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Microsoft has made it known there will be no .ISO file for Windows 8.1 available to the general public.
"Consumers" here really means any copies of Windows 8 that weren't purchased through Microsoft's Volume Licensing programs. So a small business with 20 PCs to upgrade, for example, will have to do them one at a time via the Windows Store – so that's 20 separate 3.5GB downloads.
The Windows Store is the only way for consumers (non-enterprise, non-IT Pro) to download and install Windows 8.1. No ISOs will be made available, so each device needs to be updated individually via the Windows Store.
UPDATE:
Since I started this discussion, Microsoft has introduced a Media Creation Tool that makes it easy to download a .ISO file and create bootable media:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media
The new downloader allows for selection of:
⦁ Language
⦁ Windows 8.1 Version
⦁ Architecture
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
I thought that Windows 8.1 was supposed to "true-up" everyone where as long as you've purchased purchased or received Windows 8.1, you would then own a full copy and not require any previous versions? That's how it is for the retail version.
Are you now telling me that people who received the free Windows 8.1 upgrade don't know own a full copy and will still need a previous version?
Microsoft has made it known there will be no .ISO file for Windows 8.1 available to the general public.
"Consumers" here really means any copies of Windows 8 that weren't purchased through Microsoft's Volume Licensing programs. So a small business with 20 PCs to upgrade, for example, will have to do them one at a time via the Windows Store – so that's 20 separate 3.5GB downloads.
The Windows Store is the only way for consumers (non-enterprise, non-IT Pro) to download and install Windows 8.1. No ISOs will be made available, so each device needs to be updated individually via the Windows Store.
Well, that is not very clever - it will only encourage downloading from alternative sources which then will be fraught with the risks of malware. Not to mention about those small operators who have 5 or 10 PC's that need upgrading but do not have sufficient broadband allocation for that amount of data. We're running Windows on MAC computers in Bootcamp but this may just tip us over to going OS X on all of them.
How do you guys recommend downloading the update on separate computer (such as in a small office) that has a metered connection? I can't just do the downloads onto all of the computers (3.5 *4 = 14.0 GB)... I have WSUS set up because of this, but that obviously will not work in the case of the Windows Store.
Is there any way to get even an executable to do an upgrade?
If we acquired installation media trough Dreamspark, can we perform "keep files only" Windows 8.1 installs with our Windows 8 product keys, or we must use the new new 8.1 keys for that? (I have a machine with Windows 8 preinstalled, but I want to do a clean 8.1 install.)
How would you then transfer the Windows 8.1 O/S to another computer that does not have an O/S installed on it?
Install Windows 8 or a qualifying version of Windows such as Windows 7, Vista or XP and use the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows-8/upgrade-product-key-only
