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.






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



Windows 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



Sign up for the Live Connect technical preview.

Live Connect provides developers a set of controls and APIs that enable applications to integrate Single Sign On (SSO) with Microsoft connected accounts and enable users to access information from SkyDrive, Hotmail, and Messenger.



Windows 7 and Windows Vista: Clean install only
Windows XP: Clean install only



The Windows 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.