Windows 8.1 Update Now Available In Windows 8 Store

[Elixer]

Clean install of Windows 8.1 went smooth as silk! it's fast as heck

Hmm, how did you manage that ?
AFAICT, using the 8.1 WindowsUpgradeAssistant way, 8.0 PRO keys won't work. Using the store, there is no option to make a ISO...

Unless you got a technet or MSDN sub ?

 

[sze5003]

Installed this morning and it did take a while. 3 hrs. download time on my E350 laptop and another couple installing. Downloaded in 15 minutes on my PC but it kept hanging for about 45 mins on every setting up screen. Finally completed and everything seems to be running ok. Only odd thing is Tomb Raider benchmark is capped at 60 for some reason. This might be the latest beta drivers, I haven't ran it in a while.

I used to have the non beta drivers and the graphics performance of the mouse movement staggered on ultra. They never did this before the latest 13.9 updates I think.

 

[sze5003]

Hmm, how did you manage that ?
AFAICT, using the 8.1 WindowsUpgradeAssistant way, 8.0 PRO keys won't work. Using the store, there is no option to make a ISO...

Unless you got a technet or MSDN sub ?

You can download an msdn 8.1 full version. Make a usb, at install use the installation keys which are public. Once booted up and into your username, install updates, go to activate and enter your windows 8 key. If you use windows 8 user upgrade assistant it will make you purchase a windows 8.1 license. That's for people who don't already have win8.

 

[biostud]

Installed without any problems here.

 

[chimaxi83]

Installed with no issues, everything running fine, except...... World of Tanks won't start :/ The process is loaded, and I can see it in task manager, but it never does anything. Blah.

 

[BrightCandle]

Is there a way to get 8.1 directly so I can clean install it from scratch given I have a win 8 pro licence?

 

[JM Popaleetus]

Is there a way to get 8.1 directly so I can clean install it from scratch given I have a win 8 pro licence?

This is what I want to know as well. And/or if I can somehow burn the 8.1 file I'm downloading to a DVD for any future installs.

But overall, how is it guys? I ask this as a person who genuinely doesn't mind Windows 8.

 

[escrow4]

Installed/upgraded perfectly on my main work box (G1610, 4GB RAM, 120GB 840 Pro SSD + assorted HDD's) in 2 hrs. I swear its faster than 8, everything just seems snappier, from the windows animations to general usage. Also noticed the HD Graphics driver is now WDDM v1.3, and its dated from 1st October, last Intel release is September 11. Tablet (Asus Vivotab with full Win 8 32-bit) is next for today, tomorrow is my backup laptop, then the gaming box. Most impressed Microsoft!

Standard note: This is all modern hardware with 8/8.1 drivers (all my in use hardware is Ivy Bridge minimum). Your mileage will likely be worse with older unsupported hardware.

 

[Pardus]

Rolling back to 8.0 for now.

 

[sze5003]

Is there a way to get 8.1 directly so I can clean install it from scratch given I have a win 8 pro licence?

I posted how you can do this a couple posts back. You need to download an official iso of 8.1 from msdn. Then use one of their public install keys to install. Once you are in, activate windows with your windows 8 key.

 

[Elixer]

Is there a way to get 8.1 directly so I can clean install it from scratch given I have a win 8 pro licence?

That is a big fat NO, unless you happen to know of someone who has a technet or MSDN subscription (or...).

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/upgrade-product-key-only
That is the link you go to when you need to re-download win 8. Notice, they added a win 8.1.
Problem is, your win 8 KEY won't work with it!
MS purposely won't allow you to have a ISO for 8.1 if you have win 8 installed for whatever stupid reason they can come up with, they want you to use their store.

Makes no sense at all.
If you have multiple machines, then you must download it for each machine.
If something happens, and you need to reinstall. Well, reinstall win 8 first, then again, get 8.1 through their store, and apply it.

They rather have people find win 8.1 ISO on their own (just make sure the hash matches what MS shows on their MSDN site) and use that with a win 8.1 temp default key as was pointed out earlier in this thread.

 

[HeXen]

You weren't trying to format were you?

 

[postmortemIA]

Enterprise edition evaluation is also available, so can be tried for 90 days without purchase:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/hh699156.aspx

 

[Bateluer]

That is a big fat NO, unless you happen to know of someone who has a technet or MSDN subscription (or...).

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/upgrade-product-key-only
That is the link you go to when you need to re-download win 8. Notice, they added a win 8.1.
Problem is, your win 8 KEY won't work with it!
MS purposely won't allow you to have a ISO for 8.1 if you have win 8 installed for whatever stupid reason they can come up with, they want you to use their store.

Makes no sense at all.
If you have multiple machines, then you must download it for each machine.
If something happens, and you need to reinstall. Well, reinstall win 8 first, then again, get 8.1 through their store, and apply it.

They rather have people find win 8.1 ISO on their own (just make sure the hash matches what MS shows on their MSDN site) and use that with a win 8.1 temp default key as was pointed out earlier in this thread.

Ack, this mean there's no way to install the service pack without going through the Windows Store? I don't want to log into my laptop with a Microsoft account, dammit.

 

[wpcoe]

OK I can't recommend doing this upgrade right now, I have some problems which are just unacceptable.

+1

Did the update via Windows Store. Now:

(1) Comodo Firewall isn't loading, can't uninstall it, can't reinstall it ("This program has compatibility issues")

(2) Avast didn't survive the update, not even installed, can't install it ("This program has compatibility issues")

(3) Belkin WiFi USB adapter drivers won't load ("This device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device.")

The third one is the biggie: No internet connection. The same Windows 7 drivers that worked with Windows 8.0 won't work with Windows 8.1

I suspect things might be smoother with a clean install, but as I understand it we common folk with no MSDN or Technet subscriptions don't have that option?

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

8.1 is a massive improvement over 8. It is everything that 8 should have been IMHO.

Those who are on the fence and still using Windows 7, it's not so bad. Windows 8 has a number of solid improvements under the hood. You WILL get used to METRO, it's not hard at all. The new start screen can be tailored to give you exactly what you want and you can completely avoid all METRO apps if you really want. Hell you can install the old start menu if you like with any number of free apps.

 

[ttott]

I have 8 in my home computer and for its sake, I will wait for a while to update. Afraid some progs don't support 8.1.

 

[JM Popaleetus]

Here's an interesting problem. 8.1 is recognizing my SSD RAID0 array (C: ) as an HDD. I did not have this problem with 8...

EDIT, to fix this:

1. Run the Powershell as Administrator.
2. Type "WinSAT diskformal" and hit the Enter key.

Apparently this glitch has been known since JUNE... http://www.win-raid.com/t70f34-Dete...-use-of-the-Optimizer-former-Defrag-Tool.html

 

[KentState]

The fonts and icons are now blurry after upgrading. Guess I will try updating video drivers.

 

[Bateluer]

8.1 is a massive improvement over 8. It is everything that 8 should have been IMHO.

I hear it can even have up to 4 apps on the screen at the same time. My mind is totally blown!

 

[Raincity]

The upgrade was painless for me. The only issue I am experiencing is the youtube is broken and not responsive in IE since the upgrade.

 

[hawtdawg]

Im not able to update because it says i need to log into an administrator account, but the account I'm using is an administrator account. Not sure what to do.

 

[escrow4]

Tablet now updated smoothly too. Methinks Microsoft fiddled with the guts of the kernel quite a bit too, 3.64GB for 64-bit and 2.86GB for 32-bit is more than a SP1 - plus I've noticed nearly all the previous installed updates are all gone, there are only the new SP1 updates and some leftover's from Windows 8 (6 of them). A few WHQL drivers have been updated too.

 

[MTDEW]

During the update you needed to select sign up for a account? Then choose sign on with a local account? Not 100% sure about the selection process but no online account was required. It's there somewhere as it's what I did.

I don't get any option right off the bat!

As soon as I click download in the store I get...
1: Switch to a Microsoft account on this pc.
Many apps and services (like this one) rely on a Microsoft Account to sync contents and settings across devices.
We will help you setup a Microsoft account now.

And the Only thing I can click on is NEXT. (or cancel which exits me back to the store)

2: Now on the next screen, I can select to sign in with my Microsoft account or create a new one.
I select Create New Account

3: On the next screen I get nothing but an account setup where you create an email address and password.
Nowhere do I have anything resembling signing in with a local account.

 

[antef]

I just performed the update and am having a very weird problem - right-clicking the desktop doesn't work. When I do so I just get the blue spinning circle and the menu never appears. I can go do other things and when I move the mouse back to the desktop the spinning circle is still there, until eventually it gives up and goes away. Really have no idea what to do about this.