Windows 8 $14.99 Upgrade Registration Now Open

News
By Kevin Parrish
published

Registration for the Windows Upgrade Offer is now open for those who purchased a new qualifying Windows 7 desktop or laptop after June 2.

Microsoft said via Twitter on Monday that registration for the Windows Upgrade Offer begins today, August 20. Customers who purchase a Windows 7-based desktop or laptop between June 2nd, 2012 and January 31st, 2013 will have until February 28, 2013 to grab their $14.99 promotional upgrade to Windows 8 Pro. Registration requires customers to enter their 25-digit Windows 7 product key as well as info like the retailer's name, PC brand, PC model and more.

"After customer registration and Microsoft validation, customers will receive a registration confirmation email," the FAQ states. "Beginning October 26, 2012, registered customers will receive an email with a promotion code and instructions for purchasing and downloading the software. The promotion code can be redeemed during the upgrade ordering process to receive the promotional price."

Microsoft also states that while the offer will be limited to eligible customers who purchase a qualified PC, the upgrade may be installed on any compatible Windows-based PC with a qualifying operating system. Microsoft recommends a desktop or laptop with a 1 GHz or faster CPU, 1 GB RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit), 15 GB of free HDD space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit), and a DirectX 9 GPU with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver. A more detailed list can be seen here.

Don't plan on purchasing a new Windows 7 PC? Microsoft still has a discount for those looking to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro. When the OS finally goes retail in October, customers with a Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 machine will qualify to download an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for just $39.99 in 131 markets. Even more, customers can add Windows Media Center for free through the "add features" option within Windows 8 Pro after the upgrade.

"When you use Windows.com to purchase an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro, the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant makes upgrading simple by walking you through the upgrade process step-by-step from purchase to download and then of course installation," said Microsoft's Brandon LeBLanc last month. "If you prefer to shop at a local store, a packaged DVD version of the upgrade to Windows 8 Pro will be available for $69.99 during this promotion."

This particular upgrade promotion for Windows 8 Pro, both online and at retail, runs through January 31, 2013.

Contact Us for News Tips, Corrections and Feedback

Kevin Parrish
46 Comments Comment from the forums
  • npyrhone
    No matter how many times I read the title, I can't seem to read it correctly. To me it just keeps telling: "Windows 8 $14.99 Downgrade Registration Now Open".
    Reply
  • CaedenV
    just an FYI, but the RTM build of win8 (both 32 and 64bit) take ~7-800MB of Ram just at idle. I installed the 32bit version on my netbook that had 1GB of ram and it ran disappointingly slow. Upgraded to 2GB of ram and it acted like a whole different machine (very pleased). Lastly I switched over to the 64bit version with 2GB of ram and it ran just a little faster still.

    makes one wonder why there is even a 32bit version as most 32bit only systems do not have 2GB of ram, while newer 64bit capable systems with a mere 2GB of ram run faster to begin with.
    Reply
  • L0tus
    And here was me thinking W8 would cost $15. Pfff
    Reply
  • kemtox
    They would PAY ME 14.99$ for it and I still wouldn't want it...
    Reply
  • apple_good_guys
    This is a great deal! I cannot wait! The UI in Windows 7 is old and dated, especially when compared to Mac OS X. I'm loving the new UI in Windows 8! It's very streamlined and more smartphone like.

    When I do have to switch to Windows here and there, it will be nice to have something more Apple-like to work with. And at 15 bucks? Sign me up!

    Microsoft is really driving innovation lately. Good for them!
    Reply
  • spp85
    No matter how hard MS tries to promote Win8, will fail. After installing Win 8 RTM for a month now, i booted to the OS only 3 times. The third time is to try install the AMD Catalyst 12.8 driver. Its simply an awful OS that I ever used till date. Even a person who is new to Linux OS's is much much easier for him to navigate and learn the OS.
    Reply
  • auth100488
    people that do like that OS have absolutely NO IDEA of what problem it WILL cause to IT tech. You would pay me a thousand dollars and i would not even install it on my computer, the only thing more awful than a mac is Win 8.
    Reply
  • apple_good_guys
    auth100488people that do like that OS have absolutely NO IDEA of what problem it WILL cause to IT tech. You would pay me a thousand dollars and i would not even install it on my computer, the only thing more awful than a mac is Win 8.
    Yes, I imagine the people who invested in Windows certifications will now have to learn a new OS or get new certifications at the risk of looking dumb.

    Besides, most organizations are still on XP and 7 is the transition plan, not 8. I think 8 is great for a consumer OS. It looks a lot like Mac OS, which is a good thing. I don't expect it will show up in the workplace except for small businesses.
    Reply
  • Zetto
    auth100488people that do like that OS have absolutely NO IDEA of what problem it WILL cause to IT tech. You would pay me a thousand dollars and i would not even install it on my computer, the only thing more awful than a mac is Win 8.
    You have no idea what you are talking about

    IT Tech
    Reply
  • womble
    Well I'll download it as I'm still using 32bit XP and it is the only reasonably priced upgrade route. I'll still have to keep the XP on another partition for hardware and software that I can't afford to change. Glad to have my old MacBook though as OS X is a nice place to be.
    Reply