Will there be a Windows 8.1 final release ISO download?

glades

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I have a Dell Studio XPS 8100 that is almost 3 1/2 years old. I upgraded to Windows 8 by the clean install method from an ISO disc that I downloaded from the MS site. Does anyone know if an ISO download will be available for the Windows 8.1 final release? Clean installs tend to work better especially on older computers. Upgrades can be problematic in my experience.

Thanks,

Glades
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
The more recent answer I've seen from Microsoft is No there won't be. :(

In the comments from this blog post:
Mark your calendars for Windows 8.1!

Microsoft answer the ISO question as follows:
Brandon Leblanc from Microsoft said:
Consumers will only be able to get Windows 8.1 for free through the Windows Store. ISO images won’t be made available broadly for consumers

I think "consumers" means people who haven't got a Technet or MSDN subscription, who can currently access the 8.1 RTM.

Also if you buy the retail version, it will presumably get you an ISO, but this won't be free.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1, 10
Why do you need to go through the Microsoft store to do this 8.1 update? I would like it to come down just like all the other updates do now or give the option to download the upgrade packages if you have several machines.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro WMC
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Masuhr - Black Corsair
    CPU
    Intel I7 4770k
    Motherboard
    ASUS Maximus VI Hero
    Memory
    Corsair Dominator 16GB DD3-1866
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus GTX 660 Ti
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS PA248
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1200
    Hard Drives
    Revodrive 350 480GB
    SSD Mushkin Chronos Deluxe 240GB Sata3
    HDD WD Red 2x2TB Sata3
    PSU
    Corsair 860i
    Case
    Cooler Master HAF X
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i
    Keyboard
    LG G19
    Mouse
    Microsoft Sidewinder X8
    Internet Speed
    DSL
    Browser
    IE
    Antivirus
    MS Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech T650 Touchpad
Why do you need to go through the Microsoft store to do this 8.1 update? I would like it to come down just like all the other updates do now or give the option to download the upgrade packages if you have several machines.

Ask Microsoft? I don't think anybody here knows why they are doing it though the store, other than to promote the store. That and its free if you are already running Windows 8. If you are running Windows 7 or earlier you'll be buying it online or in a retail store. I have no idea what you'll get if you buy it online, hopefully you'll get an option to save an ISO file to burn to DVD. Personally I think this could backfire on Microsoft and end up generating a lot of bad press if a lot of these upgrades go south. Just trying to recover their systems back to Windows 8 could be a problem for some users if they don't create recovery media before hand. This is a big update and the Windows kernel is updated. It's more than your usual service pack type of deal. I think of it as Windows 8 Second Edition.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
There should be a Windows 8.1 ISO download at some point for those who buy Windows full 8.1. But to upgrade from 8 you should use the Store upgrade option. 8.1 full ISO seems to require a new license key and your old Windows 8 one won't work, while the Store upgrade is just an upgrade. I say this because I tried to use the 8.1 ISO from MSDN with my current 8 license key from MSDN and it did not work, I had to put in the new 8.1 license key it gave me.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    RTFW Built
    CPU
    AMD Athlon II X3 450
    Motherboard
    Foxconn A88GMV
    Memory
    4 GB DDR3 1600
    Graphics Card(s)
    XFX Radeon 6770
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer X203H
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900
    Hard Drives
    2 x Hitachi Deskstar 320GB
    PSU
    XFX ATX 550 Watt
    Case
    Raidmax Tornado
There should be a Windows 8.1 ISO download at some point for those who buy Windows full 8.1. But to upgrade from 8 you should use the Store upgrade option. 8.1 full ISO seems to require a new license key and your old Windows 8 one won't work, while the Store upgrade is just an upgrade. I say this because I tried to use the 8.1 ISO from MSDN with my current 8 license key from MSDN and it did not work, I had to put in the new 8.1 license key it gave me.

You can't use a Windows 8 Product Code to install, it will only accept Windows 8.1 Product Codes during install. There are leaked install codes that will let you install but they won't activate. They are blocked from activation. Once installed you can activate with a Windows 8 product Code. I've done it both ways. On my laptop I just entered one of my TechNet 8.1 Pro keys. On my desktop I installed with one of the leaked install codes and then entered a Windows 8 Code to activate. Both ways worked just fine.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
That explains that then. I only ran it on one machine and only tried to enter a key once. Nobody else in my house has any real desire to test anything other than me so i only have one machine on Windows 8.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    RTFW Built
    CPU
    AMD Athlon II X3 450
    Motherboard
    Foxconn A88GMV
    Memory
    4 GB DDR3 1600
    Graphics Card(s)
    XFX Radeon 6770
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer X203H
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900
    Hard Drives
    2 x Hitachi Deskstar 320GB
    PSU
    XFX ATX 550 Watt
    Case
    Raidmax Tornado
I was a bit impatient on the first install so when it didn't use my embedded key I just entered my 8.1 TechNet key. Reading up on it here latter on I did it differently on my desktop. More just to see if it would work and use my Windows 8 code. It did so that was good. It wouldn't have bothered me much if I had had to use another 8.1 TechNet code. I have MSDN codes too, so I'm not going to run out.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
I updated the bios for my system and lost my raid ssd drive. Rather than go through the hassle of re-installing Windows 8.0 Pro and then do the upgrade thing on Oct 18th, I decided to go straight to 8.1. I did a clean 8.1 RTM install and then used my 8.0 key to activate and used another key to install WCM. Everything looks good with the Windows 8.1 Pro WMC system.

My laptop and another system are both running Windows 8.0 Pro and they were upgraded with the $40 deal so I will wait until October 18th and do the upgrade through the store.

One thing I did note is if you use the Windows Store under 8.1 for anything, even free installations, you will need to use a Microsoft account.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro WMC
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Masuhr - Black Corsair
    CPU
    Intel I7 4770k
    Motherboard
    ASUS Maximus VI Hero
    Memory
    Corsair Dominator 16GB DD3-1866
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus GTX 660 Ti
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS PA248
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1200
    Hard Drives
    Revodrive 350 480GB
    SSD Mushkin Chronos Deluxe 240GB Sata3
    HDD WD Red 2x2TB Sata3
    PSU
    Corsair 860i
    Case
    Cooler Master HAF X
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i
    Keyboard
    LG G19
    Mouse
    Microsoft Sidewinder X8
    Internet Speed
    DSL
    Browser
    IE
    Antivirus
    MS Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech T650 Touchpad
I have a Dell Studio XPS 8100 that is almost 3 1/2 years old. I upgraded to Windows 8 by the clean install method from an ISO disc that I downloaded from the MS site. Does anyone know if an ISO download will be available for the Windows 8.1 final release? Clean installs tend to work better especially on older computers. Upgrades can be problematic in my experience.

Thanks,

Glades

I couldn't agree with you more on ugrades vs clean installs. :thumb:

Upgrades have always been a PITA by my experience. Hopefully MS will release an ISO to the general public to do so. I'm also willing to pay a fair price for an ISO either via download or by snail mail, although I think shouldn't have to. After all, I bought the 8 Pro disc.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1 Pro X64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer T690
    CPU
    Intel Pentium D Dual Core
    Motherboard
    Acer/Intel E946GZ
    Memory
    2GB (max upgrade)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3000 - PCI Express x16
    Sound Card
    Integrated RealTek ALC888 high-definition audio with 7.1 channel audio support
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer AL1917W A LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1440 X 900
    Hard Drives
    350 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10
    Thumb drives
    PSU
    Standard 250 watt
    Case
    Desktop 7.2" (183mm) W x 17.5" (445mm) L x 14.5"
    Cooling
    Dual case fans + CPU fan
    Keyboard
    Acer Windows PS/2
    Mouse
    Wireless Microsoft Arc
    Internet Speed
    54mbp/s
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Office Pro 2013 / Nokia Lumia 1520 Windows Phone 8.1DP GDR1
Why do you need to go through the Microsoft store to do this 8.1 update? I would like it to come down just like all the other updates do now or give the option to download the upgrade packages if you have several machines.

Ask Microsoft? I don't think anybody here knows why they are doing it though the store, other than to promote the store. That and its free if you are already running Windows 8. If you are running Windows 7 or earlier you'll be buying it online or in a retail store. I have no idea what you'll get if you buy it online, hopefully you'll get an option to save an ISO file to burn to DVD. Personally I think this could backfire on Microsoft and end up generating a lot of bad press if a lot of these upgrades go south. Just trying to recover their systems back to Windows 8 could be a problem for some users if they don't create recovery media before hand. This is a big update and the Windows kernel is updated. It's more than your usual service pack type of deal. I think of it as Windows 8 Second Edition.

:ditto: and 1/2!

Edit:

And I will for sure be contacting MS if they don't release an ISO.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1 Pro X64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer T690
    CPU
    Intel Pentium D Dual Core
    Motherboard
    Acer/Intel E946GZ
    Memory
    2GB (max upgrade)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3000 - PCI Express x16
    Sound Card
    Integrated RealTek ALC888 high-definition audio with 7.1 channel audio support
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer AL1917W A LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1440 X 900
    Hard Drives
    350 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10
    Thumb drives
    PSU
    Standard 250 watt
    Case
    Desktop 7.2" (183mm) W x 17.5" (445mm) L x 14.5"
    Cooling
    Dual case fans + CPU fan
    Keyboard
    Acer Windows PS/2
    Mouse
    Wireless Microsoft Arc
    Internet Speed
    54mbp/s
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Office Pro 2013 / Nokia Lumia 1520 Windows Phone 8.1DP GDR1
One thing I did note is if you use the Windows Store under 8.1 for anything, even free installations, you will need to use a Microsoft account.
In the later blog post (again in the comments section) they say you can at least install 8.1 without a Store account.
From: Pricing and Packaging for Windows 8.1

Brandon LeBlanc said:
you can use your local account on Windows 8 to update to Windows 8.1 from the Windows Store. You do not need a connected Microsoft account.

So maybe there will be some extra functionality in the Store when the 8.1 final release comes out next month; it would be a bit odd if you could install 8.1 without a Microsoft Account and then were forced to use it as soon as you wanted to do anything else in the Store.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1, 10
I thought the 8.1 RTM was the final release?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8, Ubuntu 12.10 (dual boot)
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Sony, Model # VPCEH34FX
    CPU
    Intel Core i3 2350M @ 2.30GHz Sandy Bridge 32nm Technology
    Motherboard
    Sony Corporation VAIO (N/A)
    Memory
    8.00 GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 665MHz (9-9-9-24)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 3000
    Sound Card
    Conexant SmartAudio HD
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (1366x768@60Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    596GB Hitachi HTS547564A9E384 (SATA)
    Keyboard
    Standard PS/2 Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech Wireless
    Other Info
    HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GT30N
In the later blog post (again in the comments section) they say you can at least install 8.1 without a Store account.
From: Pricing and Packaging for Windows 8.1

Brandon LeBlanc said:
you can use your local account on Windows 8 to update to Windows 8.1 from the Windows Store. You do not need a connected Microsoft account.

So maybe there will be some extra functionality in the Store when the 8.1 final release comes out next month; it would be a bit odd if you could install 8.1 without a Microsoft Account and then were forced to use it as soon as you wanted to do anything else in the Store.

I installed the 8.1 PRO RTM version and I was required to use my Microsoft account to install it. After it was installed I used the disconnection option and that allowed me to set up my local user account BUT on my drive c:/users my local account is not listed but my Hotmail account is shown twice. I tried renaming and deleting without success. :mad:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro WMC
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Masuhr - Black Corsair
    CPU
    Intel I7 4770k
    Motherboard
    ASUS Maximus VI Hero
    Memory
    Corsair Dominator 16GB DD3-1866
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus GTX 660 Ti
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS PA248
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1200
    Hard Drives
    Revodrive 350 480GB
    SSD Mushkin Chronos Deluxe 240GB Sata3
    HDD WD Red 2x2TB Sata3
    PSU
    Corsair 860i
    Case
    Cooler Master HAF X
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i
    Keyboard
    LG G19
    Mouse
    Microsoft Sidewinder X8
    Internet Speed
    DSL
    Browser
    IE
    Antivirus
    MS Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech T650 Touchpad
I thought the 8.1 RTM was the final release?

Maybe, maybe not? Microsoft have been vague on this but from what I have read they may make changes and fix issues right up to the oct 18th release. It's hard to tell if they are going to actually patch the code of just release updates. I hope they patch the ISO and or release a newer version if any major glitches are found..
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
Hi there

I think if you install DISCONNECTED FROM THE INTERNET you don't need to set up a Ms account - local account works.

As far as ISO's are concerned - currently they are available from TechNet / MSDN both PRO and ENTERPRISE so I'd imagine these will filter down to retail channels sooner or later.

What about people who NEVER have had Windows in the first place - say they've been using Linux for years and now want Windows -- how are they going to install.

I'm sure it's only a matter of time.

As far as major glitches are concerned there's already ONE that's causing a bit of grief -- SILVERLIGHT and IE11 don't work together - causing a number of problems for some people using Media streaming services (Netflix. SKY GO etc). For SKY GO use the CHROME browser !!!!! -- Sad reflection of Ms when they issue software out to RTM when TWO of their OWN components (IE11 which they are pushing - even for W7 users) and Silverlight.

The whole nonsense probably is still the movie industry's crazy obsession with DRM -- thank goodness the whole DRM mess was "unofficially" abandoned by the audio industry and for e-books the DE-DRM plug in for Calibre fixes any remaining DRM for e-book stuff too.

I think NETFLIX is going to abandon the use of Silverlight completely soon -- if you have NETFLIX or SKY GO problems with IE11 install CHROME and enable the Silverlight plugin.

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Linux Centos 7, W8.1, W7, W2K3 Server W10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 X LG 40 inch TV
    Hard Drives
    SSD's * 3 (Samsung 840 series) 250 GB
    2 X 3 TB sata
    5 X 1 TB sata
    Internet Speed
    0.12 GB/s (120Mb/s)
What about people who NEVER have had Windows in the first place - say they've been using Linux for years and now want Windows -- how are they going to install.
They can buy a copy of Windows 8.1. For people who don't have Windows 8, it's simple, you just buy a copy and (I presume) get an ISO on the DVD or for download. There won't be separate Upgrade and System Builder editions for 8.1; it's the same edition whether you're upgrading or installing on a brand-new disk.

The people who (as far as I can tell) won't be able to get an ISO from Microsoft are the people who've already got a licence for Windows 8 and entitled to a free upgrade to 8.1.

Even then there are some questions - for instance what happens if you had Windows 8 Core pre-installed on your PC, did a Clean Install with the Windows 8.1 Pro Preview (so you're now running on the 8.1 Pro Preview Product Key)? Will the Windows Store be clever enough to read your Product key back from the BIOS to put you back on your "real" key?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1, 10
I thought the 8.1 RTM was the final release?

Maybe, maybe not? Microsoft have been vague on this but from what I have read they may make changes and fix issues right up to the oct 18th release. It's hard to tell if they are going to actually patch the code of just release updates. I hope they patch the ISO and or release a newer version if any major glitches are found..

Hi there
Windows 8.1 ENTERPRISE won't upgrade a WINDOWS 8 ENTERPRISE version currently - (WINDOWS 8 ENTERPRISE was a TechNet "Real" not a preview version) so I'd imagine unless some new ISO's are released users installing from an ISO will have to INSTALL FROM NEW.

What's confusing is that there appears to be a choice -- but even if you go for the "upgrade" you just get presented with chices - keep user files or keep nothing - and the install does a new install but keeps things like IE favourites settings, documents etc. You have to re-install all your applications (and some special drivers depending on your hardware) all over again. The old drivers etc are kept in a WINDOWS.OLD file so it's not a hassle to re-install these but you need to be aware of this.

I had the same problem when I installed W8 PRO from TechNet and tried to upgrade to W8.1 PRO also from TechNet - both from ISO's- I tested that combination on a VM.

So it looks for ENTEPRISE users - re-install (not sure how many W8 enterprise versions were ever out there -- probably not to many - and these were I guess mainly in I.T depts. with people just testing. For PRO users it looks like Ms is forcing people through the STORE if they want to upgrade rather than install new.

We shall see anyway in a few weeks when W8.1 becomes generally available to "the great unwashed".

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Linux Centos 7, W8.1, W7, W2K3 Server W10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 X LG 40 inch TV
    Hard Drives
    SSD's * 3 (Samsung 840 series) 250 GB
    2 X 3 TB sata
    5 X 1 TB sata
    Internet Speed
    0.12 GB/s (120Mb/s)
So it looks for ENTEPRISE users - re-install (not sure how many W8 enterprise versions were ever out there -- probably not to many - and these were I guess mainly in I.T depts. with people just testing).
I suspect most big corporate setups aim to update every 5 years or so... those people that have rolled out W8 to the Enterprise probably aren't too happy that they will have to do a significant upgrade to 8.1 within 2 years to stay supported.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1, 10
I thought the 8.1 RTM was the final release?

Maybe, maybe not? Microsoft have been vague on this but from what I have read they may make changes and fix issues right up to the oct 18th release. It's hard to tell if they are going to actually patch the code of just release updates. I hope they patch the ISO and or release a newer version if any major glitches are found..

Hi there
Windows 8.1 ENTERPRISE won't upgrade a WINDOWS 8 ENTERPRISE version currently - (WINDOWS 8 ENTERPRISE was a TechNet "Real" not a preview version) so I'd imagine unless some new ISO's are released users installing from an ISO will have to INSTALL FROM NEW.

What's confusing is that there appears to be a choice -- but even if you go for the "upgrade" you just get presented with chices - keep user files or keep nothing - and the install does a new install but keeps things like IE favourites settings, documents etc. You have to re-install all your applications (and some special drivers depending on your hardware) all over again. The old drivers etc are kept in a WINDOWS.OLD file so it's not a hassle to re-install these but you need to be aware of this.

I had the same problem when I installed W8 PRO from TechNet and tried to upgrade to W8.1 PRO also from TechNet - both from ISO's- I tested that combination on a VM.

So it looks for ENTEPRISE users - re-install (not sure how many W8 enterprise versions were ever out there -- probably not to many - and these were I guess mainly in I.T depts. with people just testing. For PRO users it looks like Ms is forcing people through the STORE if they want to upgrade rather than install new.

We shall see anyway in a few weeks when W8.1 becomes generally available to "the great unwashed".

Cheers
jimbo

I haven't done any upgrade installs from the ISO, only clean installs, so I haven't had to contend with the keep this or keep that menu options. This is going to sound like nit picking but the TechNet ISO is actually Multii, not just Pro. You can install 8 core from it if you wanted to. TechNet only gives you 8 Pro keys but MSDN gives Pro and Core keys. 5 of each instead of the 3 you get from TechNet.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
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