Take Windows 8 For a Test Drive
The 90-day Windows 8 version of the new OS is available for download now
Can't wait to give Windows 8 a test drive? Well, you can take a 90-day trial version for a spin. The "Windows 8 evaluation for developers" is available via the Microsoft Developer Network Evaluation Center, and it's intended for developers building Windows 8 apps and IT professionals interested in trying Windows 8 Enterprise on behalf of their organization. The company doesn't provide any technical support for this trial version.
Things to know before you start
- The evaluation edition will expire and cannot be upgraded
- To upgrade, the evaluation must be uninstalled and a non-evaluation version of Windows must be re-installed from your original installation media
- Consider running the evaluation edition in a virtual environment or installing on a separate hard drive or partition. The will allow you to upgrade your original Windows installation to Windows 8
- During registration (required) you must login with a Microsoft account and provide your name, e-mail address and country
- You are required to activate the product online within 10 days after installing
- Once the evaluation is installed, you cannot upgrade. To revert to a previous version of Windows, you must do a clean install from your original installation media
Activation and usage guidelines
- Back up your files and settings before installing this evaluation and again prior to the 90-day expiration
- Upon installation, you will have 10 days to activate this evaluation online. Windows will prompt you to activate. A product key is not required for this software
- You must complete activation before August 15, 2013, to use this evaluation
- Once you activate, you have up to 90 days to use the software. You can track the amount of time you have left by referring to the "watermark" in the lower right corner of the Windows desktop
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