVE to understand. This isnt just something that you should download and run cause you thinks "its cool" to run Windows 8. All you do is create more problems for yourself if you jump into it and dont READ things first. Here is the exact statement from Microsoft when people look at their FAQ:

We strongly recommend that only experienced PC users download Windows 8 Consumer Preview. Before you download the preview, you should weigh the pros and cons of installing software that's still in development. If you install the preview release, you'll get to try out the many new features, but you might also encounter errors that you wouldn't encounter using a released version of Windows.

But the fact is that since the Vista Beta days everyone leaked the builds and this was Microsoft's only choice. To release it to the world and let people have at it. Only offering a warning and when people screw up their machine they can sit back and say "Hey, we told ya so".

Sorry there mate, but I dont agree with your remarks at all. Sadly the Internet turned the Beta process into a joke and make it worthless. Then people wonder why we get things like Metro forced upon us. Maybe if they followed the rules to begin with and kept things to themselves like they were supposed to, the products would be better since there could be some more proper testing done and not this joke work that is being done now.

 

[office politics]

i guess im not "cool" enough to use the consumer preview.

ok, mak, you convinced me. i dont want to be frustrated by buggy software anyways.


higher priorities for me are not the same for others. you and i are in different stages of life. i have other personal projects that are of more value than this.


edit - i do think its cool that you're working so hard on this. i'm sure you'll keep us posted and i'll read what you post.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

There is actually a .vhd of Windows Server 8 available directly from Microsof if you want to try that.

 

[office politics]

Awesome, Thanks Puddle.


dang, now i feel left out. i assume server ed wont have Metro. oh, happy days.

if anyone wants to get in on this action.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/hh670538

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Server 8 does have Metro but it's not exactly like what you see on Windows 8.