The user experience of the installation process was simplified with each new version of Windows. The latest to have real influence on the sequence of steps was that of Vista, Windows 7 has not changed the situation in this area. The screens are simple enough today to be understandable to most, but not totally.

As always Microsoft offers you to choose from two different ways to install Windows 8 with each of them having different ways of installation:

• Upgrade from an older Windows version
• New Windows installation

However, according to a study conducted in 2010 Microsoft learned that users find Upgrade from older to new version more difficult than new/fresh Windows installation.

When Vista came out, we remember that the technical prerequisites were significantly higher than for XP. Five years separated the two systems so people who decided to install Windows Vista also had to upgrade their hardware. When Windows 7 came out, these prerequisites have not changed, and many have turned to the Windows upgrade instead of fresh installation. Regarding Windows 8 hardware prerequisites will not change.

Clean and easy Windows Update

When we are talking about Windows XP, Vista or 7, the installation of an update always happens the same way. The customer visits a store and buys the updated edition. Once they come home, insert the installation DVD into the computer and wait for Windows update installation to start.

Regarding Windows 8, Microsoft will still sell physical DVD, but that won't be the only option. Windows 8 can be purchased online and installed from the web. The user will start a wizard who will recover the data and then install them. Its data and settings are also supported by the same process. Best of all: no 25-character key needs to be enter because it's already integrated within downloaded files.

Clean Windows Installation

The case of Windows 7 has provided many data. Microsoft says for example that more than 20 million people have downloaded and installed the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor during the first six months of its availability. Many have also used the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. Here is what you have to do:

• Download and install the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor
• Run Advisor
• Run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard
• Start installing Windows 7
• Run the Transfer Wizard to restore the data on the new system

In Windows 8, all windows are brought together in a single assistant who will take care to test the compatibility of the machine, take care of user data and settings and start the installation. In addition, in this wizard you will be able to go back and forwards, which was not the case so far (it had to restart).

Find the error

The installation wizard, in the case of an update, will do more than search to determine if your hardware is compatible. All applications will be analyzed, the assistance provided at the end of a window like this:

For applications, the results list will not be very different from what we see today:

Microsoft says that anything that is currently running under Windows 7, hardware and software, should work the same way under Windows 8. There will, however, be exceptions and updates for particular applications may be claimed. Software must be uninstalled and potentially replaced.

Process of downloading and installing Windows 8

Microsoft focuses here on the Internet-related experience, since the DVD will offer a traditional process. In the case of a purchase on the web, a wizard will download what is needed.

First interesting point since it takes place after the analysis of the machine, it downloads only what is necessary, including the language pack suitable architecture of the machine, etc.. The download can be paused and it will not start from scratch if errors are detected.

Second interesting point: once the data is downloaded, the wizard asks the user to make a decisions. It will offer you to choice whether you want to burn Windows 8 on a DVD or on your USB Drive. On the screenshot below you can see that the USB Drive must be at least 3 GB in size.

Third interesting point: the wizard handles both updating and new installing. It all depends on the choice of the user to the next step.

The first choice is the full update: applications and settings are migrated to Windows 8.

The second choice does not move the files. Clearly, the wizard is a new installation of Windows 8 and it will then replace the user data. Applications and settings are not migrated.

The last choice is the new installation with no backup: blank formatted disk and system.

Be careful for the update. User accounts and data associated with them are migrated from Windows XP, Vista and 7. However, the system parameters will be backed up only for Windows Vista and Windows 7, and applications for only for Windows 7.

Finally, the assistant will review the various issues if any of them exist they will be listed along with their solution.

Microsoft claims to have eliminated 82% of clicks required to get the result. The merger of the various wizards can actually start the installation in 11 clicks, problems aside.

Final Windows 8 installation conclusions

Microsoft announced that his new method of windows installation is greatly simplified. Now all the necessary data are displaced by entire directories in Windows and simply copied thereafter. Analysis phases were shortened, there are no per-file operations, and there is more travel operations through multiple files. The table above represents the gain in time according to Microsoft. It will gain control with the arrival of particular beta which will be available in next few weeks.

The stage of the download is also interesting. The data downloaded from the Internet are compressed into one package for which the publisher ensures that no information is redundant. In the case of an upgrade from a Windows 7 x86, Windows 8 image file is not larger then 1.51GB, against 2.32GB for Windows 7. The download is done in sections of 10 MB that are validated separately. More information about Windows 8 is available on the Microsoft Windows 8 blog.