Windows 8 Beta (Consumer Preview) now available to download for x86 and x64

Forums › Microsoft Windows › Windows 8 Beta (Consumer Preview) now available to download for x86 and x64

billgates

4705 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#98531 1-Mar-2012 03:30

Over 100,00 changes made since Developer preview build.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/iso

Edit - For those who do not wish to download the ISO and save their precious bandwidth, Microsoft has made available the web based setup file now as well which is only 1.9GB in download size.

http://web.esd.microsoft.com/WCPDL/6C8FDFDFF736C5B1DBF956B89D8A9D4FD925DACD2/Windows8-ConsumerPreview-setup.exe

Do whatever you want to do man.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ... | 11

202 posts

Master Geek

#588643 1-Mar-2012 03:33

Downloading now thanks man

billgates

4705 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#588645 1-Mar-2012 03:45

Vodafone connection is flying at 2.10MB/s download speed using Mass Downloader client. Nice. All up taking 30 minutes to download 3.3GB x64 file!

Do whatever you want to do man.

Napster

202 posts

Master Geek

#588646 1-Mar-2012 03:49

Nice,

Im on VDSL and using Free download manager. Windows 8 came down at 8MB/s :)

Looks like it came from Snap's cache server as well

Installing it now in a virtual machine.

DrStrangelove

368 posts

Ultimate Geek

#588647 1-Mar-2012 03:59

Wait for me.... 'puff' 'puff' I can't keep up.

11.2Mbps on Telecom NZ ADSL2

So I have to wait 25minutes

P.S. Guess I should stop streaming music while downloading....... na.

Napster

202 posts

Master Geek

#588648 1-Mar-2012 04:04

All installed and running.

Let me know what you guys think about using your windows live ID to login to windows.

Also will you be disabling the tablet view?

geekiegeek

2513 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#588649 1-Mar-2012 05:04

The set-up tool method failed for me as it reported my CPU as under 1Ghz - on a Core i7 2600K running at 4.5Ghz!

Grabbing it now from my technet sub.

Anyone know if this version includes desktop virtualization?

DrStrangelove

368 posts

Ultimate Geek

#588652 1-Mar-2012 05:18

I had the old version running on an Alienware M11xR1 1.7Ghz notebook in VirtualBox using Windows 8 32bit.

Downloaded the latest 32bit ISO and it's asking for a product key?????

So..

a) What have I done wrong?
b) Is there a product key.?
c) how do I make it better?

Already have Windows 8 installed from the first version. So thought maybe you can't upgraded using an ISO from windows 8
but it's the same when attempting up grade from windows 7.

Doh! that put a dampener on things.

OHHHH that is SOOO embassrasing!!! The product key is listed right under the ISO file.

Could have erased the above, but maybe others can read better than me. I'll leave it for reference... must be getting tired... my excuse anyway.!!!!

Sharesies kids

Free kids accounts - trade shares and funds (NZ, US) with Sharesies (affiliate link).

maverick

3594 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

WorldxChange

#588653 1-Mar-2012 05:53

DrStrangelove: Wait for me.... 'puff' 'puff' I can't keep up.

11.2Mbps on Telecom NZ ADSL2

So I have to wait 25minutes

P.S. Guess I should stop streaming music while downloading....... na.

Looking forward to see this actually
Using my XNet FTTH connection here running at 11Mbs as well .... I only have to wait 4 Min

, but wait that's because it's pulling it at 11Mb

Sorry couldn't resist and yes I do work for WxC \ Xnet in a small capacity

Yes I am a employee of WxC (My Profile) ... but I do have my own opinions as well

https://www.facebook.com/wxccommunications

DrStrangelove

368 posts

Ultimate Geek

#588661 1-Mar-2012 07:25

maverick:
DrStrangelove: Wait for me.... 'puff' 'puff' I can't keep up.

11.2Mbps on Telecom NZ ADSL2

So I have to wait 25minutes

P.S. Guess I should stop streaming music while downloading....... na.

Looking forward to see this actually
Using my XNet FTTH connection here running at 11Mbs as well .... I only have to wait 4 Min , but wait that's because it's pulling it at 11Mb

Sorry couldn't resist and yes I do work for WxC \ Xnet in a small capacity

Big difference between 11.2Mbits/sec (approx 1.4MB/s) and 11.22MBytes/sec
Bandwidth is always measured in Megabits, disk I/O is generally measured in MegaBtyes.
If the 'b' is in lower case it's bits. If the 'B' is upper case it's Bytes.

And now to something different....

Installed Windows 8 (after a bit of a shaky start).

Not that impressed with the Live ID account.
Never used it on the last version and wasn't 'forced' to use it when installing software.
I just created a 'local' account, but every time I do something interesting now, like install an AMD graphics driver or something, the Live ID kicks in and wants you to log in again. Just Microsoft tracking all that you're doing, which is OK within the nature of the OS we're running but a bit of a pain none the less.

[Oh crap] I must be tired. The reason for the Live ID account kicking in is it's an administrator and my current 'local' account is not an administrator. Maybe time to just lie down and not move for a while. :-)

I see the boot manager is still reloading the system when addressing non-Windows 8 systems.
I have WinXP, Win7 and Win8 running within the boot manager.
In the previous install Windows 8 ignored the Windows XP system, but now it's listed in the 'Graphical' boot manager.
Guess for lowest complexity reasons, it's just as easy to restart any non Windows 8 OS from POST as guess there is no F8 option for older systems.

In the old Win8 system a shutdown 'stored' the boot sequence, such that it always powered on and straight to Windows 8.
A restart always halted at the boot manager on reboot, Funny, I thought it'd be the other way round.
Haven't checked what the new version does.

Have Windows 8 32bit running in VirtualBox on my Windows 7 Professional OS. As I have virtualization on the notebook, and do run Windows XP systems as such I haven't bothered with creating/attempting to create a WIndows virtual system for Win8, just used VirtualBox which comes up fine using the new Windows 8 OS. VirtualBox does have a Windows 8 OS profile so it knows about Windows 8.

My olde Dell 4600i P4 32bit 3.2Ghz with 'ATI' Radeon HD 3850 AGP GPU is up and 'racing' on Windows 8.
Given the GPU is DirectX 10.1, it does HW acceleration quite well.
Got my AGP graphics drivers installed and me system is 'banging'.

Access to my NAS on my local domain seems fine and haven't found anything that's knocked me for six.

Guess time will tell and I lot of fumbling through metro style configurations... *sigh*

Wonder if there's even the slightest chance one could 'configure' an unattended boot with Windows 8 ....

maverick

3594 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

WorldxChange

#588662 1-Mar-2012 07:29

lol ... . thanks Mate on the lesson, forgot to use upper case when typing.

Yes I am a employee of WxC (My Profile) ... but I do have my own opinions as well

https://www.facebook.com/wxccommunications

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79266 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#588669 1-Mar-2012 08:17

Five minutes to download it, installing on VMWARE Player now.

maverick

3594 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

WorldxChange

#588670 1-Mar-2012 08:18

Nice Mauricio, will be interested in reading your thoughts

Yes I am a employee of WxC (My Profile) ... but I do have my own opinions as well

https://www.facebook.com/wxccommunications

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79266 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#588675 1-Mar-2012 08:29

And installed:

billgates

4705 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#588715 1-Mar-2012 09:50

Windows live ID login is very cool. Did an upgrade on top of my Windows 7 installation and logged in with my live ID. Now did a clean install and logged in again with my live ID. Apps re-downloaded automatically and my browsing history etc was also still present in IE10.

Do whatever you want to do man.

Dratsab

3946 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#588726 1-Mar-2012 10:26

Just downloading it now via Xnet Fusion. Will take about 36 minutes all up.

I smiled a bit reading the Microsoft site description of ISO images: "An ISO image must be converted into installation media stored on a DVD or a USB flash drive." I'll use a virtual DVD drive thanks...

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ... | 11