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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[Hopachi]

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.

That's how it looks like but I'm also not 100% sure.

I just noted what i saw: simply tried to insert the key manually but if failed saying that it's not valid (it was already inserted and activation online was successful).

 

[HippsieGypsie]

LOL! Gee, John. I'm lost already. Where's the Start Button?

 

[theog]

Nah, you youn 'uns, it started with this:

View attachment 27653

Oh! the old Windows Metro.

 

[waltc]

OK to anyone using a Microsoft account it's easy to switch to a local one. Just bring up the Charms bar > Settings > Change PC Settings > Accounts and click Disconnect and then all will be revealed.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/4842-local-account-switch-windows-8-a.html

Talk about right under my nose, Peter...


Well, I tried that right away, actually, but as I did an upgrade from 8.0 to 8.1, the main account I transferred over was the account that 8.1 insisted on rejiggering to a Microsoft account (had been a local account), and when I hit "disconnect" I was afraid it would delete all or some of my transferred account info--the descriptive language wasn't that clear. Or at least clear enough to reassure me. I mean, it would be rather a waste if I went to the trouble to do the upgrade as opposed to a clean install and ended up with a mostly clean install simply because I changed the account type from Microsoft back to the local account it had originally been!

Have you changed an account from Microsoft to local without any noticeable data loss? My upgraded account has a lot of stuff in it and I'd suffer the indignities of the Microsoft account as opposed to losing the info! Thanks much for any insight you can offer!

OK--created a system restore point--and now will try...! I'' get back and let you know how it went.


Edit: Back--no worries! (I worry too much--sweat the small stuff, etc.) Successfully changed from Microsoft account to Local without local info loss! Thanks again, Peter!

 

[DavidY]

Nah, you youn 'uns, it started with this:

View attachment 27653

Oh! the old Windows Metro.

No, the equivalent of Metro was DosShell - it was full screen, didn't multi-task properly, and I believe used keystrokes like Alt-Tab to switch task and Alt-F4 to close...

 

[nguchiro]

Nah, you youn 'uns, it started with this:

View attachment 27653

Indeed it did!

 

[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.

RwEverything is being used to retrieve the new embedded factory OEM keys. If you PC shipped with Window7 or earlier, it won't have one anyway. Upgrade keys can be problematic, they won't work for a clean install of 8 for example. I'm not sure it yours will be accepted though the change product key option. If somebody else has tried it I'm sure they post back how it went.

I used the common key to clean install 8.1 RTM and my upgrade key (7 to 8) to activate. It was accepted first time - easier than clean install of 8 in fact.

 

[turbofish]

Just finished upgrading from 8 to 8.1 keeping all of my apps. It even kept my Start8 but I haven't checked my Hyper-V clients yet.

 

[alphanumeric]

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.

RwEverything is being used to retrieve the new embedded factory OEM keys. If you PC shipped with Window7 or earlier, it won't have one anyway. Upgrade keys can be problematic, they won't work for a clean install of 8 for example. I'm not sure it yours will be accepted though the change product key option. If somebody else has tried it I'm sure they post back how it went.

I used the common key to clean install 8.1 RTM and my upgrade key (7 to 8) to activate. It was accepted first time - easier than clean install of 8 in fact.

Thanks for that info. :thumb:

 

[Dave76]

The ei.cfg file didn't work for me, had to use the ISO and enter my Laptop OEM key after installation.

 

[Hopachi]

The ei.cfg file didn't work for me, had to use the ISO and enter my Laptop OEM key after installation.

That's right.

The ei.cfg is for OS selection menu where you can select something else than PRO. Afterwards you'll still need to insert the key.

I've heard you need another file, pid.txt that should contain your key to be selected automatically.

 

[theog]

The ei.cfg file didn't work for me, had to use the ISO and enter my Laptop OEM key after installation.

The ei.cfg did work.

That's right.

The ei.cfg is for OS selection menu where you can select something else than PRO. Afterwards you'll still need to insert the key.

I've heard you need another file, pid.txt that should contain your key to be selected automatically.

No point of having ei.cfg & pid.txt, as the pid.txt(with a 8.1 key) would override the ei.cfg & install the version the Product key is for.

 

[alphanumeric]

The ISO's are multiedition, core and Pro. With no ei.cfg file the edition that gets installed is solely dependent on what product code you enter. There is no selection menu so you can't skip entering a code because it then doesn't know what edition to install. That's why there are core and Pro "installation" keys on the go. The installation keys are blocked by the activation servers. The other wrinkle is the RTM ISO's will not accept a Windows 8 key during the install. They only work after you have it installed and then want to activate. Adding the ei.cfg file restores the selection menu. I added one to one of my install thumb drives and then had the option to "skip" entering a product code during the install. Adding a PID.txt and putting in a Windows 8.0 product code likely won't work. I haven't tried that myself.

 

[Dave76]

Was thinking that the ei.cfg file would let you install without entering the 'version key' that's been around, letting you choose the version and entering the Win8 key after installation. Had a little issue getting the correct Win8 OEM key from my new laptop.

This is the error message I got using the ei.cfg file.



This appeared after checking for updates, then starting for about 2 seconds, no other choices.
So it does require a key or indicator for which version to install.

 

[floepie]

Was thinking that the ei.cfg file would let you install without entering the 'version key' that's been around, letting you choose the version and entering the Win8 key after installation. Had a little issue getting the correct Win8 OEM key from my new laptop.

This is the error message I got using the ei.cfg file.

View attachment 27779

This appeared after checking for updates, then starting for about 2 seconds, no other choices.
So it does require a key or indicator for which version to install.

Not my experience. You have to use OEM in the ei.cfg as I posted earlier. Then, you use your own OEM key to activate. Many applications cannot properly read your own purchased OEM key properly as I believe it's encrypted, but the application referred to ealier in this thread called "RW" can read it properly. Hope that helps.

 

[mick823]

I downloaded and installed the leaked version on a spare 32GB SSD. There are 2 activation keys listed with one being for "CORE" and the other for "Win 8.1 Pro." I used the key for Win 8.1 Pro but when I tried to activate using my upgrade key it fails with a message something like "can't be used with this version."

 

[theog]

Was thinking that the ei.cfg file would let you install without entering the 'version key' that's been around, letting you choose the version and entering the Win8 key after installation. Had a little issue getting the correct Win8 OEM key from my new laptop.

This is the error message I got using the ei.cfg file.

View attachment 27779

This appeared after checking for updates, then starting for about 2 seconds, no other choices.
So it does require a key or indicator for which version to install.

Hi Dave

When upgrading from the desktop with the ei.cfg file, you will receive the error message.

Delete the ei.cfg file & use a Windows 8.1 product key.

http://www.eightforums.com/installa...retail-windows-8-1-windows-8-product-key.html

Ray.

 

[Hopachi]

I used the key for Win 8.1 Pro but when I tried to activate using my upgrade key it fails with a message something like "can't be used with this version."

Just a suggestion:

Try to insert your key with (elevated) command prompt: slmgr.vbs -ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX (replace the Xs with your key).
This may return a fail message or not but just make sure to check the System properties window and see if your key is inserted below and try to activate then.

 

[Jf1450]

"Something happened."

To think that some bonehead developer walking the face of the earth actually coded that.

-jeff

 

[Mystere]

I can promise you that this wasn't a boneheaded developer. It was probably a so-called User Experience expert who, based on various statistics, focus groups, and polling his pet lizard felt that this was the most user friendly thing to do.