Windows 8.1 Upgrade or full install

[richstad]

Hi all

 

Could you please help me?

 

I have W8 on my laptop, I will get W8.1 from the store. Will this download from the store be a full version (aaaargh), or an update based on what you have on your machine?

 

Cheers

rich

[articuno1au]

It's an update, although like most service packs type updates, the size is pretty much static.

 

It should leave all of your files and folders intact, as with your settings and programs :)

[Gotenks98]

It's an update, although like most service packs type updates, the size is pretty much static.

 

It should leave all of your files and folders intact, as with your settings and programs :)

Wrong. This installs a whole new OS. Which is why you should not do this as an upgrade. You need to do a clean install. Basically any drivers that are currently install get set to the Microsoft defaults. Clean install is preferred because you don't want the problems of the previous OS creeping into the new install. Yeah its a pain but if you make an image afterwards you only have to do it once.

[lnmnky]

Wrong. This installs a whole new OS. Which is why you should not do this as an upgrade. You need to do a clean install. Basically any drivers that are currently install get set to the Microsoft defaults. Clean install is preferred because you don't want the problems of the previous OS creeping into the new install. Yeah its a pain but if you make an image afterwards you only have to do it once.

 

Where did you get this info?

[LittleNeutrino Veteran]

Thankfully what will happen, is by installing the "app" from the store you are turning on the update functionality for Windows 8.1 and it will install like any Service pack for windows prior. Just an additional update. It wont wipe anything, you wont lose, anything.

[]SK[]

I prefer the idea of a clean slate so I wiped and install 8.1 from fresh.

[Dot Matrix]

Wrong. This installs a whole new OS. Which is why you should not do this as an upgrade. You need to do a clean install. Basically any drivers that are currently install get set to the Microsoft defaults. Clean install is preferred because you don't want the problems of the previous OS creeping into the new install. Yeah its a pain but if you make an image afterwards you only have to do it once.

Um. What!? 

[Gotenks98]

Where did you get this info?

I have done it with the preview version just to test it, and this is the default behavior of all windows upgrades since Vista.

[Gotenks98]

Thankfully what will happen, is by installing the "app" from the store you are turning on the update functionality for Windows 8.1 and it will install like any Service pack for windows prior. Just an additional update. It wont wipe anything, you wont lose, anything.

Stop saying its a service pack. Its not. Like I said before it installs a whole new OS.

[articuno1au]

Well, that's just wrong.

 

My graphics drivers and audio drivers both stayed as is. I did an update from 8 to 8.1 from a technet image I have.

 

Furthermore, it only requires a clean install if you are using the preview version. The install from the Store will be an in place upgrade much like a service pack. Microsoft are specifically avoiding calling it that and are instead calling it "an upgrade". It is however, for all intents and purposes, a service pack.

 

Lastly, there has never been a deployment like this in the past, so pointing out it's been like this since Vista is just blatantly wrong.

 

Now can you please go back to the hole from whence you emerged so we can go back to not spreading FUD..

[>Mai_]

I have done it with the preview version just to test it, and this is the default behavior of all windows upgrades since Vista.

*Laughs uncontrollably*

[articuno1au]

*Laughs uncontrollably*

I just love that rather than saying he had seen something different, he came out swinging.. and was wrong..

 

Wrong. This installs a whole new OS. Which is why you should not do this as an upgrade. You need to do a clean install. Basically any drivers that are currently install get set to the Microsoft defaults. Clean install is preferred because you don't want the problems of the previous OS creeping into the new install. Yeah its a pain but if you make an image afterwards you only have to do it once.

[Gotenks98]

Well, that's just wrong.

 

My graphics drivers and audio drivers both stayed as is. I did an update from 8 to 8.1 from a technet image I have.

 

Furthermore, it only requires a clean install if you are using the preview version. The install from the Store will be an in place upgrade much like a service pack. Microsoft are specifically avoiding calling it that and are instead calling it "an upgrade". It is however, for all intents and purposes, a service pack.

 

Lastly, there has never been a deployment like this in the past, so pointing out it's been like this since Vista is just blatantly wrong.

 

Now can you please go back to the hole from whence you emerged so we can go back to not spreading FUD..

So you are saying that if you start the install of say windows 7 from inside of vista as an upgrade that it does not do this? You need to do more installs. I never said you download Windows 7 from a store. Its just like running the installer from inside the OS thats what I am saying. As for as the drivers part you either had the default microsoft drivers installed already or you have a super old video card. I just know for windows 8.1 the driver model for video has changed. I know when I tested the preview to see if it ran like an upgrade all my drivers got reset to the defaults.

[Gotenks98]

Ok then smart asses, who here has done the preview from the store as an upgrade? Did it not fold your old windows install into a folder called Windows.old? I know you remember seeing this. This proves my point about it installing a whole new OS.

[Anibal P]

So you are saying that if you start the install of say windows 7 from inside of vista as an upgrade that it does not do this? You need to do more installs. I never said you download Windows 7 from a store. Its just like running the installer from inside the OS thats what I am saying. As for as the drivers part you either had the default microsoft drivers installed already or you have a super old video card. I just know for windows 8.1 the driver model for video has changed. I know when I tested the preview to see if it ran like an upgrade all my drivers got reset to the defaults.

 

Just please SHHHHHHH

You're just wrong, admit it and move on, MS already said it would be an upgrade from the store and no settings would be touched

[articuno1au]

So you are saying that if you start the install of say windows 7 from inside of vista as an upgrade that it does not do this? You need to do more installs. I never said you download Windows 7 from a store. Its just like running the installer from inside the OS thats what I am saying. As for as the drivers part you either had the default microsoft drivers installed already or you have a super old video card. I just know for windows 8.1 the driver model for video has changed. I know when I tested the preview to see if it ran like an upgrade all my drivers got reset to the defaults.

Nope. I'm saying that going from 8 to 8.1 isn't the same as going from Vista to 7. It is for all intents and purposes a service pack.

 

I'm also saying that you have no idea what you're talking about, as is reflected by EVERY person in this thread being derisive about what you've said and the fact that I'm sitting on 8.1 atm.

 

The driver model hasn't actually changed captain underpants. It just supports WDM 1.3 now, which is backwards compatible with 1.2 drivers..

 

YOU DID IT WITH A PREVIEW INSTALL. That's why you are seeing what you are seeing.

 

You are wrong.

[Gotenks98]

Just please SHHHHHHH

You're just wrong, admit it and move on, MS already said it would be an upgrade from the store and no settings would be touched

Have you done it already with the preview version? We shall see what really happens in 2 days.

[Nick H. Supervisor]

So you are saying that if you start the install of say windows 7 from inside of vista as an upgrade that it does not do this?

But as he pointed out there has never been a deployment like this, so we can't compare upgrading from Windows Vista to 7 with updating from Windows 8 to 8.1.

I'm inclined to agree with the others here. From my quick browse through Google I couldn't find anything to support the idea that updating to Windows 8.1 was the same as doing a fresh install. Yes it is possible to do, but there is still the update method. But if you have other sources I would be interested in reading them.

EDIT: It's also already been pointed that going from Preview to the official version would be the equivalent of doing a fresh install. But that isn't the OP's situation so it seems like a moot point.

[articuno1au]

Upgrading from 7->8.1 is a reinstall.

 

Going from 8->8.1 will leave everything in place.

 

Going from 8.1 preview -> 8.1 full will wipe out your programs and installed apps, but everything else stays the same.

 

Sooooo, even in that case you're wrong.

[Gotenks98]

Upgrading from 7->8.1 is a reinstall.

 

Going from 8->8.1 will leave everything in place.

 

Going from 8.1 preview -> 8.1 full will wipe out your programs and installed apps, but everything else stays the same.

 

Sooooo, even in that case you're wrong.

I never said it was a full install that wipes. I said its advised that you do a wipe. Its like like upgrading from one OS to another. If you choose upgrade and not custom the apps stay. Never once did I say it wipes everything. Either way I am doing this in a VM now to prove my point. I will be doing a clean install of Windows 8 with apps and then will use the 8.1 ISO to choose upgrade. I will show you what I see.

[Gotenks98]

To the OP of this thread in 2 days or whenever you upgrade please post back what you see as the results if you decide to choose upgrade from the store. Just be sure to note whether on the root of your c: drive if you see a folder called windows.old. and if any of your drivers get reset to the microsoft defaults. 

[dangel777]

I've done a few upgrades with the RTM (from 8.0 to 8.1) and it's a new OS install in the sense it does an in-place upgrade etc.  Drivers are usually OK unless they're unsigned in which case it drops them (it did that for one of my drivers which I had previously sneaked on with test mode).  You do end up with an Windows.old folder (the system clean-up tool removes all of this ~6gig of stuff post install) but you don't lose any apps (store), applications or settings.  Of course I'm using the ISO not the windows store version but I'm guessing the store one will just be the 'online' installer that downloads the upgrade (just like it did for Windows 7 users upgrading to 8 for free).    

 

In my experience it's completely OTT to wipe anything (and that's coming from someone who always *usually* does that) in this case - each time it's gone remarkably smoothly (and pretty fast).  I did have to use a generic key to install and then my 8.0 key for reactivation but other than that - no problems (I've done 7 systems thus far).   As far as I can see MS have done a good job for upgrades so I wouldn't purge my system if I were you.  Your choice though.

 

If you don't get offered the 'keep everything' offer by the installer it's likely you have a SKU mismatch (for example Dell systems ship with 'english' Win 8.0 and not 'UK english' Win 8.0).  Of course MS will match this correctly with their store based installer.

[Tews]

This might clear up some misconceptions http://www.winbeta.org/news/everything-you-need-know-about-windows-81-rollout-including-pricing-and-availability ;) 

[Eric Veteran]

Wrong. This installs a whole new OS. Which is why you should not do this as an upgrade. You need to do a clean install. Basically any drivers that are currently install get set to the Microsoft defaults. Clean install is preferred because you don't want the problems of the previous OS creeping into the new install. Yeah its a pain but if you make an image afterwards you only have to do it once.

Windows hasn't updated that way for years. An upgrade moves your old files, installs the new system files, then checks the previous version's manifests and copies the unknown files to the new installation. It's effectively a clean install the way we used to do it manually.

[Gotenks98]

This might clear up some misconceptions http://www.winbeta.org/news/everything-you-need-know-about-windows-81-rollout-including-pricing-and-availability ;)

I have seen that. They are only calling it an update and not an upgrade because they dont want to admit they screwed up or appear like they screwed up. It kind of goes back to the whole thing where most users wont install the new OS unless there is at least one service pack. Rather than saying its an upgrade we are giving away for free because we want to appreciate the early adopters of this new kind of OS they call it an update.