Windows 8 wipe and reload

[Dannar26]

I upgraded to Windows 8 from xp. I now want to donate my old core2 machine to my brother, but would like to reformat it first. Trouble is, this is apparently complicated by the fact that this is an upgrade copy.

I'm getting mixed answers on Google concerning how to go about this. Some sources say I have to put on the original xp install, then upgrade again. Others seem to think there's a way around all that. I hope there is; what a waste of time to do it that way.

I recently upgraded the machine to 8.1. I have 8.1 discs from mine and my wife's machines. Can I use these disks to go straigt to 8.1 even though the core2 machine is an upgrade license?

 

[Kenmitch]

You should be able to just use Win8 refresh to wipe it. Pick the giving it to someone else option. You'll just need the matching media. On phone so no step by step instructions.

It wont proceed without the media so nothing lost if media doesn't match.

 

[Dannar26]

It was a digital upgrade; there is no matching media.

 

[inachu]

windows 8 would wipe it to be useless for XP. XP uses ntfs. WIndows 8 uses a new file format system.

 

[VirtualLarry]

windows 8 would wipe it to be useless for XP. XP uses ntfs. WIndows 8 uses a new file format system.

No, Windows 8/8.1 still uses NTFS for the boot filesystem.

 

[Kenmitch]

It was a digital upgrade; there is no matching media.

You upgraded XP to Win8 with a digital download purchased from Microsoft? You chose the upgrade now instead of doing the make a USB bootable drive?

Did you try getting the install files from http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/upgrade-product-key-only using the product key?

You can use magic jelly bean to extract the key if needed. https://www.magicaljellybean.com/downloads/KeyFinderInstaller.exe