Windows 8 Developer Preview downloads

The Windows 8 Developer Preview is a pre-beta version of Windows 8 for developers. These downloads include prerelease software that may change without notice. The software is provided as is, and you bear the risk of using it. It may not be stable, operate correctly or work the way the final version of the software will. It should not be used in a production environment. The features and functionality in the prerelease software may not appear in the final version. Some product features and functionality may require advanced or additional hardware, or installation of other software.

Note: You can't uninstall the Windows 8 Developer Preview. To go back to your previous operating system, you must reinstall it from restore or installation media.

Windows 8 Developer Preview with developer tools English, 64-bit (x64)

DOWNLOAD (4.8 GB)

Sha 1 hash - 6FE9352FB59F6D0789AF35D1001BD4E4E81E42AF

All of the following come on a disk image file (.iso). See below for installation instructions.

• 64-bit Windows 8 Developer Preview
• Windows SDK for Metro style apps
• Microsoft Visual Studio 11 Express for Windows 8 Developer Preview
• Microsoft Expression Blend 5 Developer Preview
• 28 Metro style apps including the BUILD Conference app

Windows 8 Developer Preview English, 64-bit (x64)

DOWNLOAD (3.6 GB)

Sha 1 hash – 79DBF235FD49F5C1C8F8C04E24BDE6E1D04DA1E9

Includes a disk image file (.iso) to install the Windows 8 Developer Preview and Metro style apps on a 64-bit PC.

Note: This download does not include developer tools. You must download the Windows 8 Developer Preview with developer tools 64-bit (x64) to build Metro style apps.

Windows 8 Developer Preview English, 32-bit (x86)

DOWNLOAD (2.8 GB)

Sha 1 hash - 4E0698BBABE01ED27582C9FC16AD21C4422913CC

Includes a disk image file (.iso) to install the Windows 8 Developer Preview and Metro style apps on a 32-bit PC.

Note: This download does not include developer tools. You must download the Windows 8 Developer Preview with developer tools 64-bit (x64) to build Metro style apps.

Live SDK

The Live SDK provides a set of controls and APIs that enable applications to integrate Single Sign On (SSO) with Windows Live ID and access information from SkyDrive, Hotmail and Windows Live Messenger. To learn more, sign up for our technical preview.

System Requirements

The Windows 8 Developer Preview works great on the same hardware that powers Windows Vista and Windows 7:

• 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
• 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
• DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
• Taking advantage of touch input requires a screen that supports multi-touch
• To run Metro style Apps, you need a screen resolution of 1024 X 768 or greater

Notes about installing the Windows 8 Developer Preview

A clean install is supported on all builds, but you can upgrade if you are installing a download without the developer tools. You will receive the full set of migration options when setup is launched in Windows. To dual-boot, you must first boot from media and choose an alternative partition.

Install on:	Windows 8 Developer Preview with developer tools	Windows 8 Developer Preview without developer tools (32-bit or 64-bit)
Windows 7 and Windows Vista	Clean install only	You can keep accounts, files, and settings
Windows XP	Clean install only	You can only keep accounts and files

How to install the Windows 8 Developer Preview from an ISO image

The Windows 8 Developer Preview is delivered as an .iso image that must be converted into installation media stored on a DVD or a USB flash drive. On Windows 7, the easiest way to convert this file is to use Windows Disc Image Burner. On Windows XP and Windows Vista, a third-party program is required to convert an .iso file into installable media—and DVD burning software often includes this capability.

Note: The .iso file that contains the developer tools requires a large capacity DVD called a DVD-9, as well as a DVD burner that can handle dual-layer (DL) DVDs. Most modern burners should be able to handle this format.

New and beautiful user interface

Metro style
Windows 8 introduces a new Metro style interface, which shows the information important to you, embodies
simplicity, and gives you control. The interface is a personalized layout with clean typography and animations
to make interacting with your PC fluid and intuitive. The new interface is built for touch. With touch, you can
do what you want to do quickly and naturally. The new Start screen puts all of your apps in front of you for
immediate access. You don’t have to remember where things are. And whether you want to type, click, or
swipe, Windows 8 is optimized for easier navigation so moving around the operating system is effortless with
either a finger, or a mouse and keyboard.


It all starts here
The new Start screen gives you a fast way to interact with all of your apps and content. The tiles are alive with
information, showing you what’s going on at any time. Information that you care about — the weather, your
friends’ status updates, the top movie in your Netflix queue, your next calendar appointment — is all there at
a glance. You can personalize your Start screen with shortcuts to your favorite things, like websites, a playlist,
or photo albums. You decide where you want things on the screen and how you want them grouped. You can
optimize for efficiency by adding speed bumps between groups of apps so that you don’t have to swipe back
and forth when you’re panning through your Start screen.

Touch keyboard
Windows 8 has two touch keyboards for ultimate mobility and flexibility. An improved, full-sized touch
keyboard with larger buttons and a unique thumb keyboard make it easy to use your computer on the
go. Whether you’re walking around or sitting down, it’s more comfortable and natural to type using your
thumbs when the keyboard is split.

The touch keyboard in Windows 8 includes several features to speed up your typing and make it more  
accurate. Improved keyboard technology is designed to minimize inaccurate key strokes while automatically
correcting mistyped words without slowing you down. To make typing more efficient, Windows suggests
words on screen as you type, allowing you to choose the suggested word with a single tap.The keyboard adapts to different languages. On touch-based computers, the layout of the keyboard
automatically adjusts to the language you choose for Windows. Your input and language settings
automatically apply to the whole computer rather than to just specific programs.

One Windows – many shapes
Support for ARM-based chipsets, touch, and sensors makes Windows 8 work beautifully on your choice
of a full spectrum of devices, such as 10-inch slates with all-day battery life, ultra-lightweight laptops, and
powerful all-in-ones with 27-inch high-definition screens. Regardless of which device you use, improvements
in the core of the Windows operating system result in faster boot time, more efficient app management, and
substantially reduced memory usage. Windows 8 is powerful and responsive.