Windows 8.1 upgrade released

[Jammrock]

For those running Windows 8, you can now upgrade to 8.1 for free. Run you Windows Update, reboot, and the upgrade option should show up in the Windows Store.

Should take 1-2+ hours depending on the speed of your hardware. My RT 8.1 upgrade is finishing up right now.

[dZeus]

For those running Windows 8, you can now upgrade to 8.1 for free. Run you Windows Update, reboot, and the upgrade option should show up in the Windows Store.

Should take 1-2+ hours depending on the speed of your hardware. My RT 8.1 upgrade is finishing up right now.

I've heard and read many users on the web complaining that more stuff breaks in Windows 8.1. I think I read that there's some sort of update-pack that MS will release for Win 8.1 fairly soon?

I'm waiting till the dust settles on this, as my ancient laptop with Win 8 works ok-ish for now...

Also, until MS allows you to kill the 'modern start menu' and run Metro apps inside windows in the desktop, I think they will not gain wide acceptance with existing Windows desktop users. Forcing desktop users to use a tablet-optimized start menu and app interface that is schizophrenic with the classic desktop is just a very bad idea (unless if you want to lose customers to anyone who comes up with alternatives). The nearing End-Of-Extended support for Windows XP will produce some interesting figures on how much of a problem this is going to be for MS. While businesses will probably migrate to Windows 7, I am really curious on the uptake of primarily laptops/all-in-ones/workstations that run ChromeOS or Android by consumers that this process might accelerate. I don't think Apple will gain much uptake, as they primarily target the premium market (although, is an iPhone 5C a premium or just an expensive average phone? confusing!).

[Jammrock]

I upgraded my Surface RT from the Windows Store today with no trouble. I did my desktop off of ISO from MSDN a while back. No problems with either, but some of my friends have reported some small problems.

ChromeOS and Android have so far only been relevant in the sub-$250 market. People looking for very simple solutions to your basic online tasks. OS trackers still show all variants of Linux, which includes ChromeOS, at 1.65% in the desktop space (which includes laptops/all-in-ones/workstations). Windows 8.1 was already at 0.87% before it was officially released.

http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=10&qpcustomd=0

[paulw]

There's been a thread in a tech discussion groups down here that DNS has been broken in Technicolor ADSL routers. This all worked with the preview versions..

[dZeus]

I upgraded my Surface RT from the Windows Store today with no trouble. I did my desktop off of ISO from MSDN a while back. No problems with either, but some of my friends have reported some small problems.

ChromeOS and Android have so far only been relevant in the sub-$250 market. People looking for very simple solutions to your basic online tasks. OS trackers still show all variants of Linux, which includes ChromeOS, at 1.65% in the desktop space (which includes laptops/all-in-ones/workstations). Windows 8.1 was already at 0.87% before it was officially released.

http://www.netmarketshare.com/operat...10&qpcustomd=0

I'd rather not take risks as it concerns my only notebook. I'll wait for "GA Rollup A" and user experiences on this combination (Win8.0 upgrade to 8.1 + GA Rollup A), and decide in two months if I want to do the upgrade.

While ChromeOS/Android on computers is only super-low range right now (or premium with the Chromebook Pixel), it might slowly creep up to higher segments. An interesting development to study.

Apple on the other hand might (or might now) slowly expand their coverage from premium segment to the middle segment, depending on what they decide to do. Hence my comment on the iPhone 5C which appears to be a middle-segment phone at a premium price. Not surprisingly, its anticipated demand is lower than expected... I'm wondering out loud if the iPhone 5C was aimed at the Chinese market and with a major deal with a Chinese telco going sour at the last minute, leaving Apple with tons of cheap iPhones that they don't want to sell at too much marked down prices outside of China in order to not cannibalize their premium phone sales. Anyway, that's just a theory

[Jammrock]

The 5c has sold horrendously. People who want an iPhone don't want a cheaply made iPhone. Though from what I heard about the 5c announcement Apple pretty much said it was mainly for the Chinese market.

The RT 8.1 upgrade was pulled. Apparently it is damaging boot data. I think this happened to me when I installed the RT 8.1 Preview and I had to send it in to get a replacement because the device was totally bricked. I had no issues upgrading my replacement part. I wonder if a batch of the Surface RT's had a bum eMMC module inside.

There have already been a couple of post-GA roll-ups for 8.1. Stuff they fixed between RTM and GA.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2884846

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2883200

If the 8.1 launch is anything like the 8.0 launch there will be roll-ups in Nov and Dec as well. By the Dec roll-up all the big performance hiccups should be ironed out and the drivers stabilized. I hear the nvidia and Intel graphics drivers are pretty stable already, but the AMD driver blows. 13.11 Beta 1 is pretty stable, but 13.9 blue screens all the time. Which is why my next graphics card will be nvidia... tired of AMD's crappy drivers.

[ZokesPro]

I upgraded 3 systems, but only two out of the 3 ran it without issues. Actually the one with issues boots to blank screen with cursor. I know it's a driver issue but seeing as ATI doesn't update their old devices (mobility x1600), I had to format and re-install back to win8. I found a work around, if I set my screensaver to one minute and let it come on, then and only then can I use the system. I love win8.1, but so long as MS doesn't resolve the issue, one of my systems will remain on win8.

Now win8.1 on my netbook has done wonders for it. Instead of waiting 2mins for it to be usable, with 8.1, as soon as the desktop appears, I'm good to go. 8.1 is awesome but has it's issues.

[Jammrock]

If you run into that problem again boot to safe mode with networking and installed the latest ATI driver. That should have fixed the blank screen issue.

The ATI/AMD release driver for Win8.1 is super buggy. Catalyst 13.11 Beta has been stable for me. 13.9 is horrid and blue screens all the time.

http://sites.amd.com/us/game/downloads/Pages/radeon_win8-64.aspx

[dZeus]

If you run into that problem again boot to safe mode with networking and installed the latest ATI driver. That should have fixed the blank screen issue.

The ATI/AMD release driver for Win8.1 is super buggy. Catalyst 13.11 Beta has been stable for me. 13.9 is horrid and blue screens all the time.

http://sites.amd.com/us/game/downloa...n_win8-64.aspx

I use Catalyst 10.2 on my Windows 8 system. Is that going to work in 8.1 too?

... it's a Catalyst for Windows Vista release that is modded with mobility modder. The resultant driver works very well for the x300 mobility in Windows 8 so far.

P.S. don't worry, I'll try 8.1 on a spare HDD before upgrading my main Win8 installation. supposedly it works fine...

another thing that's interesting, is that I cannot install Win 8.1 x86 on the x86 version of Virtualbox. It produces some error code of missing CPU features, which according to VirtualBox forums mean that you need VT-x to install 8.1 x86. Which is weird, since 8.1 x86 should install fine on CPUs without VT-x.. That's on a Pentium 4 Northwood, which lacks the NX bit, which is required for Windows 8.x x86; I should have checked that earlier!

[Fat Tone]

My parents 'upgraded' their Asus vivobook to 8.1 without checking with me first. I'm still trying to fix the bloody thing.

[Jammrock]

What's not working post update?

[ZokesPro]

If you run into that problem again boot to safe mode with networking and installed the latest ATI driver. That should have fixed the blank screen issue.

The ATI/AMD release driver for Win8.1 is super buggy. Catalyst 13.11 Beta has been stable for me. 13.9 is horrid and blue screens all the time.

http://sites.amd.com/us/game/downloa...n_win8-64.aspx

The 13.11 drivers won't even detect my x1600 mobility. Doesn't worj even if I update them through the device manager.
I'm stuck using the one from the windows catalog. At least I can use my native resolution.

[Fat Tone]

What's not working post update?

The 8.1 broke the a/v (Avast, had to re-install), the external backup drive decided every single file had been changed (no real biggie). The main remaining problem in the printer drivers. Its an old Lexmark AIO with no modern drivers, previously I got it working by installing the Vista drivers in Compatability mode. Now after a couple of remove/reinstalls all that will work is the scanner element.

[Umfriend]

So this thread made me upgrade my ATI catalyst from a very stable running 13.1 to 13.9, hoping I could get around a very very annoying sleep-mode issue with my DELL U2713HM connected via DP. Issue still exists but occurs less often(?). However MY LORD OF THE REALM 2 WONT RUN WITH DECENT COLOURS ANYMORE!!!! GRRR

[Jammrock]

13.11 beta is the best AMD driver right now.