New Windows 8.1 requirements strand some users on 8

New Windows 8.1 requirements strand some users on Windows 8

Windows 8.1 fixes many of Windows 8’s most glaring flaws, but not everyone is able to bask in the bountiful new features. Owners of some older PCs have found themselves stranded on Windows 8, trapped by a subtle tweak in Windows 8.1’s hardware requirements. And beyond the irritation factor, the issue could have troubling support implications for affected users, as Microsoft has told Windows 8 users they’ll need to upgrade to Windows 8.1 by 2015 to continue receiving critical system updates.

Source

A Guy

 

[Wynona]

I should have said but I was referring to the CPU requirements. I do believe that's what's catching some people out when trying to upgrade to 8.1. Yes drivers are up to the original hardware manufacturers.

Absolutely, Alpha! Absotively posolutely!

I have used 64 bit Windows since the beta testing Vista days. And, I might add, RTM and every time I added a service pack, just worked with my 64 bit system.

Graduate to beta testing Windows 7, on to RTM and service packs . . . same song, second verse . . . No problems with the same system I tested and used Vista on.

OK, create a dual boot 64 bit system with Windows 7 and Windows 8. Same song, second verse once again . . . No problems with Windows 8 working on the same system I tested and ran Vista on . . . 'ceptin' we're both showing our age a tad bit. So, more RAM and bigger hard drives added.

So, when Windows 8.1 was offered, I gladly accepted . . . And along came . . . Along came . . . Along came Jones . . . errrrrr, ummm, Sinofsky and tore mah saddle right offen mah hoss!

In my long years of working with computers, from DOS days to the first versions of Windows to Windows 8, I have NEVER been told that my computer wouldn't handle whatever Microsoft chose to throw at it! And ABSOLUTELY not by an UPDATE!

In fact, through the tests of Vista and Windows 7, we beta testers (probably a lot of BTs in this Windows 8 Forum) picked our oldest, most obsolete systems and installed Windows 7 onto them. I can't remember who installed on the oldest and most obsolete, but I participated with an old "piece of crap" I had laying around and it worked! It worked like crap, was slower than molasses in January, but it worked!

I can understand that from a full version operating system to Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, that a particular system possibly would not support the newest Windows, but NOT MIDSTREAM from Windows 8 to an update to Windows 8.1!

OK, creakily climbing down from soapbox with StarFerret giving me a little support . . .

Y'all get my drift . . .

 

[Cymbal Man Freq]

Some of us are getting fatal errors when trying to install the Win 8.1 upgrade from Win 8.0. I'm sure many are furious and don't have the patience to attempt to install Win 8.1 another time.

 

[Bkshiroma]

Well, this is fantastic. So I do have to upgrade to 8.1. I did it once, and found out later that I can't reset or refresh back to 8.1. I have to reinstall 8.0, and then upgrade again to 8.1 I was planning to just stick with 8.0 this time around, but it seems that isn't an option. I'm assuming the Microsoft will always keep the upgrade to 8.1 in the Windows store until 2023.

I'm also assuming the update to 8.1 in April is just that, an update, not an entirely new system where I'd have to reinstall all my software, is that right?