New Ideas For New Generation: How to upgrade to Windows 8.1 Pro version from Windows 8.1 Preview

Thursday, 17 October 2013

How to upgrade to Windows 8.1 Pro version from Windows 8.1 Preview

Microsoft finally has released the Windows 8.1 Pro version to public. This is an update to Windows 8, which in my opinion was a terrible UI for a laptop. The Windows 8.1 Pro update has some useful changes like showing the Home or Start button, allowing a single and uniform wallpaper background to both the desktop and the start screen and also allows readjusting the sizes of the app tiles on the start screen.

If you are someone like me, who is already running Windows 8.1 preview version, then these next steps will be very helpful.

Upgrading to Windows 8.1 from Preview version installed over Windows 8

If you have installed your Windows 8.1 Preview on top of PC running Windows 8, then you can easily update through the Windows Store app from your home screen.

Click on this direct link to Windows 8.1 Pro on the store and the Store App should start on your PC. The Store should show you the following screen.

The download is about 3.63 GB and will keep your PC settings and files but all your apps will need to be re-installed. Microsoft is releasing a lot of built-in apps with this update so there will a lot of new apps showing up on your Home screen.

If you did not update to Windows 8.1 Preview from Windows 8 but did so by booting from a ISO media, you still can download the Windows 8.1 Pro update but will need to purchase the Windows 8 licence. You can buy this licence here.

Upgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 Pro

Now if you are running Windows 8 and not the 8.1 Preview version, then this link to the store should still work and take your to the Windows 8.1 Pro upgrade option.

Download and upgrade the version free. This will save all your setting, files and even apps from the previous version.