Questions on Windows 8 Pro clean install for W700-6607

svmus
svmus Member Posts: 3 New User

I have a new Acer Iconia W700-6607 11.6-Inch 64 GB Tablet with i3, trying to do a clean install with windows 8 Pro for media center and need some guidance from those that have done a clean install or did a restore from supplied DVD's.

 

I will get the ODD setup as per manual to run my Windows 8 pro disk and have downloaded all drivers from Acer site for W700.

 

Any order of driver install posted on Acer support site to avoid issues?

 

Am I missing any drivers? And if there are any missing can they be found on restore disks or a place to get them?

 

Seems like I have to edit both USB input device and uncheck the first line in the power tab on Human interfaces in Device manager to avoid delay in screen touch recognition after the tablet is idle

 

Is it possible to get few selective Acer Applications such as Dolby and MacAfee etc. Installed from restore disks?

 

If I cannot use MacAfee provided by Acer, can I use Microsoft Security Essentials? The Microsoft Security Essentials at least from MS website does not say it supports windows 8.

 

Please feel free to point any other things I might be missing just in case

 

 

Thx

Answers

  • Tommy-Acer
    Tommy-Acer VIP Posts: 6,317 Seasoned Specialist WiFi Icon

    Windows 8 Professional/Media Center should be simple Pack upgrades, without requiring a complete reinstall.

     

    Both Professional and Media Center are listed here:

    http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/feature-packs

     

    The drivers available on our site are the only ones that you need, as they are the pieces not included with Windows 8.

     

    Please feel free to use whatever anti-virus software you would like.

  • kmd1970
    kmd1970 Member Posts: 15 New User

    I bought the Acer Iconia W700-6499 with Windows 8 and did a fresh install using a Windows 8 Pro OEM dvd.

     

    The install went smoothly, but for some reason the windows edition (after the install) still says Windows 8 not pro. The dvd setup never asked me to enter a new key.

     

    I first assumed that I had been sold the wrong dvd, so I tested it out on another desktop machine and setup asks for a new serial and installs windows 8 pro just fine on a desktop machine. So why doesnt it work on the acer iconia w700?

     

    Can an Acer iconia w700 bought with windows 8 be upgraded to windows 8 pro using an OEM DVD? It seems like the w700 windows 8 serial key is hardwired into the machine and refuses to let you upgrade with a DVD.

     

    I dont want to pay another $99 for some stupid pro pack download, just to test this out.  

     

  • Tommy-Acer
    Tommy-Acer VIP Posts: 6,317 Seasoned Specialist WiFi Icon

    The answer remains as I posted it above.  We ship with an embedded product key.

     

    You are not using an OEM DVD, which would be from Acer, but a Microsoft retail installation DVD. 

    You are not upgrading, you are installing the complete OS.

     

  • kmd1970
    kmd1970 Member Posts: 15 New User

    I understand what you are saying about the "embedded product key", but just to be clear I AM using an Windows 8 PRO X64 OEM DVD bought from Newegg for $139 (Item#: N82E16832416552).

     

    Seems like Microsoft has changed the licensing rules with Windows 8 and they want to force you to upgrade using their stupid Windows 8 Pro Pack download. In the past I could buy whatever OEM Windows 7 OS version I want and simply do a fresh install on my device.

     

    Thank you for your reply.

  • Tommy-Acer
    Tommy-Acer VIP Posts: 6,317 Seasoned Specialist WiFi Icon

    Microsoft has changed quite a bit with Windows 8.

     

    Are you attempting to upgrade on the existing OS or are you completely reinstalling?  I think that is the difference.

  • kmd1970
    kmd1970 Member Posts: 15 New User

    "Are you attempting to upgrade on the existing OS or are you completely reinstalling?"

     

    No, I am not upgrading the existing OS. I always prefer to do a clean install to remove any bloatware on a new machine.

     

    Had I known that I could use the Windows PRO pack download to upgrade my acer to PRO, I wouldnt have spent the $139. Smiley Happy

     

    Thanks again.

  • Mucchan
    Mucchan Member Posts: 9 New User

    Can't you just enter the retail Windows 8 Pro serial key as a substitute for the pack to upgrade your installation to Pro?

  • kmd1970
    kmd1970 Member Posts: 15 New User

    "Can't you just enter the retail Windows 8 Pro serial key as a substitute for the pack to upgrade your installation to Pro?"

     

    No. I tried that and it wouldn't accept my retail key.

     

    I also tried opening a cmd window as administrator and typing :

     

    1. slmgr.vbs -ipk YOUR-NEW-ACTIVATION-KEY-HERE (lets you change the installed windows key)

     

    and/or

     

    2. slui 3 (opens a product key window)

     

  • Mucchan
    Mucchan Member Posts: 9 New User

    That's odd. I didn't do a clean install, but I did have a spare Windows 8 Pro activation key and all I did was go to Control Panel > Action Center > Windows Activation and clicked on 'Add features to your edition' and used my Windows 8 Pro key and it upgraded the installation to Pro.

  • Alvis74
    Alvis74 Member Posts: 1 New User

    Hi,

    my w700 has legal W8 PRO (they was installed when i bought w700).

    But drivers are bad and is impossible to work (wifi hangs every 15 min, camera hangs when tablet is rotated and so on...). I decided to make clean install (not to recover the same bad system from repair DVD's)

    But I can't find the way to install system from USB Flash or DVD, because in UEFI mode all medias are not recognised.

     

    I have googled a useless - everything I have try do not work on my Acer.

     

    So how to make clean system install using W8 OEM and in UEFI mode, to use licensed key, that I have payed for.

  • ptrkhh
    ptrkhh Member Posts: 72 Troubleshooter

    i would recommend to perform a refresh or reset the windows 8 instead of performing a clean install.

    to perform a refresh or reset, you have to acquire the Windows 8 Pro ISO file, particularly the install.wim file. Correct me if I wrong, I think the 8 Pro ISO is the same as the Core/RTM ISO.

    here is the instruction http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/18052-refresh-reset-windows-8-without-installation-disk.html

     

    Refresh: Removes desktop apps and drivers, preserves user account and metro apps

    reset: just like clean install, without the product key problem

  • kmd1970
    kmd1970 Member Posts: 15 New User

    I've successfully done a fresh windows 8 install and also a full recovery.

     

    1. You need a USB DVD drive.

    2. Make sure BIOS is in UEFI mode.

    3. Move the USB DVD drive up as first boot device (you may have to reboot into BIOS a second time to change this)

    4. Turn off FAST boot in BIOS 

    5. Insert DVD into drive.

    6. Hold w700 power button down for 6 seconds

    7. Power ON.

     

    if the w700 recognises the DVD drive it will reboot and pause on the ACER logo screen. There is a slight delay while the w700 reads the DVD so wait. (watch the DVD drive light and listen for it spinning).

     

    To do a full recovery you must first delete everything on the drive. I just used a windows 8 dvd:

     

     a. start the windows 8 setup:

     b. choose custom install

     c. delete all drive partitions

     d. create new drive partitions (there should now be 4)

     e. format largest partition

     f. exit the windows setup.

     

  • johnnyli97
    johnnyli97 Member Posts: 2 New User

    Can anyone tell me if is possible to do a Clean install of Windows 8 and activating it with my product keys from my w700?

    I´m going to upgrade my msata ssd to 128gb and I need some help on it.

    Also because i can not find my DVD from W700.

    Thanks alots!!

     

  • Ethos
    Ethos Member Posts: 160 Troubleshooter

    I dont understand why u all above using crappy DVD drive ? You dont know what USB flash drive is these days ?  plus u have USB 3.0 port in your tablet (i dont know if somebody is blind or sometin') just stick USB 3.0 flash drive in it with win 8 /8.1 in and u good to go !

    Jeezz peeople  ... think.com 

  • sensis
    sensis Member Posts: 1 New User

    I created an installation USB thumb drive with the original W700 DVDs to make a clean install.

     

    My Windows is activated, but it's not the Pro version.

     

    Anyone knows why? And how can I get the Pro version back?


    Bless! S.

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