11 minutes ago, dentaku wrote

if I go and buy the $70 Win8 Pro box at Staples will I be able to install this "upgrade" DVD on a BLANK HD?

No.

Come on dentaku, there's only one way to find out ... 

Herbie

You will need to have a valid windows XP or upwards OS version already installed as a base to start the upgrade process.

At the very beginning of the upgrade process you can select something like a clean install or custom install option (not sure of the exact wording), where by you can format/re-partition your HDD and do a clean install. 

2 minutes ago, dentaku wrote

After posting this I went and read this article which shows going a fresh install.
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/windows-8/ss/windows-8-clean-install-part-1.htm

Considering it's just $70 for Win8 Pro I'd rather just buy the box so I can easily do a fresh install like this (I'm assuming the $70 retail box from Staples is not also an upgrade DVD).

Tough luck. It is the upgrade DVD (and the upgrade key). Notice all the "upgrading" on the homepage.

2 minutes ago, dentaku wrote

I don't want to install an older OS an a blank drive just so I can then wipe it out by doing a custom install and install Win8. That sounds rather clumsy.

But exactly the way it needs to be done. In the NT5 days you only needed to provide the CD of the previous version at installation - but the upgrading has been re-imagined since then.

I did this earlier today, works a treat.  

I'm not sure about Windows 8, but for Windows 7, the situation is:

Technically, yes, there are many workarounds to do the trick.
http://www.winsupersite.com/article/windows-7/clean-install-windows-7-with-upgrade-media-128512
http://www.mydigitallife.info/clean-install-windows-7-with-upgrade-media-and-product-key-on-formatted-or-empty-blank-hard-drive/

Legally, it depends
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/clean-install-with-windows-7-upgrade-media-get-the-facts/1505

if you do have a existing license of a prior version of Windows assigned to the device, then yes, you can do a clean install using those workarounds, legally.

if you do not, then you can't, even if you do a fake 'upgrade' by 'install a trial/evaluation first' (basically as the 'double install' workaround), or "stick in an old dvd and dump the files", if your license of the old dvd has been assigned to another device, then you are still violating the 'upgrade' license, even if you installed and activated Windows 8 successfully.

BTW, Paul Thurrot discussed this problem in yesterday's Windows Weekly, and he promised to investigate this more as soon as possible.

5 hours ago, Geonosis wrote

I'm not going to goof around because Win 8 Consumer Evaluation is running just fine.

If you haven't upgraded (or downgraded) already, you need to think about doing so. All of the Windows8 betas and previews that haven't already stopped working are timebombed to stop working in January 2013.

1 hour ago, Geonosis wrote

Thanks for the info evildictaitor, I'll just have to make sure my pc calendar doesn't reach 2013.  I have Win 7 to go back to if that happens.

You'll also need to make sure you don't ever connect it to the Internet. Microsoft licensing stuff connects to the Microsoft licensing server which sends an "authoratative" timestamp that overrules your clock for the purposes of licensing. And Microsoft also goes to lengths to stop you rolling back the clock.

Basically you're fighting the same game with untimebombing your Win8 preview as unlicenced people are against Windows8 RTM (that get a 30 day "grace" period that Microsoft goes to some lengths to stop you expanding into "forever").

If I were you, I'd make sure I back up all of my files because it's gonna get awkward when your machine suddenly dies and you can't get at them anymore.