Windows 8 has been available for download for some time now. We have already written all possible ways to download and install Windows 8 on a computer. Users who have already installed and enjoying the experience on desktops or notebooks may want to install Windows 8 on their netbooks as well.
If you own a netbook and want to install Windows 8 on your laptop to experience the new Start screen and Metro-style apps, you first need to check the screen resolution of your netbook before installing Windows 8. If your notebook’s screen resolution is lower than 1024×768, you won’t be able to run Metro-style apps without following our how to run Metro apps on a smaller screen resolution guide!
Below are the best available methods to install Windows 8 on a netbook.
Method 1: Install Windows 8 in dual boot with Windows 7
Download Windows 8 ISO and then follow our how to install Windows 8 in dual with Windows 7 guide to install Windows 8 in dual boot with Windows 7. This is the best way to test drive Windows 8.
Method 2: Upgrade existing Windows 7 to Windows 8
If you wish to upgrade your Windows 7 to Windows 8, you can follow our how to upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 8 guide. You will be able to keep all installed programs, settings, and files. But note that once installed, you can’t downgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 7. To uninstall Windows 8, you will need to do a clean install of Windows 7 using a bootable media.
Method 3: Install Windows 8 without using bootable DVD or USB
Users who wish to install Windows 8 without creating a bootable USB flash drive or DVD can download Windows 8 Setup file from here. The setup file is a small executable that checks if your PC can run Windows 8 without any issues.
By using the installer, you can either upgrade your existing Windows 7 installation to Windows 8 or do a clean install of Windows 8 on another partition. We recommend you follow our upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 8 guide as we use the same setup file to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 8.
Method 4: Erase Windows 7 partition and delete Windows 8
If you want to completely erase Windows 7 partition and then install Windows 8 on the same partition, you first need to backup your important data from Windows 7 installation drive before even downloading Windows 8!
As your netbook doesn’t come with an optical drive (CD/DVD drive), you first need to create a bootable USB drive to install Windows 8 from USB flash drive. If you own a flash drive, follow our how to install Windows from USB flash drive guide and refer how to install Windows 8 from an external hard drive if you have an external drive.
Once the bootable media is ready, connect it to your netbook, make appropriate changes in the BIOS to enable USB booting, and then follow our Windows 8 installation procedure (step-by-step) guide to successfully install Windows 8 on your netbook.
