Have any of you tried to install the new Windows 8 Release Preview only to face the message: "Your PC's CPU isn't compatible with Windows 8."
If so, the solution to the problem may lie in your computer's BIOS.
Several perplexed users chiming in on Microsoft's Answers forum have
all reported similar errors when trying to install the new Release Preview. I myself ran into issues when I tried to install the RP as a virtual machine on one of my laptops.
The first step suggested by Microsoft is to see if the following features are enabled on your CPU: Physical Address Extension (PAE), NX, and SSE2.
"Most CPUs have support for these features, so if you receive this error, it is likely because the NX feature is not enabled on your system," Microsoft explained in the forum. "To resolve this error, follow manufacturer guidelines to enable NX ("No eXecute bit"), or the equivalent XD ("eXecute Disabled") feature, within the BIOS security settings."
Hmm, OK, Microsoft, we'll bite.