Windows 8 Pro Download, Upgrade, and Clean Install FAQs

In my last post you had seen how to download the newly released Windows 8 Pro version from Microsoft. Yes, there are a lot of other question on how do we install it etc. But first of all let me clear some questions which I had in my mind for all of you to see.

Will Microsoft allow Installation of the Upgrade version to any other PC instead of the Windows PC you used while buying the Upgrade key?

YES! Well it is very good in the part of Microsoft that they allow you to keep both Windows 7 and Windows 8 PCs! The FAQs in the Upgrade Offer page says:

“The upgrade offer is tied to a Windows 7 PC purchased between 2 June 2012 and 31 January 2013, but you can choose to redeem the offer and install the upgrade on any compatible Windows-based PC with a qualifying base operating system.”

The last part says “with a qualifying base operating system.” Well this is not necessary when you go for a clean install using the backup media. FYI, the base operating systems Microsoft is talking about is Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7

Selecting “Keep Nothing” while running Windows 8 Upgrade program mean Clean Install?

NO. Clean install means installing the Windows to a formatted partition, meaning there will be no Data present before. “Keep Nothing” is an option during the Upgrade install where none of your Apps or files will be retained while Upgrading to Windows 8 from your previous Windows.

I selected Keep Files or Keep Apps instead of Keep Nothing while purchasing the Key. Will I be able to do a clean install from the backup media?

YES. Those options are valid only if you upgrade using the Windows 8 Upgrade program. Once you choose to create media instead of Install, those options are no longer  relevant.

I want a 64-bit Windows 8 Pro, but my eligible PC is running 32-bit Windows. Will I be able to get and Install a 64-bit with the upgrade key I purchased?

YES. The upgrade is common for both 32-bit and 64-bit, meaning it works for both. You can download a 64-bit Windows 8 Pro with your key but only from a 64-bit Windows PC. This is because the Upgrade/Setup program will downloads the version which is only compatible to your Base OS. You can follow my last post on How to download Windows 8 Pro.

If you have any other questions while Installing or upgrading to Windows 8, do let me know. Just leave a comment below.

[How To] Download Windows 8 Pro 32/64-bit from Microsoft with Upgrade Key

The new shiny Windows 8 featuring Tiles and all is here. Windows 8 was officially launched last week on October 26 along with Microsoft’s Surface Tablet which runs Windows RT. Windows 8 seems to be getting good reviews from users except from few. Well many of us are still thinking whether to upgrade or not.

For all those who are not aware of the Windows Upgrade program, Microsoft is offering you a Windows 8 Pro (32/64-bit) for only $39.99 (USD). This offer is valid for many countries. The criteria is you should be running Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7. Additionally if you bought a Windows 7 PC after June 2, 2012 you can get it for $14.99.

Windows 8 Logo

Well for those who are aware and have already purchased Windows 8 key(s), you might have already downloaded it or you might be still waiting to download. We just wanted to inform everyone through this post that you need not worry about the download. You can do it whenever you are free or if you are in a limited internet plan, you can do it during your next billing cycle.

Requirements to Download Windows 8 Pro Legit from Microsoft:

# Operating System: Windows XP, Vista, or 7
# Of course an internet connection and
# Your Windows 8 Pro Upgrade Key you purchased earlier

Step 1: Download Windows8-Setup.exe from here. it is 5.2MB in size.

Step 2: Decide which Windows Pro version you want – either 32-bit or 64-bit. Well do note that you can install 64-bit only if your processor supports it. you can check if your CPU supports 64-bit OS here.

Step 3: Run the “Windows8-Setup.exe” you have downloaded  from a PC which has a 32-bit Windows if you want to download Windows 8 Pro 32-bit. Similarly run from a 64-bit PC if you want 64-bit version.
Size Details:
# 32-Bit Windows 8 Pro: 2.01GB
# 62-Bit Windows 8 Pro: 2.63GB

Step 4: When the Setup program starts, it will ask for your Windows 8 Pro key. Just enter your keys and viola, your download will commence.

windows 8 download

windows 8 download2

Step 5: After the download is completed, before installing the upgrade, we suggest you to create an iso or a USB drive backup for future setups. You can exit the setup program after that. Don’t loose the backup!

Windows 8 Pro Install

Step 6. While closing the setup program, it automatically creates a desktop icon(if it doesn’t you can re-start the program and it will start where you left off). So if you want to install Windows 8 as an upgrade to your existing OS, you can proceed to ‘Install’. But if you want a clean install, make use of the iso or USB drive backup. I personally recommend clean install over any upgrade install. Its up to you.

Windows 8 Pro Install by media

Important Notes:
# The back up you created to a USB drive or a DVD after download is similar to a retail version, meaning it is not linked to any key. You can use it for installing to any compatible system with any other legit key.
# The same product key can be used for downloading ether 32/64-bit Windows 8 i.e. the key is common for both versions.
# The Upgrade program will ask for your choice if you want to keep files, apps, or none. This choice is irrelevant if you are going for a clean install using a media device (USB/DVD)
# The language will depend on your location. You can install your preferred languages after installing windows 8.

If you have any questions or updates please leave a comment.

[How To] Check if your CPU Supports 64-bit OS or not–The Easy Way

Well we use to program for an 8-bit microprocessor, then 16-Bit some years back. Currently most of the CPUs are 32-Bit architecture. Now the latest one is the 64-Bit CPU. With this advancement of technology in the hardware sector, certain advancements needs to be done in the software sector that will be running on these CPUs.

Here we are talking of System Software that is the Operating Software in your computer, which are the basis for all other user level application software to be installed. If we come to the latest version of Microsoft’s Windows OS, now we see Windows 7. Windows 7 has two versions in terms of hardware compatibility, one for 32-bit architecture CPUs and another for 64bIt architecture CPUs. All 64-bit CPUS can be installed with 32-Bit OS but not vice-versa.

Suppose you have a PC running 32-bit Windows 7, and you want to know if your CPU will support the 62-bit Windows 7, then how will you find it out the easy way? Well we will tell you how.

You can follow the steps:

Step1 Open your computer properties. You can simply press the Windows Key + Pause/Break or you go to start then right click on Computer and select properties.

open-Computerproperties

Step2 In you’re the computer properties, click on “Windows Experience Index”. You can find this under System –> Rating

Windows-computer-properties

Note: First two steps can also be performed via Control Panel as “Control Panel –>Performance Information and Tools” (You can see this option if you set the “View By” as “Large/Small Icon” only)

Step3 In the windows experience index windows, Click on “View and print detailed performance and system information”.

Windows-Experience-index

Step4 In the “View and print detailed performance and system information” windows you can find “64-bit Capable” under System. It will be yes if your CPU supports 64 Bit else No.

64-bit-capable-yes

There you are it is as easy as I had promised. Now as you know the capability of your CPU, you can go for 64-bit OS or not!

[Tip] Change The Date And Time Picture Was Taken In Windows 7

Date picture taken in Windows 7

The modern day digital cameras include the time and date of the picture when you take snaps with them. This is very useful, when you see the pictures in future and want to know when it was taken. These details can be seen from the information along with the picture’s metadata when you transfer them to the PC. Fine, everything is good. But what would happen when you travel to a different time zone and forgot to reset the time and date in your camera’s settings? The digital camera would then stamp incorrect time and date onto your pictures. This is a common problem but fortunately, there is a great workaround available if you are using Windows 7. To see the “Time Taken” data of the picture, select the picture and then notice it on the details pane at the bottom of the window.

Let’s now see how to change the date when a picture was taken, on the Microsoft Windows 7 in 5 simple steps. Follow the steps briefed below.

I. Changing The Date When A Picture Was Taken:

Steps:

1. Open the folder where the target pictures reside.

2. Select the picture for which you want to change the date.

3. Now move your focus to the details pane at the bottom of the window.

Picture Taken Date Change in Windows 7

4. Click next to the “Date taken” and then click on the calendar icon to choose another date.

5. Click Save to change the settings that you have just changed.

Tip: You may also choose multiple pictures in the step 2 by holding down CTRL while selecting one or more pictures.

Note: If you don’t see any details pane, it might have been disabled. Read our earlier tutorial to enable the details pane in Windows 7 explorer.

II. Changing Both The Time And Date When A Picture Was Taken:

The aforementioned method changes only the date on which the picture was taken but not the time when it was captured. Follow these steps to change both the time and date when the picture was taken.

Steps:

1. Press the Windows key on your Windows 7 machine and type photo gallery in the search box and open the “Windows Live Photo Gallery” from the results under the ‘Programs’.

Photo Gallery Windows 7 start menu search

2. Import the picture for which you want to change the date and time metadata and double-click on it to open it.

Windows Photo Gallery Picture info

3. On the right hand side pane (Tag and caption pane), notice the “Information” section. You will see the ‘Date Taken’ data being listed there.

4. Click on the corresponding date and time values which you want to change.

Windows Photo Gallery picture info edit

That is it. The picture will have new values for “Date Taken” metadata. Isn’t that simple?

[Via: Microsoft]

Top 10 Advanced Windows 7 Search Tips

Windows 7 logo

Microsoft has always been keen to improve the search feature in Windows. With the launch of every new version of Windows, there have always been incremental improvements to the Windows Search. If you are using Windows 7, here are some advanced search tips and tricks to make the most out of the Windows Search.

Tip #1:

To search for files containing multiple terms (in any order) from your search query, just type all of those terms in the Search box:

For instance, if you want to search for multiple files or folder containing the terms “tropical”, “island” and “pictures” in any order, just type “tropical island pictures” in the Search box.

Windows 7 search any terms

Tip #2:

If you want to look for files or folders in your computer containing a particular exact phrase, type your query within quotation marks in the Search box:

Example: “john holiday pics”

Windows 7 search exact match

The above query will list all the files (or folders) that contain your exact search phrase.

Tip #3 – Using Boolean Operators:

If you want to find that contains at least one of the terms from your search query, use the Boolean operator OR in between the terms.

If you want to search for files that contain a certain term but not the other term, use the operator in between the terms.

Ex: tropical NOT island

Windows 7 search boolean

Please note that the above said Boolean operators have to be used in uppercase.

Tip #4:

If you want to look for match only in the file names not inside the content of the files, type name: followed by the search keyword(s).

Windows 7 search name operator

Usage:

name:techrena

Tip #5:

If you want to search for a particular file type, type *. followed by the file extension for instance type “*.jpg” info you only want to search JPEG pictures present on your computer.

Windows 7 search file type

You can also make use of the “kind” operator to search for files of particular type. There are several types to choose from like games, movies, music, pictures, folders etc.

Windows 7 search kind file type

Usage:

kind:=folder

Tip #6:

If you want to search only for the files that have been modified after a certain date, you can make use of the “modified:” (or “datemodified:”) search filter.

Windows 7 search modified operator

Tip #7:

Another search filter that can help you narrow down your search is “Size:”. Type ‘Size:’ in the Search box and choose the size limit so that the search can be limited to all the files under that limit.

Windows 7 search size operator

Usage:

Size:>10mb

Tip #8:

If you want to search for files that are authored by specific person, use ‘”System.Author:” or just “author:” search filters.

Windows 7 search author operator

Usage:

System.Author:Bharath

Author: “Bharath”

Tip #9:

This is to just achieve the opposite result of the tip #5 i.e. to search for files that aren’t of specific type. Here the operator <> means “not”.

Windows-7-search-kind-not-keyword

Usage:

kind:<>folder

Tip #10:

To search for music tracks composed by a particular artist from your music folder, you can make use of the advanced “kind” operator.

Windows 7 search artist operator

Usage:

kind:=music artist: Beyonce

 

If you know some more Windows 7 search tips, let us know through comments.

 

Reference: Microsoft

[How To] Enable Sharing Files And Folders In Windows 7

 

Windows 7

Well most of us are aware how to enable network files and folder sharing in Windows XP. It was comparatively easier in Windows XP performing this procedure. Windows 7 has more secure features with network user groups, password protected sharing etc.

Sharing Folders and Files in Windows has been very useful where you can access files in some other computer in the same network. Another advantage is the data transfer rate is very much higher than other connections like USB. In a wired LAN the speed has reached 1Gbps. With these speeds you can transfer data quite faster than before.

The process of sharing folders and files is as follows:

Step 1:

Go to the Control Panel location given below. You can copy and paste it in your address bar.

Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network and Sharing Center\Advanced sharing settings

network and sharing center

Step 2:

Select the specific group profile you want to share your files with. For example I have selected Home. Change the settings as shown in the picture below and save the changes.

network and sharing advance settings

For the password protected sharing, you can select any. If you select Password protect on, you need to use our username and password to access the files.

Step 4:

Now go to the folder you want to share, right click on it and select Share with. You can select the people you want to share.

share a folder to share

If you select Specific people, you need to select and add the Computer Name.

file sharing

You can also change the Permissions for the people who wants to access your folder.

file sharing permissions

Step 5:

Now you can check in the computer who wants to access your files. Go to Computer->Network. Your computer name should be visible.

network discovery

Open your computer name and the folder(s) you shared should be visible. Now you can perform what you want according to the permission you have given.

open system in a network

If you can’t find your computer name in the Network, you can use your IP address to access the files.

You should know your IP to perform this. For example, type: \\192.168.1.4 in the address bar.  That is my IP. Your IP will be different. See the Notes below to view your IP.

use ip to open network computer

Now the sharing has been completed and the data can be shared.

Important Notes:

1. Firewall. If you have Windows Firewall enabled you should have allowed File and printer sharing. To allow, go to: Control Panel\System and Security\Windows Firewall\Allowed Programs

Check the File and Printer sharing Check Box.

file and printer sharing firewall

If you have a third party Firewall installed, you need to check these settings there.

2. IP Address. To find out your IP Address, please go to this location:

Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network Connections. Right click on the Adapter you are using for sharing. Select Status. Then go to Details.

view ip address

If the Host and the Client does not have a same Level of IP and profile, you may no be able to access each other. To change the IP Address Follow: Change IP Address of Your Network Adapters in Windows 7.

[Tip] Disable Delete Confirmation Dialog Box In Windows 7

Windows alerts users in the form of various prompts including various confirmation dialogs. These are actually pretty much handy in making sure that you are performing the action that you are actually intended to do. Delete confirmation dialog box is one such prompt, asking you to confirm that you really want to delete that particular file.

Delete file confirmation in Windows 7

Though highly useful, sometimes when you are deleting a large set of files, these dialogs could annoy you and you might want to disable them till you complete the task. Here’s what you need to do to disable the delete confirmation dialogs on your Windows 7 or Windows Vista based PC.

Steps:

1. Right-click on the “Recycle Bin” icon on your desktop and choose “Properties”.

Recycle bin properties link

2. In the Recycle Bin Properties window, you will see this option: “Display delete confirmation dialog”.

Display delete confirmation dialog

Just uncheck this option and click OK to apply the settings.

Recycle bin properties delete confirmation

That is all you need to do. You will not be shown the delete confirmation dialogs anymore. But I strongly advise you to change this settings only if you are desperate to get rid of these prompts for a while.

Order Free Windows 7 SP1 DVD [US And Canada Only]

Windows 7 DVD

Last week, Microsoft has released the Windows 7 Service Pack 1 final RTM for the Windows 7 users. It can either be downloaded manually from the Microsoft official website or users can also opt also for automatic installation via Windows Update. However, if you can’t afford to use your network bandwidth to download the SP1 update files, you might want a way around to get the Service Pack 1 using traditional methods. For the same purpose, Microsoft is now providing a free Windows 7 SP1 DVDs for the users in Canada and the United States. If you stay in US or Canada, you can follow the following steps to order Windows 7 SP1 physical media DVDs.

1. Open this link and choose you country and click the “Continue” button.

Windows 7 SP1 Physical Media Order

2. Choose the language of the Windows 7 SP1 installation and click Add To Cart.

Windows 7 SP1 Physical Media Shipment

As you can see, the DVD is free of charge ($0.00).

Click the Checkout button in the next step and enter your shipment address to where you want the DVD to be delivered. And please note that there’s no option to use PayPal for checking out.

Note:

# A customer can order only 1 copy of the physical media DVD.

# Even though the DVD is offered for free, there are shipment and handling charges around $6.

[Download] Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (KB976932)

Windows 7 SP1 update

Microsoft has released the Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) RTM for everyone. Windows 7 SP1 was earlier released for MSDN and TechNet subscribers last week. Starting today users of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 can download the the Service Pack 1 (SP1) via Windows Update (as KB976932) when it becomes available to them. Most of the Service Pack 1 contains updates most of which have already been released through Windows Update.

You can either download the SP1 for Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 through the Windows Update or also from the direct links from Microsoft Download Center, made available by Microsoft (added at the bottom of this post). The advantage with downloading and installing Service Pack 1 through Windows Update is that it automatically detects the updates that have been installed previously on your Windows 7 and downloads only the ongoing updates that are not yet installed on your computer.

The build number of the final RTM is 7601.17514.101119-1850 and it does indicate the build has been compiled on November 19, 2010. The SP1 (KB976932) package includes client-side support for RemoteFX and Dynamic Memory two new features that are enabled in Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1.

If you have installed a pre-release version of Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 (like Beta or Release Candidate versions) on your machine, you must uninstall them before proceeding further with installing the Windows 7 Service Pack 1 final RTM version.

Download:

Windows 7 SP1: 32-bit (537.8 MB) | 64-bit (903.19 MB)

[Via] [Image credit]

[How To] Change IP Address of Your Network Adapters in Windows 7

Windows 7 logo

Changing the IP(Internet Protocol) address of your computer is a basic thing we do at times. Well the IP address we see in our local computer network adapters are mostly for a local networking purpose. There is always a global Internet IP provided by our Internet Service Providers(ISP).

But why do we need to change the IP address? It may be required when you want a local connection be done with no DHCP(Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) servers. It is because of the DHCP servers are present in most of our systems, we need not provide an IP for every connection, the DHCP host takes cares of the IP allocation. But when you are in your own custom network without a DHCP host, we definitely require to set the IPs of our own to fit in the network.

Here I am going to demonstrate changing an IP address of a local network adapter. This can be used to change the IP Address of any adapter like Wireless LAN, Local Area Connection, Bluetooth Adapters or even virtual Network Adapters.

Step 1:

Go to the following location: Control Panel—>Network and Internet—>Network and Sharing Center

Click on Change adapter settings in the top left corner.

network-and-sharing-center

Step 2:

In the next window, you can see all your adapters. Right click on the adapter you want to change the IP, say Wireless Network Connection. Click on Properties.

adapter settings

Step 3:

In the properties window, select Internet Protocol Version 4(TCP/IPv4) and click on properties.

network adapter properties

Step 4:

Now Select Use the following IP address. Type the IP address details you need. and Click OK.

TCP IP v4 properties

Your IP address has been successfully changed.

Notes:

1. Default gateway is required when you have to connect to the internet using a router or another computer.

2. DNS servers may be required in case of a direct connection to the internet through you adapter.

3. Validate settings upon exit can also be used to validate the IP if you want.

Given below is some of the IP address formats that we use. You can always use a private network format for your personal use.

ipv4 address format

IP formats source: Wikipedia

Important Note: Once you set your IP address manually, the DHCP host will not allocate the IP address for your network adapter. Make sure you set it to Obtain an IP address automatically in Step 4 in order to use DHCP host addresses.