Upgrade from XP to Windows 8

Gordon wrote:
On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 11:32:26 -0700, "Ken Blake, MVP"
wrote:

On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 13:05:12 -0500, Char Jackson
wrote:

On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 10:54:57 -0700, "Gene E. Bloch"
wrote:

In casual communications, plenty of people say "CD" as a generic term
for an optical disk.

In casual communications, plenty of people say "DVD" as a generic term
for an optical disk.

In casual communications, plenty of people say "CD or DVD" as a generic
term for an optical disk.

In casual communications, plenty of people say "optical disk" as a
generic term for an optical disk.

In casual communications, plenty of people use the correct term for the
particular optical disk they are talking about.

So IMO you needn't worry too much :-)

I'm still trying to get over calling them disks. :-)
To me, they are optical discs. A disk is a different animal.


I don't mind if someone calls them "disks," but I do mind if someone
calls them "disks" and expects me to know what kind of disk he's
talking about. They are disks, but they are only one of several types
of disks.

I agree, and also note that these "disks" are not at all the same as
those "disks" farmers use to till their fields. ;-) Gordon

Afaik those farmers didn't need a previously unused product key to till
the field with those disks. To till Windows, you do.



--
...winston
msft mvp consumer apps

On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 20:32:50 -0400, ". . .winston"
wrote:

Gordon wrote:
On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 11:50:15 -0400, ". . .winston"
wrote:

Gordon wrote:
On Thu, 18 Sep 2014 21:54:37 -0400, Paul wrote:

Gordon wrote:
I have an older desktop computer that had Windows XP on it but for
some reason it quit working. I did an install of Windows 8 Pro 64 Bit
from a CD that I had bought for my other two desktop computers. It
installed okay and the old computer works fine but I get this notice
that I must key in my Product Key. I have this product key on a card
in the Windows 8 CD package and keyed it in but got the message that
this Product Key was invalid.

What can I do to clear this up and get my new installation of Windows
8 Pro to settle down and get to work?

I thought when I bought this CD pack of Windows 8 Pro it was good for
installation on four computers but I guess I was wrong on this.

Gordon

It helps to know exactly what you bought. Was the item
from Ebay ? Or from a more conventional source ?

One user reports "this product key cannot be used with this version of windows",
but this product is an upgrade kit ("Pro Pack"). It's intended to take
a $119 product, add Pro/Media Center to it, for another $92. Whereas
Pro alone is $199. And adding Media Center to Pro might also have
been available at one time.

http://www.amazon.com/review/RHOI1WT...or e=software

If you wanted to curse out someone, it's the marketing people who think
up all these options. Without careful identification of what you
bought, it's anyone's guess at the symptoms.

And it's not unheard of for there to be a bug in activation,
and it's a real live defect in the product. But to rule that
out, start with positive identification of what the product is.

It comes on a DVD. Whether 32 bit (at 2.5GB) or 64 bit (at 3.5GB),
the contents are too large to fit on a CD. A single sided DVD
handles up to 4.7GB.

Paul

Okay, I was wrong in calling these CDs. They are labeled DVDs and
there is a note that says there is no requirement for a Key if
upgrading from a previous version of Windows. Gordon

Not possible. Win8 prompts for a product key prior to installation of
the Windows software.

I had no problem installing Windows 8 on my old computer after its XP
version went belly up, but after the installation was complete and the
new Windows 8 OS seemed to be working very well I got this pop-up that
asked for the Windows 8 Pro Product Key. When I typed this in it was
rejected as invalid. Gordon

Sounds like activation is properly working at MSFT's end.

The bottom line is that MS wants about $200 before they will finalize
the installation on my old computer which is worth only about $20.00.
Not worth it but I don't see any way to work out a compromise with MS.
Maybe I should reformat the hard drive and install another OS then
play around with it. Who knows...maybe I'll like another OS better
than I like MS 8???? Any suggestions as to which OS I should try?
Gordon

Gordon wrote:
On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 20:32:50 -0400, ". . .winston"
wrote:

Gordon wrote:
On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 11:50:15 -0400, ". . .winston"
wrote:

Gordon wrote:
On Thu, 18 Sep 2014 21:54:37 -0400, Paul wrote:

Gordon wrote:
I have an older desktop computer that had Windows XP on it but for
some reason it quit working. I did an install of Windows 8 Pro 64 Bit
from a CD that I had bought for my other two desktop computers. It
installed okay and the old computer works fine but I get this notice
that I must key in my Product Key. I have this product key on a card
in the Windows 8 CD package and keyed it in but got the message that
this Product Key was invalid.

What can I do to clear this up and get my new installation of Windows
8 Pro to settle down and get to work?

I thought when I bought this CD pack of Windows 8 Pro it was good for
installation on four computers but I guess I was wrong on this.

Gordon

It helps to know exactly what you bought. Was the item
from Ebay ? Or from a more conventional source ?

One user reports "this product key cannot be used with this version of windows",
but this product is an upgrade kit ("Pro Pack"). It's intended to take
a $119 product, add Pro/Media Center to it, for another $92. Whereas
Pro alone is $199. And adding Media Center to Pro might also have
been available at one time.

http://www.amazon.com/review/RHOI1WT...or e=software

If you wanted to curse out someone, it's the marketing people who think
up all these options. Without careful identification of what you
bought, it's anyone's guess at the symptoms.

And it's not unheard of for there to be a bug in activation,
and it's a real live defect in the product. But to rule that
out, start with positive identification of what the product is.

It comes on a DVD. Whether 32 bit (at 2.5GB) or 64 bit (at 3.5GB),
the contents are too large to fit on a CD. A single sided DVD
handles up to 4.7GB.

Paul

Okay, I was wrong in calling these CDs. They are labeled DVDs and
there is a note that says there is no requirement for a Key if
upgrading from a previous version of Windows. Gordon

Not possible. Win8 prompts for a product key prior to installation of
the Windows software.

I had no problem installing Windows 8 on my old computer after its XP
version went belly up, but after the installation was complete and the
new Windows 8 OS seemed to be working very well I got this pop-up that
asked for the Windows 8 Pro Product Key. When I typed this in it was
rejected as invalid. Gordon

Sounds like activation is properly working at MSFT's end.

The bottom line is that MS wants about $200 before they will finalize
the installation on my old computer which is worth only about $20.00.
Not worth it but I don't see any way to work out a compromise with MS.
Maybe I should reformat the hard drive and install another OS then
play around with it. Who knows...maybe I'll like another OS better
than I like MS 8???? Any suggestions as to which OS I should try?
Gordon

$200 looks like the price for Win 8.1 Pro retail that contains the 32
and 64 bit DVD...and one product for installing either but not both.

If you need 8.1 and retail buy it.

If you don't need retail choose the 8.1 OEM 32 or 64 bit at $140.

If you need Win7 Pro then OEM version is you only choice since Retail
sales of Win7 ceased in Oct. 2013. - 32 or 64 bit are still available
at $140.

Source: http://www.newegg.com/Operating-Syst...ategory/ID-368


On the other hand for a pc with a value of $20...the recycle bin could
easily be a better option.

--
...winston
msft mvp consumer apps

On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 19:49:48 -0500, Gordon
wrote:

Sounds like activation is properly working at MSFT's end.

The bottom line is that MS wants about $200 before they will finalize
the installation on my old computer which is worth only about $20.00.
Not worth it but I don't see any way to work out a compromise with MS.
Maybe I should reformat the hard drive and install another OS then
play around with it. Who knows...maybe I'll like another OS better
than I like MS 8???? Any suggestions as to which OS I should try?

Linux Mint, Cinnamon edition. www.linuxmint.com

It looks and operates a bit like Windows 7, so it should be easy to
get the hang of it.

It's free, and doesn't need activation, so you've nothing to lose by
giving it a try.

You never know, you might like it.

Rod.

On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 15:43:02 -0500, Char Jackson
wrote:

I guess we're different in that regard. Disk and disc aren't at all
interchangeable to me. I see no overlap between them.

From the OED:-

-------------------------
disc, disk

[The earlier and better spelling is disk, but disc is now the more
usual form in British English, except in sense 2 g, where disk is
commoner as a result of US influence.]
-------------------------

Definition 2g is to do with computing.

Many years ago I wrote to the editor of an Amstrad computer magazine
to query their policy of always spelling the word with a "k" even
though the actual labels on the relevant items used with the computers
that this magazine was all about spelt it with a "c".

Look at a CD, or it's case, and see how it's spelt in the logo.

Shall we talk about "program" and "programme"? :-)

Rod.

On 9/19/2014 1:28 PM, Gene E. Bloch wrote:
On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 13:05:12 -0500, Char Jackson wrote:
So IMO you needn't worry too much :-)
I'm still trying to get over calling them disks. :-)
To me, they are optical discs. A disk is a different animal.

I prefer the 'k', but others make the distinction discussed here
earlier, including my in-person friends, so I don't insist on it.

Heck, I couldn't get away with that if I tried, especially here :-)

Yes, I know that some people's casual speech is sometimes more casual than
mine, and I'm ok with that.

I'm inconsistent. I will get on people's cases for some things, and will
be (knowingly or otherwise) careless in others.


I keep this guideline in mind
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle_of_charity

On Sat, 20 Sep 2014 10:05:22 +0100, Roderick Stewart
wrote:

On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 15:43:02 -0500, Char Jackson
wrote:

I guess we're different in that regard. Disk and disc aren't at all
interchangeable to me. I see no overlap between them.


Look at a CD, or it's case, and see how it's spelt in the logo.

Exactly. I take a cue from the folks who make and market this stuff. Look at
CDs and DVDs, and then look at an ad for a hard drive.

Hard drives are disks. Not once have I seen mention of a hard disc.
Optical media are discs. Not once have I seen mention of an optical disk.

Fast forward to this group, where a couple of folks would like disc and disk
to be used interchangeably. Umm, no, they can't, since they don't refer to
the same types of objects. They sound alike, so use either one when
speaking, but they aren't spelled alike, so it's probably best to use the
correct term in a text medium.

Someday they may indeed invent such a thing as an optical disk, and I'll
embrace the term when they do, but for now there's no such thing.

On Sat, 20 Sep 2014 06:02:28 -0500, Texas wrote:

On 9/19/2014 1:28 PM, Gene E. Bloch wrote:
On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 13:05:12 -0500, Char Jackson wrote:
So IMO you needn't worry too much :-)
I'm still trying to get over calling them disks. :-)
To me, they are optical discs. A disk is a different animal.

I prefer the 'k', but others make the distinction discussed here
earlier, including my in-person friends, so I don't insist on it.

Heck, I couldn't get away with that if I tried, especially here :-)

Yes, I know that some people's casual speech is sometimes more casual than
mine, and I'm ok with that.

I'm inconsistent. I will get on people's cases for some things, and will
be (knowingly or otherwise) careless in others.


I keep this guideline in mind
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle_of_charity

That's no fun. It would force me to be nice and to be understanding.

More seriously - on some level, I think you could even say that just
ordinary language works that way a bit, since there are many, many
semantic, syntactical, and grammatical ambiguities, yet we mostly
understand each other with no apparent effort.

A silly example ('cause I can't think of a good one) - if I hear you say
"I led the horse to water", I know that 'led' is not referring to a
metal.

Closer to the article, you often hear people misspeak and then correct
themselves, whereupon the other person says "That's OK, I knew what you
meant".

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 20:29:15 -0400, . . .winston wrote:

Char Jackson wrote:
On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 13:56:22 -0700, "Ken Blake, MVP"
wrote:

On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 15:43:02 -0500, Char Jackson
wrote:

On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 11:32:26 -0700, "Ken Blake, MVP"
wrote:

I'm still trying to get over calling them disks. :-)
To me, they are optical discs. A disk is a different animal.


I don't mind if someone calls them "disks," but I do mind if someone
calls them "disks" and expects me to know what kind of disk he's
talking about. They are disks, but they are only one of several types
of disks.

I guess we're different in that regard. Disk and disc aren't at all
interchangeable to me. I see no overlap between them.


I guess we are. To me, "disk" and "disc" are just two different
spellings of the same word, both legitimate.

I may not be able to sleep tonight, knowing that someone on the Internet is
wrong. ;-)


Iirc, we already covered the disk, drive, optical disc, optical disk to
determine who and what was correct.

In that case, may I mention that 'dish' is etymologically related to
both of those? I think 'Tisch' in German is too; it means 'table', as in
dinner table.

So now we can bore people with talk of floppy dishes and so on :-)

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

On Sat, 20 Sep 2014 11:14:10 -0500, Char Jackson wrote:

I take a cue from the folks who make and market this stuff

As in "Think different"? "Tastes good like a cigarette should"?

....No way could I resist those :-)

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

On 19/09/2014 9:56 PM, Ken Blake, MVP wrote:
On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 15:43:02 -0500, Char Jackson
wrote:

On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 11:32:26 -0700, "Ken Blake, MVP"
wrote:

I'm still trying to get over calling them disks. :-)
To me, they are optical discs. A disk is a different animal.


I don't mind if someone calls them "disks," but I do mind if someone
calls them "disks" and expects me to know what kind of disk he's
talking about. They are disks, but they are only one of several types
of disks.

I guess we're different in that regard. Disk and disc aren't at all
interchangeable to me. I see no overlap between them.


I guess we are. To me, "disk" and "disc" are just two different
spellings of the same word, both legitimate.


It's another case of two nations divided by a common language. "Disc" is
English(™), "disk" is American (English used under licence). Because of
the frequency of use of "disk" in the computer world (because it was to
an extent dominated by the USA initially), the English side of the big
pond tends to use "disk" for anything to do with computers these days
and "disc" © for everything else as we have always done. It's all
explained in the lexicographer's bible, the OED.

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/de...n/english/disc

--
Bob Tetbury, Gloucestershire, UK

If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.

On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 13:56:22 -0700, "Ken Blake, MVP"
wrote:

I guess we are. To me, "disk" and "disc" are just two different
spellings of the same word, both legitimate.
Agreed.

Disc - My dictionary lists the following synonyms:

disc
harrow
magnetic disc
magnetic disk
phonograph record
phonograph recording
platter
record
saucer

On Sun, 21 Sep 2014 09:33:39 +1000, Monty wrote:

On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 13:56:22 -0700, "Ken Blake, MVP"
wrote:

I guess we are. To me, "disk" and "disc" are just two different
spellings of the same word, both legitimate.
Agreed.

Disc - My dictionary lists the following synonyms:

disc
harrow
magnetic disc
magnetic disk
phonograph record
phonograph recording
platter
record
saucer

bugger!

The "disc" in the first line of the above list should be "disk"

On Sun, 21 Sep 2014 09:33:39 +1000, Monty wrote:

On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 13:56:22 -0700, "Ken Blake, MVP"
wrote:

I guess we are. To me, "disk" and "disc" are just two different
spellings of the same word, both legitimate.

Agreed.

Disc - My dictionary lists the following synonyms:

disc
harrow
magnetic disc
magnetic disk
phonograph record
phonograph recording
platter
record
saucer


Glad you agree with me, but I need to point out that those terms are
certainly not simply synonyms. As a single example of what I mean, a
magnetic disk is not a harrow, nor is either of them a saucer.

On Sun, 21 Sep 2014 09:33:39 +1000, Monty wrote:

On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 13:56:22 -0700, "Ken Blake, MVP"
wrote:

I guess we are. To me, "disk" and "disc" are just two different
spellings of the same word, both legitimate.
Agreed.

Disc - My dictionary lists the following synonyms:

disc
harrow
magnetic disc
magnetic disk
phonograph record
phonograph recording
platter
record
saucer

How about those things people throw for their dog to grab and fetch?

My doctor told me I had a subluxated vertebra disc.

And, don't forget our Milky Way Disc.

There are many more, but I'll shut up and get back in my cage. Gordon