Windows 8 Consumer Preview (Public Beta) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

NOTE: Almost all things are same for Windows 8 Release Preview as well.
Microsoft has released free Consumer Preview (Beta) build of its upcoming OS "Windows 8" to public which can be downloaded using following link:
Windows 8 Consumer Preview (Public Beta) Released, Download Now
There are many questions related to Windows 8 Consumer Preview which are coming in people minds. We have received so many emails about Windows 8 from various AskVG readers asking almost same questions. So today in this topic we are going to answer all those frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to Windows 8.

So without wasting time, lets share Windows 8 Consumer Preview FAQs:

Q.1. What is Windows 8 Consumer Preview? Is it Beta version of Windows 8?

Ans. Yes. Windows 8 Consumer Preview is actually a Beta version of Windows 8 which has been released absolutely free to public by Microsoft.
Microsoft called it as Consumer Preview because the company didn't want to create confusion as the meaning of the word "Beta" has changed a lot lately.

Q.2. Is Windows 8 Consumer Preview stable? Can I use it as my primary OS?

Ans. Since its a beta version of Windows 8, bugs and issues are obvious but you should expect better performance and experience compared to Windows 8 Developer Preview build.
If you use your computer for normal stuff like checking email, web browsing, playing games, etc, you can install and use Windows 8 Consumer Preview as primary OS.

Q.3. What are the system requirements of Windows 8 Consumer Preview?

Ans. Windows 8 Consumer Preview system requirements are same as of Windows 7. If you are using Windows Vista or 7 in your system, it should work with Windows 8 without any problem.
You can take a look at following topic for better idea:
Windows 8 Consumer Preview (Public Beta) System Requirements

Q.4. I already have a Windows installed in my system, can I upgrade the existing Windows to Windows 8 Consumer Preview?

Ans. That's an important question! Yes, you can upgrade from Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8 Developer Preview to Windows 8 Consumer Preview but there are some limitations.
Upgrade from Windows 8 Developer Preview:
If you upgrade your system from Windows 8 Developer Preview to Windows 8 Consumer Preview, you'll be able to keep your user accounts and files but you won't be able to keep installed programs and Windows settings.
Upgrade from Windows 7:
If you upgrade your system from Windows 7 to Windows 8 Consumer Preview, you'll be able to keep your user accounts and files, installed programs and Windows settings.
Upgrade from Windows Vista:
If you upgrade your system from Windows Vista to Windows 8 Consumer Preview, you'll be able to keep your user accounts and files and Windows settings but you won't be able to keep installed programs.
Upgrade from Windows XP:
If you upgrade your system from Windows XP to Windows 8 Consumer Preview, you'll be able to keep your user accounts and files but you won't be able to keep installed programs and Windows settings.

Q.5. Should I upgrade my existing Windows to Windows 8 Consumer Preview or should I install it separately?

Ans. Installing Windows 8 Consumer Preview separately on a different partition and doing a dual-boot between existing Windows version and Windows 8 Consumer Preview would be a better idea. It'll help you in uninstalling/removing Windows 8 Consumer Preview easily from your system in future if you want. Also you'll not have any chance of data loss and your existing Windows version will remain untouched.

Q.6. If I upgrade my existing Windows to Windows 8 Consumer Preview, will I able to uninstall Windows 8 Consumer Preview in future and return to previous Windows version?

Ans. No. You can't go back to previous Windows version. You'll need to reinstall it using setup disk.

Q.7. How to install Windows 8 Consumer Preview in a virtualization software like VMware Workstation, VirtualBox, Virtual PC, etc?

Ans. Installing a testing product in a virtualization software is a wise idea. It helps in testing the product before actually installing it in your system.

Posted in: win 8