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Windows 8.1 discussion

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windows 8
26K views 115 replies 28 participants last post by  ExDilbert 
#1 ·
This thread is specifically for the discussion of Windows 8.1.

Please use Windows 8 General Discussion for other Windows 8 commentary.

Windows 8.1 Preview is scheduled to be released at the Microsoft Build developer conference today.
 
#3 ·
Do not install unless you are willing to re-format /re-install once the final release comes out. There is no uninstall from the preview nor upgrade option to the final code from the preview.
You can grab it from the store now in Windows 8, or wait for when the ISOs will be made available.

Here is the product key for installation from ISO.

Product Key: NTTX3-RV7VB-T7X7F-WQYYY-9Y92F

I would recommend a dual boot from a .VHD that way you don't mess with your current install.

Here is an ok walk-through there are others just Google it.

Here is a boot manager that is simple to use and supports VHDs.

EasyBCD
 
#7 ·
Windows 8.1 is a free upgrade for existing Windows 8 users. This free preview will also work for older versions of Windows (not just Windows 8).
If you're running Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7, you can download an ISO image and use it to create a bootable DVD or USB flash drive to install Windows 8.1 Preview.
If you're not using Windows 8, you will either have to pay for the final release of Windows 8.1 or reload your previous OS from DVD. You won't be able to use the recovery partition on your PC to go back to your previous version of Windows.
 
#10 ·
Windows 8.1 Preview ISO files are now available

Windows 8.1 Preview ISO files (.iso) are provided as an alternative to downloading Windows 8.1 Preview through Windows Store. You should only use the ISO files if you are an advanced user and want to install the preview on another partition, another PC, or a virtual machine. Otherwise, we strongly recommend that you download Windows 8.1 Preview from Windows Store.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/preview-iso

EDIT: I posted this before I saw that j0dest3r had edited the post above.

I'll probably go with the virtual machine approach.
 
#12 ·
The main thing that I'm looking forward to in 8.1 is the per-display pixel ratio settings.

That way I can take my Surface Pro, plug it into a regular 100dpi monitor and have the apps on the Surface Pro's internal display showing up at 125% or 150% while having the regular display show the content at 100%.

With Windows 8, if I had it scale to 150% and I moved a window to show on a external display, everything was unnecessarily large.
 
#15 ·
I saw this on Microsoft's Windows Blog.

I am excited to share that starting at 12:00am on October 18th in New Zealand (that’s 4:00am October 17th in Redmond), Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1 will begin rolling out worldwide as a free update for consumers with Windows 8 or Windows RT devices through the Windows Store. Windows 8.1 will also be available at retail and on new devices starting on October 18th by market.
 
#19 ·
Any idea where i look to see if 8.1 actually installed on my system? I dont see the "new" start button on the taskbar or the option under taskbar. The "and navigation" part is not there.

I installed 8.1 from the download link and it seemed to install yet i dont see the new start button.
 
#20 ·
TKG26, if you open a command prompt you should see either version 6.2.9200 for Windows 8 or 6.3.9431 for Windows 8.1 beta. (I'm still running Win 8). I think Control Panel/System should tell you the version of Windows you have, but I can't say for sure. Mine says "Windows 8 Pro with Media Center".
 
#21 ·
Thanks DR DAVE. It had not installed properly. i re-installed through metro STORE app it was suggested when i first started the app. :)

Anyway it installed now without issue. the start button is there now. :)
 
#23 ·
If you do install the TechNet version, do not install Media Center. It will instantly become un-activated. (found out the hard way) Once you are in this state however, you should be able to use your Windows 8 key from a purchased version that is eligible to run Media Center. Even without Media Center, there are reports that after the initial install where you need to use the TechNet key, you can change the key to a Windows 8 key and it will activate just fine.
 
#25 ·
Just finished the installation of 8.1. Don't remember setting up a code with Windows 8 as a security measure but one required this time. Your computer is now called This PC. The apps screen is sharper and the logos are smaller and sharp. The famous start button is in the left hand corner and clicks you into apps. Arrows are showing up in the various corners telling you where to place your cursor and what the purpose is. Not sure if that will be there all the time . So far everything else is the same.....Windows Media Centre remains the same. Everything appears to be a bit faster. The download was relatively quick and the installation went smoothly. So far so good. Will wait a few hours before downloading the upgrade for the laptop.
 
#26 ·
Actually MC is supposed to be a newer version with 8.1. Current 8 version is 6.2.9200.16384. My update is still downloading. Also don't forget to do Windows Update after the install as there are some updates for 8.1 that were made after the RTM bits were released. Not a bad idea to create a recovery USB key prior to the upgrade just in case. If you do windows search for recovery it will walk you through creating one.
 
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