Confirmed: Windows Blue Will Be Free, to Be Called 8.1

I managed to find a way to legally download a Windows 8.1 Pro .ISO, do a clean install of Windows 8.1 and then use my legit code to Activate it.

Bit convoluted but worked for me;

Part 1 Taken from EigthForums (http://www.eightforums.com/installation-setup/33164-how-download-windows-8-1-iso.html);

Follow these steps to download the Windows 8.1 ISO.

• Go here Upgrade Windows with only a product key - Microsoft Windows Help scroll down and click on both 'Install Windows 8' and 'Install Windows 8.1'
• Run the Windows 8 setup and enter your retail Windows 8 key, click next and when i begins downloading, STOP it! Exit setup.
• Now run the the Windows 8.1 setup. It will produce and error. Exit and then run Windows 8.1 setup again.
• It should now be downloading the Windows 8.1 ISO. Afterwards you can save it as an ISO or create the USB media immediately.

Part 2 (Taken from SuperUser.com (http://superuser.com/questions/661261/windows-8-1-fresh-install-with-windows-8-licence);

The Windows 8.1 installer from the ISO does not accept Windows 8 keys. You need to install the system with a generic key (334NH-RXG76-64THK-C7CKG-D3VPT for Core, XHQ8N-C3MCJ-RQXB6-WCHYG-C9WKB for Professional) and then enter your Windows 8 key after installing.

Note to moderators: these are not usable Windows keys. They are embedded in Windows itself as a placeholder default key and do not let you activate.

So from that I legitimately created a bootable USB with Windows 8.1 Pro on it, installed using the generic placeholder key, then activated with my legitimate cd key.

I gave up on the upgrade last night as it got to around 25% rather quickly and then started crawling, but I might out the upgrade on hold as AMD aren't providing windows 8.1 drivers for the graphics card (one thing I'll have to do first is to clear out the 30GB+ of temp files that's burning a hole in the hard drive even though I can't find where it's finding the other half of those files).

My fathers computer was a real pain to deal with since there were 50+ updates to install before the 8.1 update was displayed in the store, but the download didn't start crawling and there weren't any compatibility issues since it was running the 32-bit version of windows 8 as the processor (like the one in my main computer) doesn't support one of the extra requirements in the 64-bit version of 8.1

boosfuk said:

I could but the point is that we should not have to jump through hoops (in a dubious way) to achieve this.

Why to Microsoft make it so hard to do this, why is an 8.0 key invalid on 8.1 when everybody gets the free upgrade anyway? I can't remember but was an 8.0 clean install supported by Microsoft with an upgrade key, or legally do we have to go through the 7->8.0->8.1 install route now? I guess it goes back to the old upgrade key vs retail issues we had with XP/Vista/7. They must have good licensing reasons but then also messing up the (useful) "system reset" option is annoying.

Click to expand...

the reason is Microsoft as stopped doing a upgrade version so there's only win8.1 full version. and maybe Microsoft thinks if you buy'ed win8 upgrade license then u should be going through the 7->8.0->8.1 install route.

the only reason why you can install 8.0 on a clean HDD is because of a loophole..

Looks like the Intel HD4000 driver is borked, well it is for me anyhow.

Trying to run 3 screens, 2 off a 6950 (1x HDMI 1, mdp > dvi) and the 3rd off the HD4000. It won't even run a single monitor off the HD4000.

Well done intel!

AS_Platinum said:

Looks like the Intel HD4000 driver is borked, well it is for me anyhow.

Trying to run 3 screens, 2 off a 6950 (1x HDMI 1, mdp > dvi) and the 3rd off the HD4000. It won't even run a single monitor off the HD4000.

Well done intel!

Click to expand...

I'm sure we will see new drivers and Windows Updates for bugs etc soon,you know some companies are lazy but now Win8.1 is official they should be getting their act together.

Gazanimal said:

I managed to find a way to legally download a Windows 8.1 Pro .ISO, do a clean install of Windows 8.1 and then use my legit code to Activate it.

Bit convoluted but worked for me;

Click to expand...

YOU SIR ARE A STAR!

Just got the ISO using that method. I can use the rest of the instructions you've posted to get it working on my desktop PC, any idea how I can get it to work on my laptop for which I don't have a windows 8 key (it shipped with W8 as standard so I'm assuming its got the OEM codes embedded in their somewhere!)

thanks again

Gazanimal said:

I managed to find a way to legally download a Windows 8.1 Pro .ISO, do a clean install of Windows 8.1 and then use my legit code to Activate it.

Part 2 (Taken from SuperUser.com (http://superuser.com/questions/661261/windows-8-1-fresh-install-with-windows-8-licence);

The Windows 8.1 installer from the ISO does not accept Windows 8 keys. You need to install the system with a generic key (334NH-RXG76-64THK-C7CKG-D3VPT for Core, XHQ8N-C3MCJ-RQXB6-WCHYG-C9WKB for Professional) and then enter your Windows 8 key after installing.

Note to moderators: these are not usable Windows keys. They are embedded in Windows itself as a placeholder default key and do not let you activate.

So from that I legitimately created a bootable USB with Windows 8.1 Pro on it, installed using the generic placeholder key, then activated with my legitimate cd key.

Click to expand...

http://forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/47732-The-Windows-8-1-(-amp-related)-Repository

AS_Platinum said:

Looks like the Intel HD4000 driver is borked, well it is for me anyhow.

Trying to run 3 screens, 2 off a 6950 (1x HDMI 1, mdp > dvi) and the 3rd off the HD4000. It won't even run a single monitor off the HD4000.

Well done intel!

Click to expand...

I was running 7950 (display port) and 4000 (Hdmi)

I ended up doing a clean install and work fine then.

Lot of hassel though. Was not as bad for me as been wanting to do one for a few weeks due to getting a larger ssd.

sven256 said:

I was running 7950 (display port) and 4000 (Hdmi)

I ended up doing a clean install and work fine then.

Lot of hassel though. Was not as bad for me as been wanting to do one for a few weeks due to getting a larger ssd.

Click to expand...

Well, I cannot be bothered to do a clean install, instead I've just ordered an active mini displayport to dvi adaptor. Hopefully that should cure it.

Gazanimal said:

I managed to find a way to legally download a Windows 8.1 Pro .ISO, do a clean install of Windows 8.1 and then use my legit code to Activate it.

Bit convoluted but worked for me;

Part 1 Taken from EigthForums (http://www.eightforums.com/installation-setup/33164-how-download-windows-8-1-iso.html);

Follow these steps to download the Windows 8.1 ISO.

• Go here Upgrade Windows with only a product key - Microsoft Windows Help scroll down and click on both 'Install Windows 8' and 'Install Windows 8.1'
• Run the Windows 8 setup and enter your retail Windows 8 key, click next and when i begins downloading, STOP it! Exit setup.
• Now run the the Windows 8.1 setup. It will produce and error. Exit and then run Windows 8.1 setup again.
• It should now be downloading the Windows 8.1 ISO. Afterwards you can save it as an ISO or create the USB media immediately.

Part 2 (Taken from SuperUser.com (http://superuser.com/questions/661261/windows-8-1-fresh-install-with-windows-8-licence);

The Windows 8.1 installer from the ISO does not accept Windows 8 keys. You need to install the system with a generic key (334NH-RXG76-64THK-C7CKG-D3VPT for Core, XHQ8N-C3MCJ-RQXB6-WCHYG-C9WKB for Professional) and then enter your Windows 8 key after installing.

Note to moderators: these are not usable Windows keys. They are embedded in Windows itself as a placeholder default key and do not let you activate.

So from that I legitimately created a bootable USB with Windows 8.1 Pro on it, installed using the generic placeholder key, then activated with my legitimate cd key.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the guide, I have just downloaded 8.1 just in case I need to reload in the future.

My question is how on earth do you delete now the Install Windows files?

Try Disk Cleanup.

I had to do that when upgrading from 8 to 8.1 yesterday, prior to doing a fresh install.

There's an option in Disk Cleanup for deleting Windows files as they're not included in list as standard.

Plus you can also use CCleaner and that got rid of a lot of old files too.

Hey all

Got an odd quirk on 8.1 installed it etc on a fresh drive, cloned my existing win 8 drive.

The start screen is the correct resolution 2560x1440 (running a single screen on display port), however when I go to the desktop its seems to be be running at a different resolution, text is bigger and also icons as well, object desktop seems to be fuzzy and not crisp either.

Running the latest NVidia drivers, also right clicked the desktop and the resolution is running at 2560x1440 according to the NVidia display settings.

Popped my old drive back in with windows 8 on it and it all works as it should do.

Any ideas?

Cheers all

Well what a waste of time that was, downloaded 8.1 and it installed and then on restart my pc locked up. Had to turn power off at the power supply.

This happened 3 times and then on the 4 power up it told me it was restoring previous version of Windows

So now back where I was before the update.

Microsoft really ought to copy Apple and just HAVE ONE FLIPPIN' VERSION of Windows.

Working like a charm

Well windows 8.1 has been a total disaster so far here. On installing it seemed that SYSTEM had taken ownership of about half my files, causing various installations to fail. The only way around it was to take ownership back. Still after that various programs intel RST for example are refusing to install. Then after a restart I could not access the control panel, interact with the charms in any way or otherwise see much of the UI & My PC was suddenly empty. So now it seems I am going to have to wipe everything and reinstall. Again. Which apparently it doesn't want to do since it is now stuck on the windows icon while booting.

it seems win8.1 is sending/receiving something every 10-20 seconds even when all background programs are closed



can afew people try this. close background programs i.e steam, Skype, etc. then open task manager, click performance tab, then click network,

on 8.0 it didn't do this.

ic1male said:

Microsoft really ought to copy Apple and just HAVE ONE FLIPPIN' VERSION of Windows.

Click to expand...

Update not worked?

Cosimo said:

Update not worked?

Click to expand...

Haven't tried it. I just want to wipe my drive and install 8.1 cleanly without fannying about reinstalling Windows 8, applying updates and then installing 8.1 from the store. If there was just one version which you could download as an ISO without requiring a previous version or having Basic, Pro, WMC versions, etc. it would be a helluva lot easier.

ic1male said:

Haven't tried it. I just want to wipe my drive and install 8.1 cleanly without fannying about reinstalling Windows 8, applying updates and then installing 8.1 from the store. If there was just one version which you could download as an ISO without requiring a previous version or having Basic, Pro, WMC versions, etc. it would be a helluva lot easier.

Click to expand...

if u wanted that then why did you buy a win 8 upgrade license?

if you bought win8 upgrade license then u should be going through the vista or 7->8.0->8.1 install route.

hence why it's called a upgrade license

the only reason why you can install 8.0 upgrade on a clean HDD is because of a loophole..