Windows 8 Release Preview Available: Download Links Live

If you are dying to test a new snapshot of Microsoft’s upcoming operating system Windows 8 your chance has come to do just that. Microsoft has just enabled the downloads of the Windows 8 Release Preview, which could be the last public preview version of the operating system before release.

The preview version of the operating system is as usually available in form of the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant which you can use to upgrade an existing system, for instance the Windows 8 Consumer Preview or Windows 7, to the Windows 8 Release Preview, and as ISO images that you can burn on CD, install in a virtual machine or install from USB Flash Drives.

Interested users find the Upgrade Advisor download on this page over at the official Microsoft website, and the download links for all 32-bit and 64-bit ISO versions of the operating system below.The upgrade advisor download seems to be faster than the ISO downloads. While I do not have scientific proof to back that up, I compared downloads several times and the Upgrade Advisor download always finished before the ISO download.

The Windows 8 product key for all versions is always the same:? TK8TP-9JN6P-7X7WW-RFFTV-B7QPF

64-bit (x64)????????????????????Download (3.3 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0xD76AD96773615E8C504F63564AF749469CFCCD5732-bit (x86)????????????????????Download (2.5 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0x8BED436F0959E7120A44BF7C29FF0AA962BDEFC964-bit (x64)????????????????????Download (3.3 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0x0C07A0501840517AE789B4EA82EDE061F4E42CE932-bit (x86)????????????????????Download (2.5 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0x95B8948DB8AF1559B03ADA5A85B7987CFD456544

Chinese (Simplified)

64-bit (x64)????????????????????Download (3.4 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0xC21B69413E08FCFB756EEDB2B99D0C0472486D1C32-bit (x86)????????????????????Download (2.6 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0xF9FAF5910275832EA03F630CD5803565C03C8F3164-bit (x64)????????????????????Download (3.4 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0x1556802DEA81A7B3E3159E99F911C1C855B20B2432-bit (x86)????????????????????Download (2.6 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0xC617D24A48E5A5A2329CBA5DED2B08EBB7463FD064-bit (x64)????????????????????Download (3.3 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0x132ED51FAD11EF626BD330288822D68603C5C56032-bit (x86)????????????????????Download (2.5 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0x2F434DDD06ADDD38A972E3E71CA059BD9A4416CD64-bit (x64)????????????????????Download (3.3 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0xC0117244B5E018BBF01F6242BF9020D27918A12F32-bit (x86)????????????????????Download (2.5 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0x019E239D0990B8C04505F5248DDBD067FC3CAF4264-bit (x64)????????????????????Download (3.3 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0x6393BA8BC2DD3CBD7B55D00B9D9587843BDB05CD32-bit (x86)????????????????????Download (2.5 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0xE28666272702351491CCB713DC66E064D88BA99464-bit (x64)????????????????????Download (3.3 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0xC4CFD5F2DD54CDC44FCFE5D69122931DEDA57DF632-bit (x86)????????????????????Download (2.5 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0xB605E1428852503C0E7E3490815E96A3101F2C5564-bit (x64)????????????????????Download (3.3 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0x90B07E56008FAB64AD9CA47F86CC6D99150FBF8A32-bit (x86)????????????????????Download (2.5 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0x91AE86FACBBC4D6FAFED0239D15542C28F37827D64-bit (x64)????????????????????Download (3.3 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0x10F9F738593BC740561DA8AB247F5CEF3ABA65BB32-bit (x86)????????????????????Download (2.5 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0x7A473B0D7F5DB3E949915D2A2F361FAE92A5253864-bit (x64)????????????????????Download (3.3 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0x6E6C4B9D5788BF2BF72E1AC8F1F1D6FA0241311C32-bit (x86)????????????????????Download (2.5 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0x533CA552681DFC9F347633F2BA1B5224BEF22EB364-bit (x64)????????????????????Download (3.3 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0x632DB171AAD356E52930A745D92328055128CB8D32-bit (x86)????????????????????Download (2.5 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0x0BBB1EC6F68D4D0DAB0130853B5C6543882ED25664-bit (x64)????????????????????Download (3.3 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0x9086CAA101C872DAB529CA8A01F7C7370986837B32-bit (x86)????????????????????Download (2.5 GB)????????????????????Sha 1 hash — 0x509E6D4331F965BCA4102968016E5AD6B05769BF

The system requirements do not seem to have changed, they are:

Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or fasterRAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)Hard disk space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX?9 graphics device with WDDM driver

Additional requirements to use certain features:<

To use touch, you need a tablet or a monitor that supports multitouch.To access the Windows Store and to download and run apps, you need an active Internet connection and a screen resolution of at least 1024 x 768.To snap apps, you need a screen resolution of at least 1366 x 768.Internet access (ISP fees might apply)

We will see lots of coverage in the coming days, especially about new and changed features in the Windows 8 Release Preview. Are you currently downloading the new release, or skipping it? (via Everything Microsoft)

This may be useful to some of you who want to upgrade from previous versions of Windows to the Windows 8 RP release. Depending on the version of Windows you are upgrading from, you may keep some or none of your files. Here is the list:

Windows XP: User accounts and filesWindows Vista: User accounts and files, and Windows settingsWindows 7: User accounts and files, Windows settings, and ProgramsWindows 8 Consumer Preview or Developer Preview: Nothing at all.

The RP expires one day after the Consumer Preview expires, on January 16, 2013.

Update: The official blog post is now available. Check out Microsoft’s announcement here.

Microsoft: Windows 8 Release Preview In First Week of June
Windows 8 Download, Developer Preview
Windows Vista Release Candidate 2 Download
Windows Live Writer Preview
Leaked Microsoft Roadmap Reveals Windows 8, Windows 9 Release Dates

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About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand. You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.Author: Martin Brinkmann, Thursday May 31, 2012 -
Tags:microsoft, windows 8

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