Windows 8.1 Update Now Available In Windows 8 Store

[wpcoe]

@HeXen: Do you find that your "Restart" selection works in Win8.1? You are basically entering the same shutdown.exe command switches I use with my shortcut, but my shortcut doesn't reboot, it only closes Windows (and does not power down the computer). In Win8 it rebooted as expected.

 

[Anubis]

Then just use the upgrade key once you download 8 and make a usb. They emailed us a key since I also bought it when it was 40 bucks.

Actually didn't need to go that far the built in wipe/restore actually worked it basically factory reset the PC. Which was interesting because I didn't make a backup disk. Was just preparing for the worst

 

[homebrew2ny]

Just discovered Civ 5 is not working now with 8.1...

 

[sze5003]

Actually didn't need to go that far the built in wipe/restore actually worked it basically factory reset the PC. Which was interesting because I didn't make a backup disk. Was just preparing for the worst

That's good I just don't keep system protection on my ssd for performance reasons and space. That's a neat feature to have but I'm sure the protection doesn't have to be on to refresh the pc.

 

[techie81]

Just discovered Civ 5 is not working now with 8.1...

Yup same here! eek!

 

[homebrew2ny]

Yup same here! eek!

I just deleted the local content, reinstalled and now all is well again, phew!

 

[techie81]

I just deleted the local content, reinstalled and now all is well again, phew!

Thanks! I was about to rage quit windows 8 if I couldn't get it to work.

 

[guskline]

Just upgraded on all three of my rigs from Windows 8 to 8.1. I reinstalled video drivers and had to reinstall some programs to get them to work. However, all in all a good upgrade experience.

 

[zephxiii]

Here's my 8.1 experience so far...garbage! And that is on a fresh install of 8 too!

 

[sze5003]

Here's my 8.1 experience so far...garbage! And that is on a fresh install of 8 too!

If you did a clean install you shouldn't get that. I've heard of that issue where people tried to update using the upgrade assistant.

 

[postmortemIA]

so i created user account with my outlook.com account. got message that they'll send me a code to verify, to other email account. so i copy and paste that code, and got error "incorrect code". on shutdown, got explorer.exe crashing. 2/10

 

[Bateluer]

Did the upgrade on my Acer V5 laptop last night. Went pretty smoothly, but it still carries over most of the issues and failures of Windows 8 while adding some new ones.

- No feedback during the install. 'Installing Apps', 'Setting up PC', and 'Just a few more things' are not feedback Microsoft.

- Forcing me to use a Microsoft account to log into the PC after installing. If you don't create or have one when the installer gets to that point, you're not able to log into your system. You can convert back to a local account after completing the step, but its total BS that you're forced to in the first place.

- Reinstalling all the Metro apps that I'd already uninstalled before. Appreciate that Microsoft, thanks for readding all the junk I'd removed before.

- 'Secure Boot Disabled' watermark in the lower right corner. Did a few Google searches for solutions to this, but for the moment it seems to be permanent. Anyone know a fix to remove this?

Sadly, I'm starting to wonder if Windows 8 can be fixed. Theres some good features in it, the improved task manager and file transfer windows, for example, but they don't seem to be in any hurry to fix the crippling UI and 'tablet' issues that continue to plague it.

 

[biostud]

- Forcing me to use a Microsoft account to log into the PC after installing. If you don't create or have one when the installer gets to that point, you're not able to log into your system. You can convert back to a local account after completing the step, but its total BS that you're forced to in the first place.

I could log on to a PC I'm currently reviewing with just a local account. I just had to say I wanted to create a Microsoft account, then instead of creating one I could just choose to log on with the current off-line account.

Except for tablets, I don't really see the point of Modern UI. Everything seems to be less functional than the normal desktop. Just the fact that you can have several windows open next to each other.

 

[Bateluer]

I could log on to a PC I'm currently reviewing with just a local account. I just had to say I wanted to create a Microsoft account, then instead of creating one I could just choose to log on with the current off-line account.

Didn't try that option, usually just use my old hotmail address for things that require an email address. Its 1 step up from a spam bucket address though.

Except for tablets, I don't really see the point of Modern UI. Everything seems to be less functional than the normal desktop. Just the fact that you can have several windows open next to each other.

I can agree with that. The V5 I was doing this on has a touch screen and the trackpad is kinda crappy, so I was using the touch screen after the initial install. After 15 minutes of struggling to get to settings, network set up, initial app installs, so on, I had to dig up a USB mouse. 2 minutes later, all done. :/

 

[wpcoe]

One issue I *didn't* have with either the two in-place upgrades or the current clean installation, was anything to do with a Microsoft account to log on. I was prompted to create a username as usual, and that was it.

I'm hamstrung, though, until I can get the Win8.1 driver issue solved for my USB WiFi modem. Not a lot I can do without internet access. In Tesco today I saw a Xyxel USB WiFi modem stick for about US$18, and almost bought it, but wondered if it would have a Win8.1 driver issue as well, so I didn't.

 

[BrightCandle]

Uh oh no raw mouse input games have severe input lag:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-10-21-windows-8-1-causing-mouse-lag-that-badly-affects-games

I did notice that the mouse pointer moved slightly differently in 8.1 but I was more concerned with the low frame rate problems with my GPU drivers.

 

[Majic 7]

Has anyone else noticed a drop in desktop power usage after updating to 8.1? I checked back to my post in IDC's power usage thread back in March and I was at 200w with my monitor added in. Now I am at 175w. This could be due to a GPU driver update or something else, haven't been paying attention and my UPC is hidden by my tower so I don't see it without craning my neck. Just curious.

 

[NetGuySC]

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

I believe that you have to install all available updates first before it will display the 8.1 update in the windows store.

 

[Anubis]

- 'Secure Boot Disabled' watermark in the lower right corner. Did a few Google searches for solutions to this, but for the moment it seems to be permanent. Anyone know a fix to remove this?

go into the bios and make sure its turned on, i got that message when i dissabled UFEI secure boot, and it went away when i turned it back on

 

[Bateluer]

go into the bios and make sure its turned on, i got that message when i dissabled UFEI secure boot, and it went away when i turned it back on

I assume it would go away if I turned it back one, but its intentionally turned off.

 

[wpcoe]

My Gigabyte motherboard has Secure Boot enabled in UEFI, but Win8.1 shows a "SecureBoot isn't configured correctly" watermark. That's different from Bateluer's "Secure Boot disabled" watermark.

How does one *configure* Secure Boot?

[edited to add:]

Apparently the common solution is to enable Secure Boot in UEFI. However, I already *do* have it enabled in UEFI. But, Win8.1 doesn't think so.

Per a Microsoft Technet page, going to View Event Logs > Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > VerifyHardwareSecurity > Admin reveals Event 3002: "SecureBoot is currently disabled. Please enable SecureBoot through the system firmware."

 

[HeXen]

@HeXen: Do you find that your "Restart" selection works in Win8.1? You are basically entering the same shutdown.exe command switches I use with my shortcut, but my shortcut doesn't reboot, it only closes Windows (and does not power down the computer). In Win8 it rebooted as expected.

When I used 8.1 preview, restart worked fine. I don't have the official 8.1 yet, i'm waiting for all the kinks to get worked out.

 

[antef]

I've noticed when I go to PC settings > PC and devices, the Metro settings app crashes. Very few results Googling this problem, saw people mentioning a Pictures library pointing to another hard drive causing this, tried pointing it to a directory on C: but didn't help. Anyone running into this?

 

[cmdrdredd]

Never seen an update take this long. After it was all downloaded and restarted it got to the black screen with spinning dots and it says "setting up" with a percentage. It hung on 78% for 40minutes and now is hung up on 79% for a good 20minutes. Is this normal? Seems like some other forums have reports of the upgrade hanging at certain points. Why can't they just give you the option to download an iso too. Worst idea ever to have no media option.

 

[Red Hawk]

Well that's the last time I try a preview version of an operating system update. I used the 8.1 preview expecting -- hoping -- that it would seamlessly update to the official 8.1 release. It was pretty seamless going from 8 to the 8.1 preview, after all. But nope, upon finishing downloading from the Windows Store, it told me that I would have to reinstall all my applications. Pain in the ass. Lesson learned, I guess.