Goodbye Windows 8, hello Windows 8.1

Consider the following: Internet Explorer 11 is available as a preview for Windows 7 or as part of the Windows 8.1 preview, but not for Windows 8. Similarly, PowerShell 4 will run on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, but not Windows 8 — even though it will be available for Windows Server 2012, which is the same core code as Windows 8.

So does this mean Microsoft giving up on Windows 8? Um, no.
Windows 8.1 is Windows 8, as far as Microsoft is concerned. It's an update to Windows 8 that will be available in the Windows Store, free of charge. It has new APIs that aren't in Windows 8 that Internet Explorer can use.
[h=3]Read this[/h]
Windows 8.1 unveiled: will it change your mind about Windows 8?

The Start button is back. But that's just one of a very long list of changes you'll find in Windows 8.1, which will be available as a preview in a few weeks and will be released before the end of the year. Don't let the name or the price tag (free) fool you: this is a major update. Here's what's inside.

• Read more

Microsoft will port some — but not all — of those back to Windows 7 for IE 11; as we understand it, the HTML5 Media Source Extensions and Encrypted Media Extensions support that lets you stream Netflix in IE 11 without needing a plugin won't make it to Windows 7.

Goodbye Windows 8, hello Windows 8.1 | ZDNet

 

[Superfly]

I did try to create a local account with administrator rights and it would not let me do that. I wanted to delete the Microsoft account log in. Considering all the e-mails I get that look like they come from the "MS Team" threatening to close my account unless I provide them all my details as well as my password, I do not consider my MS e-mail account as secure.

When I installed 8.1 I was called by phone and given a number to enter to verify my identity. All the security in the world will not work if the Microsoft people tape their passwords to the monitor or the desk.


The 8.1 update won't work on my machine if I am required to use a Microsoft e-mail account to log in to my machine; I have a username and a password.

That is a strange sequence of events indeed.... NB: any email requesting to provide a password is malware - definitely wont come from M$ - your install may be corrupted if you are unable to do as I suggested above - also note when installing 8.1 just leave the email address blank and click next until you are prompted to create a local account.

 

[CountMike]

There is no way anybody at MS would ask you to send unencrypted password by mail because it could do more damage to them than to you. All the temporary numbers for verifying ownership are one time only, that's why they are so long, nobody expects to sell billions of the same product that so long a number can provide combinations for. Looks like you have been scammed here.

 

[alkaufmann]

That is a strange sequence of events indeed.... NB: any email requesting to provide a password is malware - definitely wont come from M$ - your install may be corrupted if you are unable to do as I suggested above - also note when installing 8.1 just leave the email address blank and click next until you are prompted to create a local account.

It got me mad enough that I did install it a second time and I did what you suggested, it would not install without me entering my MS e-mail account as the username and password. I entered my own username and that was a no go. I think I even tried leaving it blank. It does not really matter as I have read that the 8.1 release version will not have this problem and my spare machine is back in storage.

 

[alkaufmann]

There is no way anybody at MS would ask you to send unencrypted password by mail because it could do more damage to them than to you. All the temporary numbers for verifying ownership are one time only, that's why they are so long, nobody expects to sell billions of the same product that so long a number can provide combinations for. Looks like you have been scammed here.

This was not a number to verify ownership is was a call to verify my Hotmail account and the number as only 7 digits. After I entered my MS e-mail address and password the installation program asked me to enter a number which if I do not have, they can provide me by phone text message or by phone. I choose phone because my plan has NO text messages. A few seconds later my phone rang and I was told the numbers I needed to enter. I entered those numbers and the install continued. Had I been required to enter a whole bunch of numbers, like 6 bunches of 6, I would have given up on this preview install.

This is the first time I have ever had this type of verification happen and I have had my Hotmail e-mail address since they first came out many years ago.

 

[NanooGeek]

...
Classic Shell (or whatever it's called these days) still works fine if you need to use that type of assistance on W8.1 (and It's FREE).

Did you mean Classic Start Menu? I'm still using that, and like it. However, I do wonder if it might be implicated in odd task-switching behavior. One example is with Outlook 2010 (Office 2010 SP2). I keep multiple windows open, and when I pick one off of the taskbar, a different window is sometimes switched to. Tends to occur only the 1st time after the multiple windows have been created.

May have also observed Win8 get confused when using {Alt}{Tab} to switch tasks, but not certain of that.

 

[NanooGeek]

...This is the first time I have ever had this type of verification happen and I have had my Hotmail e-mail address since they first came out many years ago.

That verification process is even more fun if you are trying to install software on a new computer, after a crash of a different model computer. You must then first call to state that you are not pirating the software. That call may be answered by someone in another country, where the phone connection quality is very bad ...

 

[Fredledingue]

Not only you have to pay an insane amount of money for w8 but you have to do all this hassel???? No wonder why poeple opt for a pirated version.

 

[alkaufmann]

Not only you have to pay an insane amount of money for w8 but you have to do all this hassel???? No wonder why poeple opt for a pirated version.

That has always been an old argument, if it is cheap enough the pirates will pay for it. The problem is it is never cheap enough and if it is too cheap, they then say its not a good product. I pay for operating systems and I really don't want to be hassled every time I do a clean install.

Right now I have a subscription to Office 365 and I am allowed installs on up to 5 systems and if when I format a hard drive for a clean install I can tell Microsoft Office to de-activate the install that was on the hard drive. They should offer a similar subscription to their operating system.

 

[Smart86]

I've not missed the Start button so it doesn't make any difference to me.

I'm the same as you for the Start . And I like W8

 

[Dave44]

I've not missed the Start button so it doesn't make any difference to me.

I'm the same as you for the Start . And I like W8

same here too love windows 8

 

[CountMike]

Not only you have to pay an insane amount of money for w8 but you have to do all this hassel???? No wonder why poeple opt for a pirated version.

That has always been an old argument, if it is cheap enough the pirates will pay for it. The problem is it is never cheap enough and if it is too cheap, they then say its not a good product. I pay for operating systems and I really don't want to be hassled every time I do a clean install.

Right now I have a subscription to Office 365 and I am allowed installs on up to 5 systems and if when I format a hard drive for a clean install I can tell Microsoft Office to de-activate the install that was on the hard drive. They should offer a similar subscription to their operating system.

Now that's good idea, would make system transfer much easier. The way it's now, we are actually just renting software and OS and MS keeps all the rights to it, even the right to hassle who ever they want. Also, if they made it impossible to pirate windows, half the world would be running Linux.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Right now I have a subscription to Office 365 and I am allowed installs on up to 5 systems and if when I format a hard drive for a clean install I can tell Microsoft Office to de-activate the install that was on the hard drive. They should offer a similar subscription to their operating system.

I've never understood why there wasn't a built-in tool, which you could use to tell MS that you were uninstalling the OS.

 

[Mustang]

Activation has always been a sore point for me, especially back in the day when if you simply added an extra optical drive, larger HD, or more RAM on XP ... you had to re-activate. I had a minor war with M$ Australia over it, when doing a lot of experimenting with multiple partitions and OSs and needed to frequently re-activate. I must admit for the sake of good PR they did offer me a new free upgrade from my current XP Home Upgrade over Win98 ... to XP Pro with SP2 preinstalled on CD.

The way it's now, we are actually just renting software and OS and MS keeps all the rights to it, even the right to hassle who ever they want

:thumb: Totally agree.

 

[CountMike]

Activation has always been a sore point for me, especially back in the day when if you simply added an extra optical drive. larger HD, or more RAM on XP ... you had to re-activate. I had a minor war with M$ Australia over it, when doing a lot of experimenting with multiple partitions and OSs and needed to frequently re-activate. I must admit for the sake of good PR they did offer me a new free upgrade from my current XP Home Upgrade over Win98 ... to XP Pro with SP2 preinstalled on CD.

For some preinstalled systems on an OEM machine it may not be a problem but for rest of us, that like to experiment, it can really be a pain in you know what. Considering that most of critic and suggestions MS gets from us that play a lot with OS and programs, it would be beneficial for them to have an "experimental" version of windows widely available, with a let's say an obligation to report problems found and/or with time limited to a year or so. I know, it sounds like an alpha or beta version but development of and changes made to OS are an ongoing concern and are happening all the time throughout the operational life of the OS and are largely transferred to the next one.
All those hassles with activation and such, can only encourage pirating and do not help staying legal at all. In some cases it looks like people can feel actually penalized for paying.

 

[DavidY]

I've never understood why there wasn't a built-in tool, which you could use to tell MS that you were uninstalling the OS.

I imagine most Windows licences sold are OEM licences which come with PCs, and therefore tied irrevocably to the PC they came on.

 

[Mustang]

For some preinstalled systems on an OEM machine it may not be a problem but for rest of us, that like to experiment, it can really be a pain in you know what. Considering that most of critic and suggestions MS gets from us that play a lot with OS and programs, it would be beneficial for them to have an "experimental" version of windows widely available, with a let's say an obligation to report problems found and/or with time limited to a year or so. I know, it sounds like an alpha or beta version but development of and changes made to OS are an ongoing concern and are happening all the time throughout the operational life of the OS and are largely transferred to the next one.
All those hassles with activation and such, can only encourage pirating and do not help staying legal at all. In some cases it looks like people can feel actually penalized for paying.

I think that would be an excellent idea. All of my versions of Windows are retail and either Ultimate or Pro. Win7 cost $479 in the shop. There's always the danger someone will use one of those product number generators and get your disk black listed.

 

[lehnerus2000]

I've never understood why there wasn't a built-in tool, which you could use to tell MS that you were uninstalling the OS.

I imagine most Windows licences sold are OEM licences which come with PCs, and therefore tied irrevocably to the PC they came on.

That's fair enough for OEM machines (I guess).
What if you want to put in an SSD or bigger HDD?

What about boxed OS discs though?

 

[mick823]

Also, Microsoft blocked start8 software from the 8.1 version. So, bye bye aftermarket start button!

StartIsBack for Windows 8
StartIsBack+ for Windows 8.1

Microsoft didn't block anything. The start8 software will need to be rewritten in order to work with 8.1. I am sure the developers will have it ready by the time 8.1 RTM is released.

 

[alkaufmann]

I've never understood why there wasn't a built-in tool, which you could use to tell MS that you were uninstalling the OS. [/QUOTE]

Not quite what I had in mind. I just spent several days re-installing everything I gave because I got a new SSD. If I had to uninstall everything first. well lets just say it is bad enough re-installing everything! M$ Office has a subscription management program which allows you to manage your installs. Problems with the wife, de-activate her!

The online gaming companies are even worse than Microsoft, I made the mistake of changing my ISP and e-mail address with first changing my account with them. The hoops I was made to jump through for software bought at a retail store was unbelievable.

 

[DavidY]

I've never understood why there wasn't a built-in tool, which you could use to tell MS that you were uninstalling the OS.

I imagine most Windows licences sold are OEM licences which come with PCs, and therefore tied irrevocably to the PC they came on.

That's fair enough for OEM machines (I guess).
What if you want to put in an SSD or bigger HDD?

I think the official MS line is probably that as long as you make one change at a time, the software recognises it's still the same motherboard etc. and should still activate. In theory at least.

What about boxed OS discs though?

Dunno... but I bet the volume of those sold is fairly small compared to the other routes, and I guess you still have the option of talking to a human about activation?