Old Laptops and Window8

Lum

Almost any computer capable of running Vista should be capable of running Windows 8 as Windows 8 is a bit quicker and more efficient than 7 and Vista were. The only limiting factor is if there are suitable drivers available, but often the Win7 or Vista drivers will work on 8.

However there is no particular reason to buy a new copy of Windows for this purpose, you could just re-install Vista. Borrow the DVD off somebody if you don't have it and use the product key that should be stuck to your machine and it's totally legal.

Don't get me wrong, I love Windows 8 (once you get rid of all the Metro crap) but I don't think it's worth £99. I'm just glad I got my copies when it was only £25.

NiftyDigits

owlfandbg wrote: »

I don't have the disks - they don't provide them when you buy some laptops and I didn't take a backup at the time (silly I know but not uncommon). So I had nothing to restore from.

DELL machines have a Restore Partition on the hard drive, so you don't need a disc. Even if you did, a post here would have got you either a DELL Windows Vista restore disc or a Windows Vista SP2 DVD that you could have used with your existing Product Key(on the bottom of the laptop).
There was really no need to spend a single penny.

I know it's no good to you now, but at least you know for any other similar situation.

owlfandbg

I wanted to upgrade . it's not long now until vista joins the scrapheap that is xp, windows95 , windows me in not being supported.
The test to move to windows 7 said this laptop would not upgrade without lots of work. the change to window 8 was easy

macman

But they could have used it after a quick Factory Restore with Vista-at no cost?
Yes, Vista is pants, but you've put up with it for 5 years, so I don't suppose it would bother your kids.

NiftyDigits

owlfandbg wrote: »

I wanted to upgrade . it's not long now until vista joins the scrapheap that is xp, windows95 , windows me in not being supported.
The test to move to windows 7 said this laptop would not upgrade without lots of work. the change to window 8 was easy

Desktop operating systems Latest service pack End of mainstream support End of extended support

Windows XP
Service Pack 3
April 14, 2009
April 8, 2014

Windows Vista
Service Pack 2
April 10, 2012
April 11, 2017

Windows 7
Service Pack 1
January 12, 2015
January 14, 2020

Scrapheap? You could have used it safely until April 2017.