From Ahsan habib, your Guide to PC Support
The next major update to Windows 8, called Windows 8.1 Update, is now available.
Windows 8.1 Update is the second major update to the Windows 8
operating system.
This update, previously referred to as
Windows 8.1 Update 1 and
Windows 8 Spring Update, is free for all Windows 8 owners. If you're running Windows 8,1, you
must install Windows 8.1 Update to continue receiving patches after April 8, 2014.
Windows 8.1 Update includes a number of user interface changes, especially for those using Windows 8 with a
keyboard and/or a
mouse.
For basic Windows 8 information, like system requirements, see my
Windows 8: Important Facts. See my
Windows 8.1 summary for more on Microsoft's first major update to Windows 8.
Windows 8.1 Update Release Date
Windows 8.1 Update was first made publicly available on April 8, 2014
and is currently the most recent major update to Windows 8.
The next major update to Windows 8 is rumored to be planned for later in 2014.
Download Windows 8.1 Update
To upgrade from Windows 8.1 to Windows 8.1 Update for free, visit
Windows Update and apply all available updates. The Windows 8.1 Update patches are KB2919355, KB2932046, KB2937592, KB2938439, and KB2934018.
Tip: If you don't see any Windows 8 Update related
updates in Windows Update, check to make sure that KB2919442, first
available in March 2014, is installed first. It should be listed in
Windows Update. It's also still just April 8th, so you may just need to
be patient as the updates roll out.
While more complicated, you also have the option of upgrading manually from Windows 8.1 to Windows 8.1 Update right now:
Note: The Windows 8.1 Update actually consists of 5 individual updates. Select them all after clicking the
Download button. First install
KB2919442
if you haven't already, followed by the ones you just downloaded, in
this order exactly: KB2919355, KB2932046, KB2937592, KB2938439, and then
KB2934018.
Not sure which download to pick? See
How To Tell if You Have Windows 8.1 64-bit or 32-bit for help.
If you haven't yet updated to Windows 8.1, you'll need to update to
Windows 8.1 Update via the Windows Store. Think of this as a one-stop
upgrade to both Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 Update. See my
How to Update to Windows 8.1 Update tutorial for more help.
Important: Windows 8.1 Update is not the entire
operating system, only a collection of updates to the operating system.
If you don't currently have Windows 8 or 8.1, you can purchase a new
copy of Windows (the entire operating system, not just the update)
direct from Microsoft:
Buy Windows 8.1 Pro and
Buy Windows 8.1 (standard). You have the option of a downloadable
ISO file or a boxed copy you'll receive in the mail.
newsletters@about.com
reference ...
Tim Fisher,