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

To update to the preview you're going to first have to grab an optional update. I think this is a crude entry barrier so Joe Average doesn't upgrade by accident. You won't see it in the metro style UI you'll have to look for it through the desktop WU panel.

Then you go through the Windows Store to download and upgrade to 8.1 Preview. You'll need about 4GB of free disk space to complete the upgrade (it may actually be lower as they are/were still working on reducing this)

Upgrading from 8.1 Preview to 8.1 RTM will retain your user accounts and data, but blow away everything else. I don't know the details but it sounds like the old clean-install and migration rather than an actual in-place upgrade.

If you're worried about disk space with installation files lying around, you also have the option of using the Reset/Refresh function which will roll you back to Windows 8. From there you can go to the store and upgrade to 8.1 RTM. But the truth is I've no idea how they handle the clean up process because I haven't done it. However, they have said the install footprint of 8.1 is smaller than the footprint of 8.0, so I'm guessing they won't want to undo all that good work with a sloppy update process.

What I would suggest is that if you're not sure then just don't upgrade to preview, and certainly not on a production machine or one you can't do without. Secondly, the fact that you can upgrade/migrate from 8.1 Preview to 8.1 RTM and keep your data is almost arbitrary, because I would want to back up that data anyway.

If you have a x86/64 Windows 8 box it may be worth digging out your DVD so you know you've got a roll back option. If you've got a Surface I would strongly encourage you to create a USB recovery key just in case.

It's beta software after all.
 
I'm changing my motherboard as I've been having problems with mine.
I might throw one of the 8.1 ISO's on my PC until October and then do a full clean install on 8, then 8.1
Hmm.
 
I don't think we'll get warning, it'll just appear. Server 2012 R2 is out already which I've been poking around with.

You get used to the new Start button being there very rapidly. It does indeed look like they've removed Libraries, too.
 
Boot to desktop, the Start button, disabling the upper hot corners and defaulting to the all apps screen actually works quite nicely.

Disabling the hot corners also seems to shift the charms down into the lower half of the charms bar.

You have to right click the Start button to see options for shutdown and restart.
 
theheyes said:
Boot to desktop, the Start button, disabling the upper hot corners and defaulting to the all apps screen actually works quite nicely.

Disabling the hot corners also seems to shift the charms down into the lower half of the charms bar.

You have to right click the Start button to see options for shutdown and restart.
Click to expand...

All that sounds blooming marvelous
 
It kind of is and it isn't. I still think they should have added shutdown and restart to the drop down options underneath your user tile. Now, we have two ways which are almost equally strange.

Users will either have to invoke the charms bar and select Settings > Power > Shutdown, or right-click the new Start button, hover of the Shutdown menu and then finally choose shutdown or restart.

The charms method is designed for touch, and the Start button method obviously can only be accessed with a mouse/pointer. This will be why you can't disable the charms outright. I don't know... it's better, just weird. I think from a corporate desktop point of view right-clicking the Start button would be the one that goes in the manual.

Disabling the upper left and right hot corners is a nice option to have, especially the upper-right one as I can see many people hitting that by accident.

I'd have posted some screenshots but it's hardly worth it now.
 
It'll be after keynote I imagine, which is 9-11am in San Francisco which I think is 7hours behind us?

Anyone know if there's a live stream?
 
Update is not available for your computer :(

Edit - II see why the file name is rt, why are you trying to download rt, no wonder its not comparable. I don't see a way to select which version of windows your running.
 
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