Windows 8.1 RTM Released to MSDN & Technet

Windows 8.1 is now available for download from Technet & MSDN

Based on the feedback from you and our partners, we’re pleased to announce that we will be making available our current Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 Pro RTM builds (as well as Windows Server 2012 R2 RTM builds) to the developer and IT professional communities via MSDN and TechNet subscriptions. The current Windows 8.1 Enterprise RTM build will be available through MSDN and TechNet for businesses later this month. For developers, we are also making available the Visual Studio 2013 Release Candidate, which you can download here. For more on building and testing apps for Windows 8.1, head on over to today’s blog post from Steve Guggenheimer.

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[pparks1]

Microsoft screwed up big time with this one! Make sure you have a backup of your Windows 7 installation before upgrading to this piece of crap. Good thing I backed up. I had years of software installed on my Windows 7 installation that was summarily wiped out by this "upgrade". I figured that when they said you have to reinstall your apps, they meant the apps from the app store. But apparently not. All of my software that I spent years accumulating was gone! I am not about to go about finding product keys and installation media for all the software that I had installed, some of which doesn't exist anymore. I had gigabytes of games installed that I would have to re-download from Steam, Origin and Blizzard again. This doesn't work well if you have a slow internet connection with download caps. As I was restoring my backup of Windows 7, I wondered why Microsoft did this. The only reason I can think of, is to drive people to their store to buy software that cannot be easily replaced by this "upgrade". I noticed that during the "upgrade" of Windows 8.1, they helpfully added a screen that said you can get apps from their app store. Nice try Microsoft, but I won't be doing that again any time soon. If I have to replace all of my software in order to upgrade, I will buy an Apple or Chromebook first, instead of your very user-unfriendly operating system.

Snarks

I'm confused by your post. If you had 7 and were upgrading to 8.1, what apps from the Microsoft app store would you have expected to have to reinstall. Since, Windows 7 didn't have any app store.

 

[waltc]

What I'll work on tomorrow will be trying to change my primary account from a Microsoft account to a local account--Microsoft seems to have made that a bit more complex than it was in 8.0, where it was fairly easy to do that, I thought.

Yes they have and I'm trying to figure that one out too.

Let me know if you have some luck with that... Going out for dinner so won't have much time to mess with it today...

 

[johnpombrio]

Folks,
Is there anyone who upgraded to 8.1 using no key or the Win8 key, is the op sys activated?

 

[Ex_Brit]

What I'll work on tomorrow will be trying to change my primary account from a Microsoft account to a local account--Microsoft seems to have made that a bit more complex than it was in 8.0, where it was fairly easy to do that, I thought.

Yes they have and I'm trying to figure that one out too.

Let me know if you have some luck with that... Going out for dinner so won't have much time to mess with it today...

I posted that in the next post #62 http://www.eightforums.com/windows-...1-rtm-released-msdn-technet-7.html#post277152

 

[alphanumeric]

Folks,
Is there anyone who upgraded to 8.1 using no key or the Win8 key, is the op sys activated?

View attachment 27577

It says in your screen shot that Windows is activated!

 

[floepie]

Since I'm still using the laptop's OEM license:
I use the 8.1 Core version, to match the one the OEM installed for 8.0.

For this you need to make a custom ISO where you can select Core version (Pro will be also listed below). This will also skip the key prompt before install.

About that custom ISO:

It contains one extra file in the sources folder, that's all.

Version selection menu:
You don't actually need an ISO in the end if you boot from USB, just put the files on USB stick and in the sources folder, one extra file called "ei.cfg" with the following options in it:

[Channel]
OEM


[VL]
0

Great! Thanks. This seems to do the trick. I haven't actually gone through with full install, but at least there is no longer a key prompt. It seems as if the W8.1 defaults to a "retail" install instead of an OEM install. Furthermore, I see this on Technet:

The edition configuration (EI.cfg) file and the product ID (PID.txt) file are optional configuration files that you can use to specify the Windows® product key and the Windows edition during Windows installation. You can use these files to automate the product-key entry page in Windows Setup instead of using an answer file. If you use an EI.cfg file to differentiate volume license media, but you do not include a PID.txt file, the user receives a prompt for a product key to continue Windows Setup.

Even without a PID.txt file in /sources, there is no prompt. So, it could very well be that the specifically-instructed OEM install picks up the OEM BIOS key, as did the W8 ISOs. Just a theory.

 

[SIW2]

 

[caperjack]

Yeah, I've just added it back and enabled secure boot in my bios to get rid of the watermark.

The only problem now is the nvidia seem a little buggy, the default ones are causing my screens to have a few second blackout every now and again and the latest betas seem to crash one of my cards leaving me only 3 screens to work on, I'm sure we'll see some more drivers in the coming days.

my ati radon 5000 , was bouncing and shaking ,with the Microsoft drivers ,downloaded catalyst drivers solver the shakes

 

[caperjack]

I've just downloaded the final 8.1 from Technet Plus. I'm aware that I will need to reactivate Media Center using that key after I install this. Does anyone know if I will lose personalizations such as Windows Vista Mail (hacked) and similar "Windows 7" hacks?

I use windows live mail and its gone ,I forgot to backup most recent but have backups from 2 weeks ago ,no biggie I guess

 

[caperjack]

Microsoft screwed up big time with this one! Make sure you have a backup of your Windows 7 installation before upgrading to this piece of crap. Good thing I backed up. I had years of software installed on my Windows 7 installation that was summarily wiped out by this "upgrade". I figured that when they said you have to reinstall your apps, they meant the apps from the app store. But apparently not. All of my software that I spent years accumulating was gone! I am not about to go about finding product keys and installation media for all the software that I had installed, some of which doesn't exist anymore. I had gigabytes of games installed that I would have to re-download from Steam, Origin and Blizzard again. This doesn't work well if you have a slow internet connection with download caps. As I was restoring my backup of Windows 7, I wondered why Microsoft did this. The only reason I can think of, is to drive people to their store to buy software that cannot be easily replaced by this "upgrade". I noticed that during the "upgrade" of Windows 8.1, they helpfully added a screen that said you can get apps from their app store. Nice try Microsoft, but I won't be doing that again any time soon. If I have to replace all of my software in order to upgrade, I will buy an Apple or Chromebook first, instead of your very user-unfriendly operating system.

Snarks

some things are not for everyone ,
really sad to see you lost everything ,I read we would loose all 3rd party apps when upgrading ,I just went from 8.1 preview ,I lost my windows live mail ,I didn't consider it 3rd party

 

[johnpombrio]

Folks,
Is there anyone who upgraded to 8.1 using no key or the Win8 key, is the op sys activated?

View attachment 27577

It says in your screen shot that Windows is activated!

Heh, I know I am activated, I was wondering if the folks who installed Win8.1 WITHOUT A KEY were activated. Is it one of these "you can run it for 90 days and then we start turning things off" deals?

I thought Win 8.1 was a free upgrade so why did it ask for a key when I installed it? I had keys from Technet for Win 8.1 Pro x64.

 

[Superfly]

I thought Win 8.1 was a free upgrade so why did it ask for a key when I installed it? I had keys from Technet for Win 8.1 Pro x64.

Most upgrades require a key ( as opposed to SP's)...

The (cheap) Win8 upgrade did as does the WMC upgrade (remember these are new editions of the OS which has it's own specific keys ) ... so not a great surprise (which makes nonsense of the fact that we are able to activate 8.1 with an 8.0 key... but then who's complaining LOL)

- the free upgrade merely refers to a free key, I'm assuming.

 

[adamf]

ACPI Table > MSDM tab. Product key is at the bottom.

I don't have MSDM tab. SLIC tab has OEM Lenovo details (I had 7 Pro originally and did 8 clean install now want to do 8.1 clean install). I looked in all the other keys on ACPI using RW but could see nothing that looks like a license key. Am I missing something?

 

[Superfly]

Yes, you are missing the OA3.0 (MSDM) table of Windows 8 OEM bios - you have the old OA2.1 (SLIC 2.1) table which shipped with Windows 7 - you thus can't do a Windows 8.1 OEM install - but rather a retail upgrade....

 

[adamf]

Thanks. Sorry if it is a dumb question but upgrade (keep nothing option) is essentially the same as clean install right? I just don't format the drive before I start?

 

[Superfly]

Essentially, but I prefer a clean install - it's quicker and 'cleaner'...

 

[Dave44]

Essentially, but I prefer a clean install - it's quicker and 'cleaner'...

yes clean install is always best IMHO

 

[DavidY]

I thought Win 8.1 was a free upgrade so why did it ask for a key when I installed it? I had keys from Technet for Win 8.1 Pro x64.

I think you won't need a key when it's released to consumers in October. The official route will be via the Windows Store, and I'd bet you won't need to put a key in through that route.

The current MSDN/Technet release is described as being "for testing" so doesn't have the final upgrade mechanism.

 

[adamf]

I've got an 8 Pro upgrade key from 7 Ultimate (+ a MC key as well). If I do clean install using generic key I can then activate with the 7 to 8 upgrade key and then add WMC back. Is this right? It was my plan until I saw these posts about retrieving the key using RWEverything.

 

[alphanumeric]

Folks,
Is there anyone who upgraded to 8.1 using no key or the Win8 key, is the op sys activated?

View attachment 27577

It says in your screen shot that Windows is activated!

Heh, I know I am activated, I was wondering if the folks who installed Win8.1 WITHOUT A KEY were activated. Is it one of these "you can run it for 90 days and then we start turning things off" deals?

I thought Win 8.1 was a free upgrade so why did it ask for a key when I installed it? I had keys from Technet for Win 8.1 Pro x64.

Ok, I wasn't exactly sure what you were asking. If you upgrade though the store you won't be asked for a key. I wasn't when I tried out the preview. That's the way Microsoft wants you to do it. The general public isn't supposed to have access to the ISO files. If you do a clean install you'll get asked. I'm not sure what happens if you do the upgrade from the ISO with 8 already installed. I haven't had my first cup of coffee yet so bare with me.