Microsoft has announced that Windows 8 Pro would be available to the users for $39.99 as the part of the promotional scheme. This would be available to the users till January 2013 in 131 different markets. The good news is that the offer will not only be available for the users who have Windows 7 running on their PCs but for those also who have Windows XP and Vista on their PC.
Microsoft has something more to offer to its users as it announced that users can even add Windows Media Center free of cost through the “Add Features” option within Windows 8 Pro after the upgrade procedure is completed. The company has also provided the details on the process of up gradation and said that when one uses Windows.com to buy an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro, the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant will make the process simple by taking the users through the upgrade process.
The upgrade process is a step-by-step process starting from purchase to download and then the installation. The company states that the Windows 8 upgrade assistant will check to ensure that a user’s PC is ready for Windows 8. Then it will provide the detailed compatibility report which will allow the user to know everything the users have to do before and after the upgrade and the outlines of the action to take. The user will be informed about any application or device compatibility issues, if any. It will ask the user about all those applications they would like to keep from their current Windows installation.
The user could upgrade from any consumer edition of Windows 7 to Windows 8 Pro and could bring all the settings, personal files and apps to this new upgrade. The users who are upgrading from Windows Vista will be able to bring the Windows files and personal files and those who are upgrading from Windows XP could get their personal files. The users have the option of having it all fresh in case they do not wish to bring in any previous setting, work or application. The users can also format the hard disk if they wish to do so and can do so if they boot from media and format the HD while the setting up of the Windows 8 installation happens.
Once the user purchases this upgrade, the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant starts the download. It has got a built-in download manager which will allow a user to pause and continue their download at any point of time and it will check whether the download is happening in a proper way or not. After the download gets completed the users could choose to proceed with the upgrade by clicking the option Install now or Install later. The users can do this from their desktop or by creating their own media. The users have to create their own bootable USB or .ISO file in case they choose to install from a media and they need to burn a DVD for upgrade or backup process.
