MS Opens Official Windows 8.1 Preview Site

By FaiKee
in The Fast Ring (Insider Previews)

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FaiKee

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Michael Niehaus explains the channels of win8 upgrade to win8.1 preview and win8.1RTM

http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-goes-public-with-windows-8-1-upgrade-policies-7000016419/

Microsoft goes public with Windows 8.1 upgrade policies

Summary: Microsoft is sharing more on how existing Windows 8 and Windows RT users will be able to upgrade to Windows 8.1 'Blue' preview and final.

Mary Jo Foley

By Mary Jo Foley for All About Microsoft | June 5, 2013 -- 13:59 GMT (21:59 SGT)

With the public preview builds of Windows 8.1 due out later this month, a number of users are wondering how Microsoft plans to handle the upgrade.

bluesclues

At TechEd North America, officials shared some details on that topic in a session entitled "Windows RT in the Enterprise."

Microsoft officials have said previously that the company plans to deliver the public preview of Windows 8.1, codenamed "Blue," via the Windows Store on June 26.

Microsoft Senior Product Marketing Manager Michael Niehaus reiterated that message in the RT in the Enterprise session on June 4. When the 8.1 preview is available, Windows 8 and Windows RT users will receive a Windows Update notification. That update will trigger the new bits to show up in the Windows Store, where potential testers will be able to read the description and choose whether or not to install.

Once the final versions of Windows 8.1 are available, after their release to manufacturing, those who have downloaded the preview will get the same Windows Update plus Windows Store notification. While their data and accounts will be preserved if and when they choose to install the free, final 8.1 release, all their apps must be reinstalled, Niehaus said.

Even if testers opt instead to roll their devices back to Windows 8 after installing the preview bits, they still will have to reinstall their apps once they move to the RTM version of Windows 8.1.

Update: For those wondering exactly which apps will need to be reinstalled, it depends whether the tester is running Windows on ARM or x868. On Windows RT devices, it's the Windows Store/Metro-Style apps that will have to be reinstalled; for x86-based Windows 8 systems, testers will need to reinstall both their Windows Store/Metro-Style and Desktop apps, a Microsoft spokesperson said.

Windows 8 users who do not install the preview build and opt instead to go straight from Windows 8/Windows RT to Windows 8.1 will not have to reinstall their apps. All settings, data and apps will carry over, a spokesperson said when I asked. Users will be able to decide when and if they want to move from Windows 8 and Windows RT to the 8.1 versions, officials stressed.

Niehaus characterized the Windows 8 to 8.1 upgrade as "a little better" than how Microsoft handled the Windows 8 test build to RTM upgrade. A Microsoft spokesperson said the Windows 8 to 8.1 upgrade would be "comparable" to the Windows 7 to Windows 8 upgrade, in terms of how the upgrade dealt with user settings, data and apps.

Niehaus also told session attendees that Microsoft expects to have a reduced footprint size for Windows 8.1 as compared to Windows 8. He said the team has been working on removing old components, temporary files and improving NTFS compression to free up more space on users' machines. He noted that 4 GB of free space will be needed to install the Windows 8.1 preview builds. And he said that installation of Windows 8.1 will not result in the replacement of the recovery partition in Windows 8.

"If you deleted it, [8.1] won't replace it," Niehaus said.

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George P Global Moderator

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I'll try it out in a VM, I'm sure they'll make a full ISO available for those still on Windows 7 or older. Then I'll upgrade right to 8.1 RTM when the time comes, no way I'm going to reinstall all these apps again.

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HawkMan

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Well I guess it's good that I don't really use metro apps, don't have to worry about them getting deleted. Plus I'll do a clean install anyway.

Metro apps are one thing as they will automatically reinstall and get back their settings. Not feeling like reinstalling all my desktop apps fro the preview and then once again for the final though.

I don't need any of the new stuff in 8.1 enough to bother with the preview, a consistent corner start button that's the same throughout the OS works fine for me. Not got any need for huge start menu icons, don't need to boot to desktop, not seeing the point as the first thing you have to do to use the computer is start an app anyway so, starting at the launcher screen makes sense, besides I "never" shut down/restart anyway.

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LittleNeutrino Veteran

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There should be an app which can create a tile based on your image, and then execute any software that you want to.

that would actually be a rather cool option to have.

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-T- Member

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I hope there's an option to disable the start button. My taskbar does not rest on the bottom and therefore i would not like to have a button in a random position to access the start screen

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