Microsoft Windows 8.1 Now Available

[tonymacx86]

Windows 8.1 has been released today, you can update directly from Windows 8 through the Windows Store. Among other improvements, you can now boot directly to the Desktop, and there's a Start button! It's worth nothing that if you have used the Windows 8.1 beta preview, you will need to reinstall some applications.

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Let us know if you have any issues or comments about this update. Backup your files before applying!

Official Windows 8.1 Information:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/home

Windows 8.1 Size: 3.63GB

 

[rick26]

Downloading now!

 

[tonymacx86]

OK so I fired up the Windows 8 hard drive for the first time in a while. Went to Windows Update, and lo and behold I had 30 updates to do- no mention of Windows 8.1.

About an hour later I went to Windows Store and found the update to Windows 8.1 for Free tile, and clicked it. 3.63GB! Wow- this is huge! I've been a bit out of the Windows loop- must be almost an entire OS replacement.

 

[GXGOW]

It's a little smaller than the original Windows 8 ISO. That one took the entire 4.7 GB of my DVD.

 

[sammyskay]

Will Windows 8.1 run under Parallels 8 or do I need to upgrade to Parallels 9 first?

 

[XStylus]

OK so I fired up the Windows 8 hard drive for the first time in a while. Went to Windows Update, and lo and behold I had 30 updates to do- no mention of Windows 8.1.

About an hour later I went to Windows Store and found the update to Windows 8.1 for Free tile, and clicked it. 3.63GB! Wow- this is huge! I've been a bit out of the Windows loop- must be almost an entire OS replacement.

Is there an offline installer for the Win 8.1 update, or any way to install it without using the Windows App Store?

 

[Octavean]

Same here,...

I had a number of updates that needed to be install before the Windows 8.1 update option became available in the Microsoft store. The updates didn't take that long though.

I then tried to install the Windows 8.1 update and the download went fast (for the given size) but it eventually tossed up an error and returned to Windows 8. I'll probably give it another shot.

My guess is that Windows Secure Boot will be reinstated.

 

[kizo2703]

Downloading now!

It's already been installed for some time.

Is there an offline installer for the Win 8.1 update, or any way to install it without using the Windows App Store?

Officially, no, except for MSDN Subscribers.
Unofficially, yes, there is.

My guess is that Windows Secure Boot will be reinstated.

There is no ''Windows'' Secure Boot. If You disabled it in BIOS/UEFI, it won't be reinstated.
But, don't take this for granted.

 

[Octavean]

There is no ''Windows'' Secure Boot. If You disabled it in BIOS/UEFI, it won't be reinstated.
But, don't take this for granted.

From my perspective this is an issue of semantics. I installed the Windows 8.1 update and now I'm working on getting other OSes to boot again. Right now it boots directly to Windows 8.1 which is something it didn't do with Windows 8 once it was disabled in the UEFI.

Right now my working theory is that secure boot is the issue but we'll see.

 

[kizo2703]

I installed the Windows 8.1 update and now I'm working on getting other OSes to boot again. Right now it boots directly to Windows 8.1 which is something it didn't do with Windows 8 once it was disabled in the UEFI.

Right now my working theory is that secure boot is the issue but we'll see.

I've said, don't take it for granted exactly because of that.
Have You tried to disable Secure Boot again in UEFI?