Upgrade Windows XP 32 bit to Win 8.1 64 bit - a review

Microsoft already finished the technical support for Windows XP, on 8. April 2014, but, although we hold the relevant upgrade licences for the current Windows versions, we used it further on some PC's, because it runs stable.

The time was already ripe to update our relevant operating systems by the use of the generally known Windows 8 Setup Tool for Windows 8, which you can download on the Microsoft website.

We thought, that this tool upgrade our operating systems in easy way, but this was truism. The upgrade from our existing Windows XP to Windows 8 didn't work any time. The Windows 8 Setup Tool abort the installation, also the Microsoft support couldn't help us.

Windows 8 Setup Tool: The update from Windows XP to Windows 8 did only work with a new clean Windows XP Version

So we decided to test the Microsoft 8 Setup Tool by a new clean Windows XP system, and behold it works, we were one step further.

Windows 8 could installed without triggers, we choosed this step, because the upgrade of Windows XP to Windows 8.1 isn't provided by Microsoft.

You also don't need to try to download Windows 8.1 by the provided Microsoft Installation Media Creation Tool, if you only have a Windows 8 license.

Microsoft still provide Windows 8.1 for all users, which have a Windows 8 license, but a installed Windows 8 OS is the condition for the upgrade to Windows 8.1. We've tested it, the Windows 8 Key won't be accepted during the Windows 8.1 installation.

Windows Installation Media Creation Tool: The Installation of Windows 8.1 doesn't work with a Windows 8 license, although Microsoft provide it for all Windows 8 owners with a real Windows 8 license key - a installed Windows 8 OS is the condition

Our next issue was, that the Windows 8 Setup Tool installed Windows 8 only as 32 bit version, but we want to use it as 64 bit version.

A call to the Microsoft Support turned out, that the Windows 8 Setup Tool analyse the existing OS and upgrade it without previous user query to the same bit version. A glorious idea by Microsoft, if you sold a valid license for both bit versions, 32 bit as such as 64 bit, like us, and want to have the choice, which bit version should be installed.

A query during the installation would be a advantage, if they won't annoy their users, but the next consultation to Microsoft Support result, that they provide no solution to upgrade Windows XP 32 bit to Windows 64 bit. You can't also download it seperatly on the Microsoft servers. They only provide a new seperate Windows 8 version with a Installation DVD for that you should pay again.

We found our own solution to download it!

We used another 64bit OS, in this case Windows 7, and lead the Windows 8 Setup Tool believe to install Windows 8 there.

Windows 8 will be thereby downloaded as 64 bit version. The Windows 8 Setup Tool download all files temporarly. You can create a Windows 8 Installation DVD or USB Flash Installer by the downloaded files for a future installation.

If you end the installation process after the Windows 8 Installation DVD or USB Flash Installer creation, Windows 8 won't be installed on this system.

Windows Setup Tool: Microsoft provide a option to store the downloaded installations files of Windows 8 on a USB Flash Drive or DVD. A download is thereby also possible for the Windows 8 64 bit Version, if you download it by a PC with a Microsoft 64 bit OS

The Windows 8 Setup Tool includes for this case a option after the download process. You've the option to install Windows 8 directly after the download process or later.

This solution helps us to install Windows 8 as 64bit version on our relevant PC's. After this installation, we could also update this OS to Windows 8.1.

A long, but finally successful process.

If your Windows XP update also make troubles, try this way.