By owning a Dell XPS-1330 laptop from 2008 I am bound to be using a version of Windows.
This is fine because I am a long time fan and happy user of Microsoft software.
I also use Linux and OSX so it is all fine with me.
I am writing here to describe my frustration with Microsoft and the in ability to understand and cater to there consumers like me.
If I was the Product owner of Windows 8 I would be deeply ashamed with the upgrade path for existing users.
Here is the history before we start with the upgrade:
The machine has been upgraded from Windows XP 32bit to Windows 7 32bit (with 64bit on DVD family license).
The upgrade could have been done to 64bit without a clean install and I needed to have my apps then so I upgraded and excepted the lack of 64bit.
My curiosity for Windows 8 has been risen because of all the Surface thing etc, so i decided to do a clean install with hopefully a 64bit install of Windows 8.
When I started with the upgrade assistend it checked my system and found out that it could upgrade etc.
I decided it couldn’t because I want 64bit. I therefore downloaded it to an ISO and burned a DVD booted and installed the Windows 8.
It all went fine, until I found out that it had installed 32bit version of the OS.
You can imagine I was very unhappy with this. I had spend money and did not get what I wanted and payed for.
The next morning (after a cool down) I decided to call Microsoft Netherlands for advice and a download location of a 64bit ISO file for installation.
The guy picking up the phone was Mark Boots, he started to ask me about my PC and I explained the situation.
His answer was that I should buy a full version Windows 8 license for around € 150,-.
I was outraged and told him about upgrade paths on OSX and the costs involved.
I also told him that I would involve the “Consumentenbond” in this customer decide, he made me clear that he wanted to have his name included so again, Mark Boots.
https://twitter.com/markboots/status/243429663135911938
And may I suggest you train a little more because I have found a legal solution.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj203353.aspx
Solutions:
- Buy the upgrade and order the DVD’s to your home with an extra charge of € 14,-
- Go and find and Windows XP or Windows 7 64Bits machine with your language version installed.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/upgrade-product-key-only
Use the upgrade assistend and your own license to download the the ISO file (be careful not to upgrade that machine). - Go to a Arrrbeach.se (Pirate something) site and download an unaltered retail version of the 64bit version of the install DVD for Windows 8.
- Download a trail version and install that and insert the license later. (untested, just theory)
All the above solutions will result in an ISO file download which you can burn to a DVD and boot from to make a clean-install on your target PC.
To Microsoft:
- Why isn’t there an ISO download place with all versions?
- Why don’t I get 64bit ISO and 32bit ISO downloads?
- Why is the Language thing still so hard for you and not for OSX/Linux?
- Why are your trained “Professionals” so bad and not service oriented?
- Where can I send the bill for this consulting job?
- Why have you let me down as a long lasting customer for a very long time? I even do VBScript and own Windows Servers.