Upgrading to Windows 8

If I upgrade my laptop from Windows 7 to Windows 8, will all the user profiles and individual settings still be there. Or will I have to set up mine and girlfriends profile again?
Also will I have to set all my privacy settings on Firefox again?

I'm not sure it's worth the hassle if I have to mess around with the settings, but I want Windows 8 so I can sync easily with my windows phone especially if I'm going to subscribe to xbox music.

Comments

  • emptyboxemptybox Posts: 13,917
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    All the settings should be transferred, including all the user profiles etc.
    (providing you tick the right boxes during installation)
  • user123456789user123456789 Posts: 16,589
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    I did an in-place upgrade but it did not do a good job :( so I had to do a clean install.

    Just use the migration wizard and save the data to external storage then you can re-import the data but you'll still have to install all your apps again.
  • TheBigMTheBigM Posts: 13,125
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    The opposite of what annie said, try doing the in-place upgrade. The web installer will advise you of any incompatibilities, for most people it should work nicely.
  • DerekMcVDerekMcV Posts: 1,513
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    Upgrade £24.99 option worked ok for me too
  • MigsterMigster Posts: 4,204
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    Just a quick question. If I download the £25 upgrade, can I postpone the installation for a few weeks/months or does it have to take place straight away (or by the 31st Jan discount deadline)?
  • TheBigMTheBigM Posts: 13,125
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    Migster wrote: »
    Just a quick question. If I download the £25 upgrade, can I postpone the installation for a few weeks/months or does it have to take place straight away (or by the 31st Jan discount deadline)?

    Only purchase needs to be by 31st Jan to get the discounted price. Install whenever you like.
  • MigsterMigster Posts: 4,204
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    TheBigM wrote: »
    Only purchase needs to be by 31st Jan to get the discounted price. Install whenever you like.

    Cool. Cheers.
  • IvanIVIvanIV Posts: 30,301
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    I did an in-place upgrade and so far there are no problems with installed programmes and their settings. But it may depend on what you have installed.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9,121
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    I still think the best option is NOT to upgrade from Windows 7 yet.

    Sure if you're buying a new machine and it has it. or if you've got a touch screen I can see the point. The new interface is pretty much awful for use with Mouse and keyboard, and the OS has few technical improvements to justify the hassle or expense (however small)
  • IvanIVIvanIV Posts: 30,301
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    ^^^ You can't save them all.
  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,623
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    If you have a Windows 7 system and you are happy with it then I wouldn't be rushing to upgrade to 8. For Vista users there may be more of a benefit.

    I've given in with TIFKAM as a keyboard/mouse environment, but once you install a 3rd party start menu into desktop mode then Windows 8 is quite usable and you start to see some small improvements over Windows 7.
  • soulboy77soulboy77 Posts: 24,396
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    LostFool wrote: »
    If you have a Windows 7 system and you are happy with it then I wouldn't be rushing to upgrade to 8....
    Ditto, there is very little benefit unless you have a touchscreen.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 641
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    Thanks for the opinions everyone. I understand that it's better with a touch screen, but I was looking for a music subscription service for my Nokia Lumia 820 windows phone. Apparently Xbox Music doesn't sync so easily from windows 7.. you need theXbox Music app on windows 8 :/

    So it's either windows 8 to make using my phone easier (I did choose a windows phone to eventually sync with my laptop and xbox easy) or choose another music service like Spotify.
  • d'@ved'@ve Posts: 45,452
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    AcidVenus wrote: »
    Thanks for the opinions everyone. I understand that it's better with a touch screen, but I was looking for a music subscription service for my Nokia Lumia 820 windows phone. Apparently Xbox Music doesn't sync so easily from windows 7.. you need theXbox Music app on windows 8 :/

    So it's either windows 8 to make using my phone easier (I did choose a windows phone to eventually sync with my laptop and xbox easy) or choose another music service like Spotify.

    The Windows 7 to 8 cheapo upgrade works fine and you will be very unlucky if it doesn't keep all your settings.

    Windows 8 works fine and if you don't like the Metro tiles interface, you can run everything from the old style Start Menu using the free "Classic Shell" interface (even the Apps can be run from the Start Menu).

    In your situation, I'd upgrade, install Classic Shell if you want to... and you're away.
  • TheBigMTheBigM Posts: 13,125
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    AcidVenus wrote: »
    Thanks for the opinions everyone. I understand that it's better with a touch screen, but I was looking for a music subscription service for my Nokia Lumia 820 windows phone. Apparently Xbox Music doesn't sync so easily from windows 7.. you need theXbox Music app on windows 8 :/

    So it's either windows 8 to make using my phone easier (I did choose a windows phone to eventually sync with my laptop and xbox easy) or choose another music service like Spotify.

    One can sync the Windows 8 phones with either a desktop application which should work pretty much the same in windows 7 and windows 8 or a metro app which is only available for windows 8/RT. If using the desktop application, going to windows 8 should not offer any advantages, AFAIK - the application is the same in both systems.

    For playing subscription music, you either use the metro app in windows 8 (which is still not user friendly) or you can still use the Zune application in windows 7 or 8, it works with the xbox music pass and is a nice application to use on a PC, especially for combining your own music with the subscription music.
  • IvanIVIvanIV Posts: 30,301
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    Well that upgrade to a top level edition of Windows is really cheap and if the start screen is really such an irritation, there are alternatives. My laptop got wings after I installed W8 on it :D And, no it wasn't a clean install.

    As for WP8, I can see my Lumia 920 on W8 laptop as a drive, I can also use an app or a programme. Unfortunatelly I cannot test how it works with W7, but there's at least the same programme as for W8.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 641
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    I'm guessing Zune to my Nokia is what iTunes is to the iPhone? Just had a quick look now before I go out.

    There was a similar discussion on the Xbox forums and there was no mention of the Zune software so I assumed Zune was phased out since Xbox Music came along.

    I'll give it a go later when I get back in. I might still download Windows 8 since it's cheap, then install if I want to.
  • IvanIVIvanIV Posts: 30,301
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    Zune is for WP7, you do not need it for WP8.
  • TheBigMTheBigM Posts: 13,125
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    Explorer access to WP8 is available for both W7 and W8.

    Zune is to WP7 and iTunes is to iPhone.
    You can't use Zune to sync to your WP8 but you can use it to organise your music and you can use your xbox music pass subscription with it too.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 641
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    TheBigM wrote: »
    Explorer access to WP8 is available for both W7 and W8.

    Zune is to WP7 and iTunes is to iPhone.
    You can't use Zune to sync to your WP8 but you can use it to organise your music and you can use your xbox music pass subscription with it too.

    I had some artists messed up in my music collection so I started to tidy it up using Zune.

    Looks like I'll be upgrading my OS on the laptop. I personally don't mind the way windows 8 looks, my girlfriend is the one who isn't too keen.

    I tried buying it online, and the assistant lost connection to the server a couple of times. It eventually go to the payment part but again it didnt go through. I have an email from Paypal saying a request for £24.99 was maid but have not been charged so I'm reluctant to go through the process again in case I am charged twice.
  • John146John146 Posts: 12,926
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    Been trying to upgrade an Acer 5742 to Windows 8 all afternoon, keep getting an error message 'No Compatible Offers are Available'

    'Your migration choice isn't compatible with offers in your country/region, Please go back and try again after changing what you need to keep'
    Have tried US/UK download sites, makes no difference.

    The only way I appear to be able to get to the 'buy' page is via Safe Mode, but not sure whether the upgrade will work in that mode.

    Anyone else seen this? if so is there a fix? or will it upgrade from Safe Mode? sorry for all the questions
  • TheBigMTheBigM Posts: 13,125
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    AcidVenus wrote: »
    I had some artists messed up in my music collection so I started to tidy it up using Zune.

    Looks like I'll be upgrading my OS on the laptop. I personally don't mind the way windows 8 looks, my girlfriend is the one who isn't too keen.

    I tried buying it online, and the assistant lost connection to the server a couple of times. It eventually go to the payment part but again it didnt go through. I have an email from Paypal saying a request for £24.99 was maid but have not been charged so I'm reluctant to go through the process again in case I am charged twice.
    John146 wrote: »
    Been trying to upgrade an Acer 5742 to Windows 8 all afternoon, keep getting an error message 'No Compatible Offers are Available'

    'Your migration choice isn't compatible with offers in your country/region, Please go back and try again after changing what you need to keep'
    Have tried US/UK download sites, makes no difference.

    The only way I appear to be able to get to the 'buy' page is via Safe Mode, but not sure whether the upgrade will work in that mode.

    Anyone else seen this? if so is there a fix? or will it upgrade from Safe Mode? sorry for all the questions

    Sorry to hear you both have been having problems. It all went very smoothly on my family's laptops.

    Just want to check you are buying it from here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows/buy?ocid=GA8_O_WOL_Hero_ShopHP_FPP_Null

    And you are using the online software to take you through the process?

    Contrary to historic windows upgrades where I would recommend doing a clean install of the operating system, people seem to be having most success with in-place upgrades this time around.
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