Windows upgrade Archives - Rick's Daily Tips

How to prepare a PC running Windows XP for an upgrade to Windows 8.1

Posted on April 8, 2015

xp-to-8-1 Microsoft effectively killed off Windows XP in about a year ago, and many XP users are trying decide whether to upgrade their PCs to Windows 8.1, dump Windows altogether and switch to Linux, or simply replace their old PC with a new one.

Personally, I think switching to Ubuntu Linux is a great way to go if the PC is used primarily for email and Internet access, but as long as the hardware is new enough to support Windows 8.1, that’s a great choice as well.

If you decide to upgrade Win XP to 8.1, it’s a good idea to prepare for the upgrade before jumping into it. Here are my recommendations: [Read more…]

Q&A: Will upgrading Windows void my Microsoft Office license?

Posted on January 23, 2014

Question from Richard S.: Back in March 2011 I bought an HP Desktop computer with Windows 7 on it. I also bought a copy of Microsoft Office 2010 at the same time and got a discount on it because I bought it with the PC.

Now I want to upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 8.1, but I’m afraid that changing the Windows version will void my Office license since it came with Windows 7.

Can I safely upgrade my computer to Windows 8.1 without voiding my Office license?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]