Upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 8.1

[Sobieski]

Hello,

I just wonder if my laptop HP EliteBook 8560p (product number LG738ET #ABZ) which is currently running Windows 7 pro 64-bit, can be upgraded to Windows 8 pro, and from there to Windows 8.1 pro.

The laptop has been bought on mid-October 2011.

In case somebody has been able to successfully complete the upgrade, is there any advice / recommendation that they want to share with me?

Thank you.

[WAWood · Accepted solution]

@Sobieski 

Yes, it can run Win8.1 -- as the HP product page is here:  https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-elitebook-8560p-notebook-pc/5056949

Suggest you download all the drivers and copy them to a USB stick prior to the Win8.1 install.

As to "upgrade" -- when MS has an "upgrade path" from one OS version to another, that means you can update the OS and retain your existing personal data, settings, and applications.  When no such path exists, MS performs what is known as a Clean-Install and all that stuff is written into a Windows.old file, and while you can retrieve files from that, you can not retrieve applications or (as far as I know) settings.

So, given that MS has stopped support Win8x except for Security Patches, I don't know if there is an "upgrade path" anymore.  You will find out when you try to do the Upgrade.

Also, I would not both installing Win8; I would just install Win8.1 instead.

[Sobieski]

Thank you WAWood,

for me it was important to know wether the upgrade was feasible or not; now I know it is.

If someone else wants to share first hand experience in performing this upgrade, I will be glad to learn.