Windows 8.1 Update Now Available In Windows 8 Store

[Kaido]

It's out for general consumption now:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/buy

http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/17/windows-8-1-now-available-to-download/

Moving this to a separate thread rather than having it mixed in with people doing clean installs
-ViRGE

 

[TeknoBug]

My laptop is downloading the 8.1 update right now, I knew 17th was RTM release and 18th is retail/OEM release.

 

[Mem]

I already have Win8.1 Pro x64 RTM with WMC (clean install on this PC) however my laptop is now being updated from Win8 to Win8.1 Pro x64 with WMC via Store, hope it goes well.

 

[ultimatebob]

Is anyone else not getting the option to upgrade from the Windows Store? It's not listed there for me.

 

[sze5003]

I downloaded 8.1 preview from the ms site and installed it through the installer a few weeks ago. I have the preview edition watermark but it activated fine with my windows 8 key.

I wonder if I'll have the update to the full version today. Have you installed all the updates ?

 

[Pardus]

SouthPark needs do an episode where Cartman is trying to update from 8.0 to 8.1, would be classic.

 

[Remobz]

SouthPark needs do an episode where Cartman is trying to update from 8.0 to 8.1, would be classic.

True dat

I know many people here having tons of issues now. I am waiting until all the bugs are ironed out.

 

[sze5003]

Most just need to run windows update first so that the store updates and then you can install it. If you installed win 8 from msdn or an enterprise edition you will not be able to use the store for an 8.1 upgrade.

 

[BrightCandle]

Dang the download of this thing is taking an absolute age for me.

 

[Remobz]

Dang the download of this thing is taking an absolute age for me.

Would it hurt if you waited a week?

Just saying because you know the strain on servers during the first week or so.

 

[TeknoBug]

True dat

I know many people here having tons of issues now. I am waiting until all the bugs are ironed out.

Laptop running 8.1 right now, no problems so far, just need to find the WMC.

 

[BrightCandle]

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

The most severe one is I have quite a severe performance problem in Windows on the desktop. Dragging Windows around has significant stuttering.

But what is worse is the terrible install process. My machine (UEFI start) ends up at the Asrock loading screen and rebooted about 5 times, which really didn't look healthy and I got almost zero updates. When the OS did come up I was FORCED to use an online account, it changed my keyboard which made getting my password right kind of tricky and its basically reset the entire settings on the machine. Honestly how hard is it in this day and age to get that right? Its not like my keyboard layout was messed up when I first installed Windows 8 so why did Windows 8.1 just assume it.

Deeply regretting this upgrade already due to the performance problems, and already kind of annoyed with my graphics drivers being broken on start and a load of other stuff that just isn't working.

 

[Berryracer]

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

 

[BrightCandle]

So the performance problem I have is related to NVidia's drivers. The problem is caused when you do something requiring acceleration (in this case watching a twitch stream) on the secondary screen. When I do that the performance of both screens drops to an unacceptable level. That is a regression, it used to happen on Windows 7, didn't happen on Windows 8 but now happens again on 8.1

 

[sze5003]

So the performance problem I have is related to NVidia's drivers. The problem is caused when you do something requiring acceleration (in this case watching a twitch stream) on the secondary screen. When I do that the performance of both screens drops to an unacceptable level. That is a regression, it used to happen on Windows 7, didn't happen on Windows 8 but now happens again on 8.1

Uninstall the drivers, use driver cleaner, reinstall new nvidia drivers. My amd card did the same and I did an install not a clean install of the preview of 8.1. After the reinstall of my video drivers and cleaning my registry with ccleaner, no issues.

 

[Kenmitch]

When the OS did come up I was FORCED to use an online account

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.

Not sure why your having driver issues? Thought NVidia drivers were the bomb?

Might be worth a trip to your MB manufacturers site to see if they have updated drivers for 8.1

 

[sze5003]

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.

Not sure why your having driver issues? Thought NVidia drivers were the bomb?

Might be worth a trip to your MB manufacturers site to see if they have updated drivers for 8.1

Asrock boards should be up to date with the latest bios that supports windows 8. In running the preview of 8.1 still and it is super fast. I think I'll install the full version through the store anyway rather than do a clean install.

If you are having driver issues related to video and visual performance it's something that nvidia driver reinstall should fix up.

 

[techie81]

What the hell did they do to mouse acceleration in 8.1?

 

[Insert_Nickname]

When the OS did come up I was FORCED to use an online account, it changed my keyboard which made getting my password right kind of tricky and its basically reset the entire settings on the machine.

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.

You can keep using your local account, but you have to select "Create A New Account". Below the input fields, there is an option "Continue to user my existing account". Confused yet...?

Honestly why bury that option there? I DON'T WANT to use my Microsoft Account on that particular machine for a reason MS. That is something I decide, not you. Also they could at least have warned about 8.1 resetting every windows setting, not to mention installing different (older) drivers for the graphics card and a couple other devices...

Edited, thanks Dahak

 

[Mem]

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

Well my upgrade from 8 to 8.1 on my laptop went fairly smooth via Store,had to reinstall my wireless key and it said I had to reinstall Microsoft Net Framework 1.1 (one of my print programs use it) but it failed to install twice near end of the installation,fix was simple ie remove Net Framework 1.1 folder ie delete it, then Framework 1.1 installed fine,my print software program that uses it was fine since I tested it after.

So pretty smooth for me with a minor hiccup that I soon fixed ,anyway still quicker then doing a clean install for me .

 

[BrightCandle]

Uninstall the drivers, use driver cleaner, reinstall new nvidia drivers. My amd card did the same and I did an install not a clean install of the preview of 8.1. After the reinstall of my video drivers and cleaning my registry with ccleaner, no issues.

I did do this as the drivers were clearly broken after the install anyway. The reinstall of the drivers for 8.1 fixed the general problem but this particular problem with programs on the secondary screen impacting overall performance is still present. Looks like a regression actually as I had a similar problem in Windows 7. Its to do with SLI and the way it focusses its acceleration on a single screen.

The shame is this worked perfectly on Windows 8 where it didn't on Windows 7.

 

[Imaginer]

Installed it. The Asus Maximus V Gene's Asmedia USB 3.0 drivers gave some problems, but uninstalling them and reinstalling them from the internet by the Windows recommended pulling made the ports work.

My Surface Pro and a system with an Asus P8Z68-V Pro motherboard went smoothly.

 

[Dahak]

You can keep using your local account, but you have to select "create a microsoft account". Below the input fields, there is an option "keep using your local account" (not entirely sure what its called on an English language version, since I have only updated a Danish version so far). Confused yet...?

Honestly why bury that option there? I DON'T WANT to use my Microsoft Account on that particular machine for a reason MS. That is something I decide, not you. Also they could at least have warned about 8.1 resetting every windows setting, not to mention installing different (older) drivers for the graphics card and a couple other devices...

I just did my update to 8.1, and for those who want to know the options it is
Create A New Account.
Then on that screen at the bottom there is
Continue to user my existing account

 

[Insert_Nickname]

I just did my update to 8.1, and for those who want to know the options it is
Create A New Account.
Then on that screen at the bottom there is
Continue to user my existing account

Thanks for clarifying that. :thumbsup:

 

[Majic 7]

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.