Windows 8.1 update via App Store

[IownFIVEechos]

Has anyone updated to 8.1 via the app store opposed to MSDN install? Is it smooth as far as an existing 8.0 Media Center license? I know in the MSDN version it was hit or miss if you would loose the media center version?

[kingwr]

You will get it via Windows Update in less than 24 hours, right?

EDIT: Oh, I get it now -- you won't be installing the update until you know how it effects your Media Center license. I will let you know in 23 hours and 51 minutes.

[ToddD]

Has anyone updated to 8.1 via the app store opposed to MSDN install? Is it smooth as far as an existing 8.0 Media Center license? I know in the MSDN version it was hit or miss if you would loose the media center version?

I upgraded my media center this morning from the store upgrade. I found several things as I did the upgrade:
I DID NOT loose my media center license.
ALL of my Media Center settings were lost- I had to set up Media Center from scratch.
I had to upgrade many of my Media Center add ins due to the upgrade.
The Upgrade utility forces you to "upgrade" your local login account to a Microsoft account. I had to reverse this after the upgrade was complete.

In the end this was a 4 hour upgrade. All just so you can be on the current OS. Some might not find it worth it.

[cncb]

My upgrade went pretty smoothly via the app store. I didn't lose any of my WMC settings. You can still use the local login without a Microsoft account: just select "Create new account" and then you can click "keep using current account" (or something like that) at the bottom. I found this buried in the upgrade FAQ. The only thing that doesn't seem to be working is the My Media Center service.

[ToddD]

My upgrade went pretty smoothly via the app store. I didn't lose any of my WMC settings. You can still use the local login without a Microsoft account: just select "Create new account" and then you can click "keep using current account" (or something like that) at the bottom. I found this buried in the upgrade FAQ. The only thing that doesn't seem to be working is the My Media Center service.

I fixed the My Media Center Service with the beta version you can find in post 1 here: http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... =63&t=3195

[mdavej]

One big benefit is that with 8.1 on my severely underpowered netbook, Netflix is smooth as silk at full 1080p 5800kbps SuperHD. Before, with Silverlight under 8.0 it was choppy at 720p and half the bitrate and would choke completely on the lowest 1080p bitrate. This is just in IE11. In the app, while smooth, it's pegged at 720x480 for reasons I cannot comprehend.

[kingwr]

Windows 8.1 via app store "Failed to install" (no further explanation) on my Windows 8 computer after 78% of the installation and then Windows 8 was restored.

[IownFIVEechos]

For obvious reasons I have to stay on 7 for my main media pleasure, but my laptops and non tv machines have 8.0 on them. I do not see the option to update yet, do you have to be logged into your App store account to see the update? I will stay away from it for awhile I guess. When I do decide to do it I guess it is wise to make a data recovery disc set. I have noticed that in windows 8 the recovery disc is very reliable. I back all machines to a external usb drive. Anyone having any better luck?

[holidayboy]

I went to windows.microsoft.com and clicked on the link that they had (have?) up.

[IownFIVEechos]

I went to windows.microsoft.com and clicked on the link that they had (have?) up.

Thanks, that link is still there. I assume it just updates without needing to re-enter keys for media center etc? I got my keys last year when they were complementary from Microsoft. Not sure if they work anymore on new install/same hardware they had a grace period to use them. Thanks for the info.

[kingwr]

It appears on the home page of the "Store" until you have actually tried the update. Even if the update fails, it seems to disappear from the Store, so you have to find alternative links to get back to it to retry.

I have done the update five times unplugging USB devices, updating my graphics driver, taking out hardware, and the like. It dies at the same place ("Setting up a few more things 78%) and with the same codes every time.

[kingwr]

Also, while Windows 8 was restored on my desktop after the failed install, not all of my settings were. Specifically, I have lost my VPN connections to work networks.

[kingwr]

After lots of online research and several additional tries stripping my computer down to the bare bones, I have finally realized that I just won't be able to update this computer to 8.1. That is really not a tragedy, and frankly it's not at all surprising that Microsoft would screw up the Windows 8.1 rollout. What is frustrating is that I have NO INFORMATION regarding what the problem is other than the 14 digit hex-code it gives me when it apologizes for not being able to complete the update. It reminds me of the "Guru Meditation" errors I used to get from my Amiga 500. Man, we've come a long way in 25 years, haven't we?

BTW, my Mavericks upgrade to my MacBook Air went off without a hitch. Also, no surprise there.

[holidayboy]

I saw a post somewhere regarding an issue similar and it was solved by an MS support person renaming some bad files or something....

Have you tried a full chkdsk with the /r or /f switch (or both!) and then a sfc /scannow just for laughs?

I'll try and find the post I saw.

[saxnix]

Managed to brick my laptop doing the upgrade. Battery died just at the very end on the process (I know, I know...) and the PC wouldn't recover. Removed the drive, formatted it, but then couldn't install 8 from scratch. Said a driver was missing. Contacted HP, they sent out the recovery media (including driver recovery), but still says no drivers found. This is after I copied the files from the CD on to a USB. No time today or tomorrow, but will have to call HP again to see what my options are....

EDIT: The upgrades on my other PCs went fine and most of my MC settings held intact. The only thing I had to redo was a manual guide update from BigScreen EPG and re-do the scheduled task for same.

[kingwr]

Well, a chkdsk with the /r flag certainly resolved my upgrade problem.

BTW, here's a new tip I learned: Don't EVER run chkdsk /r on an SSD (I know - I wasn't thinking). My system is now toast. You would think the chkdsk tool would be smart enough not to screw it up, right?

[holidayboy]

Eeek!

I assume you have a backup/disk image.....

[kingwr]

Unfortunately no. Frankly it's been so long since I had a crash or had to reinstall, I have become complacent. All the data is backed up, but I do not have an image of the OS from the SSD to restore, nor do I have a recovery CD. I will have to pull the HDD and put it in another computer to get the disk image (if there is one) for the Windows 8 upgrade I purchased and then hope I can install/activate back on the SSD without having a working version of Windows 7 on there. My Windows 7 was downloaded from the Beta program, so I don't have a Windows 7 disk, either.

BTW, not blaming anyone else but myself on this one (well. maybe Microsoft too).

[IownFIVEechos]

Unfortunately no. Frankly it's been so long since I had a crash or had to reinstall, I have become complacent. All the data is backed up, but I do not have an image of the OS from the SSD to restore, nor do I have a recovery CD. I will have to pull the HDD and put it in another computer to get the disk image (if there is one) for the Windows 8 upgrade I purchased and then hope I can install/activate back on the SSD without having a working version of Windows 7 on there. My Windows 7 was downloaded from the Beta program, so I don't have a Windows 7 disk, either.

BTW, not blaming anyone else but myself on this one.

Blame Mr. Softy. Makes no sense why the upgrade would be so difficult. Did they really make that many hardware type changes? I thought we would just get to click the new windows icon in the bottom left opposed to hitting our little windows icon on our keyboards Hope it pans out for you.

[kingwr]

My computer was stuck in a loop of booting to diagnostics and then rebooting back to chkdsk, only to hang at 30% for 5 minutes and then starting the cycle all over. Well, after working on it into the wee hours last night, I just gave up and shut it down. This morning I turned it on and left it stuck in the cycle. I guess the magic Windows 8 fairies visited during the day because when I returned from work it had booted to the login screen. Glory be! First task - backup a system image of my SSD!

EDIT: Ok, where the $&#$ did the Windows Backup utility go in Windows 8?