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will there be a problem.. upgrade windows 8 pro to 8.1

D

dan330

Extreme Android User
here is a post of mine to give you some background:
http://androidforums.com/computers/718594-hp-pavilion-dv7-laptop-need-driver-resetup.html

so.. this laptop.. is currently on Windows 8 Pro. but I DO NOT have the license info for it. anything.

i get messages from Microsoft Play.. that i can upgrade to Windows 8.1 (NOT Pro version)....for free

will this upgrade ask for my info about the license of the 8 Pro? then fail. then leave me stranded with a soft brick laptop?

if it does work out.. what did i loose going from 8 Pro .. to 8.1 non-Pro.
so.. should i do it?
 
If the person who sold you the laptop installed legitimate a copy of Windows 8 pro and then activated it, the update to 8.1 should stay the professional version and it should not re-ask for validation. However, if this license is also on another machine or activated through volume licensing, it's pretty much a pirated copy.

Really the only thing the pro version will get you is the ability to join a domain, bitlocker encryption and host a single remote desktop session. If you don't do any of that, pro isn't giving you anything. However, if you do join a domain with a bogus windows license you run the risk of an enterprise audit and stiff fines. Just saying you might want to verify that the copy you have is legit, or make it legit.

As for what it brings to the party, this is a pretty good review .... Windows 8.1 Review: Little Changes Make a Big Difference
 
Upgraded the Lenovo Y410p (which replaced the constantly broken Y400...don't buy Lenovo!) to 8.1.....MEH! If you already use Classic Shell or similar and prefer Google to Bing (and who doesn't?), you'll be hard pressed to notice any differences at all between 8 and 8.1. If my laptop were a touch screen model and I used the "don't call it Metro" interface, perhaps I'd feel different.

I'd still hate Lenovo for putting me through the multiple repairs, then multiple swaps that took almost a full year though!
 
the seller had promised to get me the info.. but has now.. ignored all my tries to contact him.

so.. i got no idea..
i just.. i will just leave it as is.

thanks all
 
Upgrading laptops to 8.1 can be 'interesting'! I've optimised an Acer laptop for a friend, fine with 8, slow and a tad flaky with 8.1. He's kept it fairly clean & defragged (unusual for a non-techie user) so I surned off the indexing service and eye candy, and disabled a faulty USB device in device manager. Now runs better then before. If the Win8 install is not legit, I'd leave well alone.
 
dan330 said:
the seller had promised to get me the info.. but has now.. ignored all my tries to contact him.
Click to expand...
That alone makes him sound shady--and increases the odds that he'd do something shady. :mad:

Is there not some way to verify the authenticity online? At least then you'd know, and you could move forward from there.

And, finally, since it is *ME* and everything :D, let me just point out that I have the same laptop--and mine has been happily humming along running Kubuntu Linux since I got it. I don't know how invested you are in window$ and its software, but if you're ready to dump it, I can personally verify there are no problems installing/running Kubuntu on it. You can burn an ISO and give it a try without changing anything on your hard drive, and then decide.
 
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