Microsoft → Windows clean install

I cant find a site where I can buy a download copy of Windows 8 for a clean install. Like on Newegg the OS's is for upgrade or resale only. I read where people are building there own PCs but where do they purchase the OS.
TIA

»www.newegg.com/Product/P ··· &x=0&y=0

If you have a previous version of Windows you qualify to upgrade whether or not it is a clean install as far as I know. »winsupersite.com/article ··· a-144648

This software is intended for pre-installation on a new personal computer for resale.

»www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi···&x=0&y=0

>>If you are actually installing Windows 8 on a PC that has never had any version of Windows on it before, then you will need to purchase the System Builder version of the OS (formerly called the OEM version) instead. NewEgg.com and other online retailers offer this.

"OEM System Builder Channel software is subject to the terms of the Microsoft OEM System Builder License. This software is intended for pre-installation on a new personal computer for resale. "

»www.newegg.com/Product/P ··· &x=0&y=0

It's the software those of us who build our own computers have been buying for years, but as it states it's not meant to be transferable. As long as things like the motherboard, and processor doesn't get replaced it shouldn't complain about hardware changes.

Microsoft stopped selling retail versions of their operating systems which were transferable, but still only allowed to be installed on one system at a time as people just were not buying them.

>>It's the software those of us who build our own computers have been buying for years

I don't understand, what software have you been buying? The OSs that are intended for resale? Thanks everybody for trying to help me.

OEM, as the search box in the link I provided the had "win 8 oem" in the search box on the site. If Microsoft didn't want them to sell it they wouldn't be allowed to. It's the same operating system sans the ability to be transferred, no limited direct support from Microsoft, and can be installed on a machine with no operating system at roughly half the price of retail. I've been buying oem since the days of Win 9x, but back then you had to buy a motherboard or hdd with it at the same time, they no longer require you to buy any hardware at the same time.

Have you ever done a clean install of an operating system before? As in installed windows on a machine which currently didn't have an operating system?

>>Have you ever done a clean install of an operating system before? No, but not concerned about that. Even though I'm 80 years old and dimwitted I am a high school graduated.

Now I get it. I use to sell stuff, I thought I had to have a license? Thanks for your time and info. I have been researching this for a month. I intend to buy a Intel NUC with a Haswell processor. All the best, Spooky

When you purchase oem you get your license key, and certificate of authentication. However don't buy anything just yet, you're looking at one of those really really tiny computers right? They usually don't have an optical drive, and win 8 is only sold as already installed, otherwise on dvd. If a computer has no operating system they are usually clearly labeled as bare bones, but those proprietary mini computers are usually sold as a package with an operating system.

NUC: »www.google.com/search?q= ··· irefox-a

»www.amazon.com/Intel-Com ··· ords=NUC

The Haswell will be out Q2.

I want to download the OS onto a Flash drive. And then install. No hurry.

Sorry, I wasn't sure from your post whether the computer was new or just one you previously had an OS on and wanted to do a clean install with.

I just used the upgrade version to install it onto a new system. Needed to change just a single registry setting.

Sorry for the confusion, but where is the problem? Is installation media for Win 8 bootable or not?

The upgrade versions, if used as original installs, likely will not accept an upgrade key. A simple registry change gets past that.

I see. So, that's just the old upgrade vs new install approaches and has nothing to do with boot, running from CD/DVD or USB key... Thanks.

Right. No other issues. At least not for me.

In my particular case, I hadn't meant to do a clean install, but I screwed up Win 7 that was already on the machine. After that, Win 8 kept barfing for some reason each time I tried to install it. So I formatted the drive and started clean with 8. It wouldn't take the upgrade key I had. I didn't want to reinstall 7 and then upgrade to 8, since that would have been a waste of time, so I googled the workaround. It's a pretty commonly known way of doing it.

This could be the definitive answer for a clean install via Windows 8 upgrade.

>>At no point during the upgrade process will you be asked for any proof that you're eligible to upgrade. You won't need to enter a product key or supply a DVD from a previous version. You can use the upgrade media to perform a completely clean installation on a brand new hard drive, or you can format the system drive during install. None of those scenarios have been blocked in my testing.

»www.zdnet.com/everything ··· 0008775/

You'll be looking for the more definitive answer when your upgrade key is rejected.

There are some new features in Windows 8 that will let yo0u refresh or reset the windows 8 install.

So if you had upgraded to windows eight you can then do a reset and that will give you a clean install.
Or
Refresh and that will reinstall clean but keep all you data and metro programs.

»blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/arch ··· -pc.aspx

»www.bleepingcomputer.com ··· ndows-8/

Here are the instructions for enabling the use of an upgrade key with a clean (i.e no previous OS on hard disk) install:

1. Open regedit
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Setup/OOBE/
3. Change MediaBootInstall from 1 to 0
4. Exit regedit
5. Enter cmd from the start screen
6. Right click Command Prompt and run as Administrator
7. Type slmgr /rearm
8. Reboot
9. Run activation and enter your upgrade key to activate Windows