Guide: Trying Windows 8 Without Losing Your Current OS Install

[Elmtailye]

I'm currently triple booting windows 7, windows 8, and Ubuntu 11.x

I really like 8 so far - easy to navigate, very quick and responsive. Not having a touch screen is a little annoying when wanting to go to the corners or sides of the screen to bring up metro or charms. Apart from that, I'm enjoying testing it out.

[caitsith01]

by the time win8 comes out I'll hopefully be converting to a Linux install full time or sticking with win7

As someone currently wrestling with the apocalyptic death maze that is networking under Linux, have fun.

[cyclobs]

networking in Linux is easy

[Black Patriot]

Hmm, I've been running Windows 8 Consumer Preview as my primary OS since it came out, and apart from the occasional issue with one of my keyboards getting stuck during games (Razer Lycosa, I think it's the drivers causing the problem), I haven't had any performance issues. There does seem to be a slight problem with sleep mode not staying asleep, which was largely resolved by getting a GTX 680

As for Metro, try Windows 8 for a month, and then tell me it's a problem. Once you get past the first week it all starts to make sense. The only real issue I have (I don't really play with the Metro apps, most of them are inferior to desktop programs and are pretty buggy anyway) is that search doesn't automatically include control panel items by default, you have to actually select that category. I know why they did it, but I'd still like to be able to change that (there's probably a registry key, but I cbf looking for it).

[Spooler]

networking in Linux is easy

^ this easier than windows 7 and alot less restrictive even

[Myzteriouz1]

Just installed it within VMWare Workstation...

[discobrad]

i know windows 8 is designed for tablet use, but personally i dont see a real need for a consumer tablet with windows. there are plenty of reasons commercially, but for a personal device android/IOS is a much better option

[Black Patriot]

i know windows 8 is designed for tablet use, but personally i dont see a real need for a consumer tablet with windows. there are plenty of reasons commercially, but for a personal device android/IOS is a much better option

Having played around with both iPads, Android tablets and Windows 8, I have to say that Windows 8 blows the rest away. If Microsoft can get the OEMs to sell WinRT (the ARM version) for around the same price as the iPad with good hardware, they'll make a killing.

Personally, I was going to buy a laptop with a touchscreen, in anticipation of Windows 8 (or probably at launch as there aren't that many out yet), but now I think I'll try to get one of the tablet + dock units like my Asus Transformer. I get the flexibility of a tablet with a hardware keyboard for proper typing, and I can hook it into some external monitors and a KB+M and it'd be no different to a full desktop machine.

[zakynthos]

Excellent article as I use virtual box but great stuff. More articles like this should come from GON.

[Mearehear]

Thanks for this article! Although I didn't need the advice on how to set myself up with Win8 it reminded me I should give this a try. And the outcome..

Strongly dislike the Metro UI thus far. Much happier with my Ubuntu desktop and my WinXP desktop (altered to my personal likings)

It does seem to boot fast, run well and no doubt performs overly well, but "out of the box" it recognised less hardware in my PC than Ubuntu did, with Win8 not picking up the wireless adapter or the DVD drive automatically. This worked in Ubuntu without having to do anything (aside from give the password for the wireless network of course)

As I run just WinXP and Ubuntu at the moment, I will need to upgrade soon, but after dealing with the Metro UI, I think it will be Windows 7, rather than Windows 8, that I move up to. My desktop PC is simply a desktop PC, not a Tablet, and I have no desire to use, or function, in a Tablet manner from my PC.

[Mearehear]

This made me laugh

[ramcd]

How to I go about uninstalling Windows 8 after I've tried it and get rid of the dual boot option?

[cyclobs]

How to I go about uninstalling Windows 8 after I've tried it and get rid of the dual boot option?

just wipe the partition and fix your boot file. Now this next part was an stupid change imo.

edit: okay i found a better option.

go to run and type in "msconfig.exe" into the command box (or search box it should come up. Click on the boot tab.

click on the "windows 8" option and delete it. be very careful as if you delete the wrong one you wont be able to boot into your windows 7 install.

edit2: You also may have to put your win7 disk in and boot into recovery console and run "bootrec.exe /fixmbr" to overwrite the win8 boot file

[Mekon]

Going to have to install it somewhere just to familiarise myself with it for work, but I'm not expecting much.

Windows 95:
good ideas, poor implementation. Admittedly, a step up from DOS + Windows 3.1... but only just.

Windows 98:
fixed all that was wrong with 95 (at least by later SPs), software had caught up with the new paradigm.

Windows NT:
first attempt at a workstation OS, absolutely hopeless for gamers.

Windows 2000:
Mostly acceptable. Was still aimed at business use, but actually worked for gaming.

Windows Me:
unadulterated rubbish.

Windows XP:
fixed up the niggles with 2000 and swept the atrocity that was Me under the carpet.

Windows Vista:
I didn't have any major beef with it, unlike many others, but it still had numerous pitfalls (UAC for a prominent example).

Windows 7:
once again, polished up instance of the previous version and software had caught up with the new driver model.

Windows 8: based on the pre-existing pattern?

[brimlad]

lol Mekon that summary does look so true.. 98 2nded -> xp -> w7 did seem the win path;
but I can't comment on w8 haven't tried it yet just hoping they'll have a w8 party option as they did with w7, were I grabbed my ultimate w7 version... that was such a good party hehhe.

cheers