Windows 8 upgrading from Windows Vista to Wibndows 8.1

[woodyg]

I have an older Lenovo idea pad. I am running windows vista on it. The laptop has the duo core harddrive. the harddrive that I use is almost full. It is a 30 gb hd with 1 gb available. the other drive has about 150gb available. I stopped by staples and the guy there said that windows 8.1 would be better then using windows 7. I am looking for suggestions and ideas on what to use and how to install it. I am pretty much a NOOB. TIA

 

[davidhk129]

I may not be able to answer your question fully.
I do have first hand experience of a similar matter.
I have a 5 years old Dell Inspiron 1420 pre-installed with Vista. Less than 6 months ago, I bought a windows 8 Pro upgrade software from eBay, installed it then later upgraded to Win 8.1 Pro.
Installation went smoothly without issues.

Now, the Staples person is correct, more or less. Upgrading from Win 7 to Win 8.1will be a breeze.
However, in your case, THE BEST way for you is to upgrade to Win 8 first, then use Windows Store to upgrade to Win 8.1 which will be free of charge.
Why ?
Because : Windows 8.1 isn't designed for installation on PCs running Windows Vista or Windows XP.

First, you need to run the Windows 8 upgrade assistant tool to make sure your computer is ready/compatible to run Windows 8.
excerpt :
if you're running Windows Vista or Windows XP, you can use Link Removed to see if your programs and devices are compatible with Windows 8. Most programs and devices that work in Windows 8 will also work in Windows 8.1.

Second, once you get the green light , shop for a Win 8 or Win 8 Pro upgrade software. Install and activate it. Then go to Windows Store for a free upgrade to Win 8.1
The official Microsoft site for win 8 is as follow:
Windows 8 ........ Link Removed

Windows 8 Pro ....Link Removed

Note : I gave you the Microsoft links because some people frown on buying software from ebay.

 

[davidhk129]

P.S. I don't know which country you are from.
I am in North America, Canada, to be precise. We can get better deals for Win 8 upgrade software from Walmart stores.

 

[woodyg]

I may not be able to answer your question fully.
I do have first hand experience of a similar matter.
I have a 5 years old Dell Inspiron 1420 pre-installed with Vista. Less than 6 months ago, I bought a windows 8 Pro upgrade software from eBay, installed it then later upgraded to Win 8.1 Pro.
Installation went smoothly without issues.

Now, the Staples person is correct, more or less. Upgrading from Win 7 to Win 8.1will be a breeze.
However, in your case, THE BEST way for you is to upgrade to Win 8 first, then use Windows Store to upgrade to Win 8.1 which will be free of charge.
Why ?
Because : Windows 8.1 isn't designed for installation on PCs running Windows Vista or Windows XP.

First, you need to run the Windows 8 upgrade assistant tool to make sure your computer is ready/compatible to run Windows 8.
excerpt :
if you're running Windows Vista or Windows XP, you can use Link Removed to see if your programs and devices are compatible with Windows 8. Most programs and devices that work in Windows 8 will also work in Windows 8.1.

Second, once you get the green light , shop for a Win 8 or Win 8 Pro upgrade software. Install and activate it. Then go to Windows Store for a free upgrade to Win 8.1
The official Microsoft site for win 8 is as follow:
Windows 8 ........ Link Removed

Windows 8 Pro ....Link Removed

Note : I gave you the Microsoft links because some people frown on buying software from ebay.

I am in the USA, Massachusetts to be specific. I ran the upgrade assistant and it showed about 10 programs that would not work. None of them were a big deal. However it did not say anything about if I have enough Harddrive space? Do you recall how much space you had available on your install? The assistant also said the upgrade is only available on DVD. thanks for all the info and links.

 

[davidhk129]

No. I did not because to avoid unexpected mishaps, I restored my Vista back to Factory Settings. Then I installed the Win 8 Pro.

You could backup files you wanted to keep and then did a CLEAN install.
Clean install means Win 8 will wipe out everything that were in the system. You start fresh.

 

[davidhk129]

Please read this.......
How To Clean Install Windows 8 or 8.1 (Part 1 of 2)
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/windows-8/ss/windows-8-clean-install-part-1.htm

 

[woodyg]

Please read this.......
How To Clean Install Windows 8 or 8.1 (Part 1 of 2)
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/windows-8/ss/windows-8-clean-install-part-1.htm

Thanks, that definitely looks like the way to go. It does not mention anything about windows vista, just xp and 7.

 

[davidhk129]

Here is a much more precise tutorial compiled by a very reputable source.
How to Do a Clean Install of Windows 8 or Windows 8.1
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2299-clean-install-windows-8-a.html

The installation will be lengthy but NOT complicated. Just follow the prompts and read the tutorial instructions step by step.