Microsoft Windows 8.1 has finally arrived. Current Windows 8 users can upgrade to the polished new operating system version from the built-in Windows Store. This strategy of handling upgrades through the OS's own app store takes a page from Apple's Mac App Store—the only place to get new Mac OS X versions. But if you're not running Windows 8 already, or are just impatient, you, too, can download Windows 8.1 either through inside channels or starting Friday October 18 from the Microsoft online store.
If, like me, you've been using Windows 8 on a daily basis, you may have managed to tune out all the noise about how hard it is to use, and found that, contrary to the bête noire treatment of anything out of Redmond these days, the operating system is actually more pleasant and faster to use—even on the desktop—than Windows 7. Windows 8 does have a first-impression problem: Yes, it looks different, but it certainly isn't hard to use, it just requires a couple of usage adjustments, which, once you're acclimated, make for a computing experience that will make you never want to look back to Windows 7.
As with any completely new product release, Windows 8 did have kinks to work out. Windows 8.1 addresses these, while adding lots of new value as well. It's not the total rethinking that Windows 8 was, but rather a major refinement that brings a lot of new capabilities to Microsoft's new hybrid desktop-tablet OS.
The update adds things like new app window sizes, a help app, more powerful search, lock screen slideshows, much better built-in apps (such as mail client with drag-drop support, and better Xbox music app). SkyDrive cloud storage and syncing will be built in. It also offers lots more control from the new-style Settings page, built-in support for 3D printing, NFC printer setup, Miracast Wi-Fi display support, a redesigned and much more helpful app store, a boot to desktop option, the new Internet Explorer 11, and tons of usability refinements.
How to Get Windows 8.1
So now that I've made you want it, how do you get Windows 8.1? The most legitimate way is to head to www.windows.com/buy and purchase either the standard edition for $119.99 or the Pro Edition for $199.99. The latter adds business capabilities like network domain joining, and can run the Windows Media Center home theater software. You can also order a DVD installer from that link.
Windows 8.1 RTM
In late August, Microsoft made the RTM (release to manufacturing) version of Windows 8.1 available to hardware makers, and then in early September the version was made available to developers with MSDN, IT professionals with TechNet, or students with DreamSpark accounts. If you have any acquaintances with any of those account types, you have a legitimate way to get Windows 8.1 RTM, but because of this wide distribution, the code has naturally turned up on BitTorrent and other file sharing services.
PCMag of course doesn't condone downloading software illegally, but if you do go this route, you'll need a bit of savvy. After downloading Build make sure that the installer file's SHA-1 hash code matches the one shown on Microsoft's own MSDN download page. You do this by running the command line File Checksum Integrity Verifier (FCIV) utility on the downloaded file. For example, according to MSDN, the SHA-1 hash code for the U.S. English 64-bit Windows 8.1 is BC2F7FF5C91C9F0F8676E39E703085C65072139B.
So after installing the FCIV utility from the link above, you'd type Command from the start menu, and then switch to the directory where you installed FCIV and type fciv c:/path to downloaded file. This will spit out the number that you hope matches the above hash code.
Once you've got your hands on a valid Windows 8.1 installer, if you're installing from Windows 8, it's a very simple matter of double clicking the .ISO file to mount it as a virtual disk, and then running the standard Windows installer. If you're installing on a pre-Windows 8 system, you'll have to burn a DVD or create a bootable USB drive using the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool. Again, if you've installed Windows 8.1 Preview, you'll lose your installed applications, but there's a way around this, if you download the cversion.ini Removal Utility from winisoutils. This removes Microsoft's file telling the installer to remove existing apps and settings.
Windows 8.1 GA
Starting October 18, Windows 8.1 will be made available to Windows 8 users for free on from the Windows Store, and downloading and installing will work just as they would for any other app. The company just announced that for non-Windows 8 users, the installer will be available on that date, and that as of October 2, you can pre-order full Windows 8.1 installation media (either download or disk) from Microsoft's online store.
If you already installed the Windows 8.1 Preview, you should go to this Microsoft webpage to check out your options: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/update-from-preview. You must update Preview by January 2014, when its user license expires; if you don't, the system will start issuing warnings and stop working.
Get a New PC
One surefire way to get the latest Windows 8.1 version is to get a new PC or tablet. On or after October 18 these will come with a fresh installation of Windows 8.1. And if you're on an old desktop PC, you're not getting all the touch benefits of the new operating system. For some good tablet choices, see the PCMag hardware teams article, The 5 Best Windows 8 Tablets and for laptops, see The Top 10 Best Laptops.
