If you ordered an RM Education PC between 2 June 2012 and 31 January 2013, you would have got the option to purchase a Microsoft® Windows® 8 upgrade. This can be used on any Windows 7 PC delivered between 2 June 2012 and 31 January 2013. The upgrade license can be downloaded from the following link:
https://windowsupgradeoffer.com

For further information relating to upgrading to Windows 8 refer to this link:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/home

Details on application and device compatibility with Windows 8 can be found at this link:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/compatibility/en-us/CompatCenter/Home 

This article explains the upgrade routes available and provides links to articles documenting any extra steps needed for specific ranges.
If your PC is not covered by this document, it may still be shipped with Windows 8 support including specific drivers. Once you have completed the upgrade instructions as detailed below, please refer to the Serial Number lookup feature at www.rm.com/support on the My Computer tab for guidance on how to download and install any required drivers.

If you would like to upgrade your PC to Windows 8, there are three upgrade routes available:

• Upgrade from installation media.
• Upgrade using the Internet hosted upgrade option.
• Install Windows 8 as a fresh operating system (none of your files or settings will be transferred to Windows 8 using this method).

Please note that if you use either of the first two methods, what settings and applications are preserved will depend on what operating system you are upgrading from, as detailed below:

Operating system being upgraded from	Programs are retained	Windows settings are maintained	User accounts and files are retained
Windows 7	●	●	●
Windows Vista®		●	●
Windows XP			●

The following systems are recommended for upgrading to Windows 8:

• RM PC or ecoquiet 211
• RM PC or ecoquiet 210
• RM PC or ecoquiet 212
• RM PC or ecoquiet 310
• RM PC or ecoquiet 311
• RM PC 201
• RM ecoquiet 780
• RM Notebook 220
• RM Notebook 310
• RM Mobile One 310
• RM Lightbook 300

The following systems are not recommended for upgrading to Windows 8 due to a poor user experience because of the maximum supported resolution:

• RM MiniBook 110
• RM MiniBook 120
• RM Minitablet 100
• RM Minitablet 120

The following systems are not recommended for upgrading to Windows 8 due to a poor touch user interface experience:

• RM Slate 100
• RM One Touch

Prechecks

1. Minimum system requirements
   Please note that systems fitted with a Windows 7 Starter Edition Certificate of Authenticity are not eligible for the upgrade offer.
   • Processor: Minimum 1GHz
   • Memory: Minimum 1GB (32-bit) or 2GB (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, monitor or trackpad that supports multi-touch.
   • 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 1360 x 768.
     
     
2. Obtain drivers
   Enter the RM serial number (e.g. WO12345678) into the Serial Number lookup feature on the My Computer tab at www.rm.com/support. Download any Windows 7 drivers, all specific Windows 8 drivers available and a new BIOS if available (for an 'in-place' upgrade to Windows 8, not all Windows 7 drivers will be required, but for a clean install, you may need Windows 7 drivers).
   
   

3. Backup important user files
   If possible, make a backup of your system (or at least the important files on your system). It is recommended that you use Windows Easy Transfer to perform a system backup to external storage. If a clean install is performed, you will loose all data currently on the hard drive.
   
   

4. Other requirements

   • You will need system administrator permissions.
   • A wired connection to the Internet.
   • If the system being upgraded is a mobile device, it will need to be plugged into the mains.

Post upgrade steps

• Please activate Windows 8 using the product key supplied by Microsoft.
• Reinstall applications/system settings using Windows Easy Transfer (as applicable).

Upgrade routes

• For instructions on how to upgrade using installation media, please follow TEC2824679 in the Other Useful Articles section below.
• For instructions on how to install Windows 8 as a fresh operating system, please follow TEC2824689 in the Other Useful Articles section below.

Please note that certain features may have additional requirements, for example:

• Separate playback software is required for watching DVDs.
• Bitlocker™ requires TPM 2.X.
• Unless otherwise stated, Secure Boot and Fast Boot are not supported.

• Program information can be found at this link:
  http://windowsupgradeoffer.com/en-GB/Home/ProgramInfo
• Frequently asked questions can be found here:
  http://windowsupgradeoffer.com/en-GB/Home/Faq
• Electronic upgrade software can be downloaded from www.microsoft.com (or www.windowsupgradeoffer.com if eligible for upgrade offer).