Updated 4/9/15: This article is out of date; for the latest information with active links, here’s how to download and install the latest version of Windows 8.1 Update for free. Or go here to find out how to download Windows 10 Technical Preview.
Apr 10, 2014 - If you are unable to download and install the new Windows 8.1 Update via Windows Update, even after having set your Windows 8 to. Download Skype for your computer, mobile, or tablet to stay in touch with family and friends from. Available for Android, iPhone and Windows 10 Mobile.
The original story from October 21, 2013 follows below.
Windows 8.1 has been released. If you’re using Windows 8, upgrading to Windows 8.1 is both easy and free. If you’re using another operating system (Windows 7, Windows XP, OS X), you can either buy a boxed version ($120 for normal, $200 for Windows 8.1 Pro), or opt for one of the free methods listed below. To download and install Windows 8.1 for free, follow the guide below.
How to download Windows 8.1 for free
If you don’t want to wait for October 17 or 18, there are two options for downloading Windows 8.1: You can obtain a copy (and a license key) from a friend/colleague with an MSDN, TechNet, or DreamSpark (student) subscription, or you can download a Windows 8.1 RTM ISO from your favorite file-sharing website (The Pirate Bay, Mega, etc.)
While we’re not going to write a guide on how to obtain Windows 8.1 RTM from non-official sources, we will at least tell you to check the SHA-1 hash of the ISO that you download to make sure that it’s legitimate. If you hit up the MSDN Subscriber Downloads page, and then click Details under the version that you’ve obtained from elsewhere, you’ll find the SHA-1 hash. If you then use File Checksum Integrity Verifier (FCIV) on the ISO, the hash should match. If it doesn’t, assume the ISO has been compromised and download another. (But do make sure that you’re checking the right SHA-1 hash on the MSDN website; your ISO might be mislabeled).
The other easier, and completely legal, option is to download the Windows 8.1 Preview from Microsoft. It’s not as snappy as the final (RTM/GA) build, though, and has quite a few bugs/missing features. Bear in mind that if you go down this road, upgrading to a real version of Windows 8.1 will require a few more steps (discussed in the next section).
How to install Windows 8.1 for free
Once you have the Windows 8.1 ISO on your hard drive, the installation process is painless. Before you begin, you should consider backing up your important files and documents, but it’s not really necessary. You should also ensure that you have plenty of free hard drive space (20GB+).
If you’re already running Windows 8 and you downloaded the RTM ISO from somewhere other than the Windows Store, you can install Windows 8.1 by mounting the downloaded ISO in Explorer by double-clicking it, and then running the installer. If you’re on Windows 7, XP, or (bless your soul) Vista, you’ll need to burn the ISO to a USB thumb drive or DVD, or mount the ISO using a third-party virtual drive tool, like Magic ISO.
If you already have Windows 8, and you waited for the official release date, installing Windows 8.1 is as simple as visiting the Windows Store and downloading the free update.
In both these cases, the upgrade process should be very smooth, with your apps and settings fully preserved. If you upgrade from Windows 8.1 Preview, however, you will lose your installed apps, unless you first run a cversion.ini removal utility.
Once you’ve installed Windows 8.1, you should check out our extensive collection of Windows 8.1 tips and tricks, and be sure to check our Windows 8.1 review and hands-on impressions to ensure that you’re making the most of all the new features.
Sebastian Anthony wrote the original version of this article. It has since been updated with new information.
Downloading updates for Windows is a crucial step to maintaining your computer. Updates regularly contain patches for security vulnerabilities that could allow infections in your machine, bug fixes that resolve errors, and features that could make your operating system more useful. Though you should have automatic updates configured, that isn’t always the case. To keep your computer safe you’ll need to know how to manually trigger updates and change your update settings.
New and Improved PC Settings
The procedure for downloading updates in Windows 8.1 is very similar to the process in Windows 8. However, since 8.1 overhauled the PC Settings app, you’ll find the process is no longer broken between the modern app and the legacy Control Panel. Everything you need is in one place.
Open the Charms bar and click Settings to get started. Next, click Change PC Settings to launch the modern settings app. Choose Update and Recovery from the left pane of the window to get to the section you need. Click Windows Update from the left pane and you’re ready to go.
The Windows Update page gives you all the information you need to learn the state of your update settings including whether you are set up to download your updates automatically and whether or not there are updates currently ready for installation.
Manually Trigger Updates
To manually trigger an update, go ahead and click Check now. You’ll have to wait while Windows checks for any available updates. It should only take a few seconds, but that will vary based on your Internet connection speed. Once done, you’ll see a message letting you know if there are any updates available.
If there are critical updates available, you’ll be alerted. If not, you’ll see a message stating that there aren’t any updates to download but you can install other updates. Either way, click View details to see what’s available.
From this screen, you can see all of the updates that are available for your computer. You can select each update individually, or click Select all important updates to save time and install them all at once. Optional updates are also included in this view, so select any you want. Finally, click Install to finish the process.
Windows will download and install the updates you selected. Once that's done you’ll have to restart your computer to complete the configuration procedure. Click Restart nowwhen prompted or close the PC Settings app and restart when it’s convenient.
Change Automatic Update Settings
It's easy enough to manually trigger updates, but this method is not the best strategy for most users. The average person will simply forget to regularly check for updates, and their system will go unprotected missing out on critical security patches. To prevent this issue—and to ensure that your computer always has the latest updates installed—you should enable automatic updates.
As mentioned above, all the update functions of Windows are baked into the new and improved PC settings. There’s no need to bounce between PC settings and the Control Panel. To change how updates are installed on your computer, return to Settings > Change PC Settings > Update and Recovery > Windows Update.
The Windows Update page will show your current update settings. If you want to change them, you’ll find a link below the Check now button that says Choose how updates get installed.
Select that and then click the drop-down list to choose how Windows installs important updates. Your options are:
- Install updates automatically.
- Download updates but let me choose whether to install them.
- Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them.
- Never check for updates.
We highly recommend that you set Windows to download and install updates automatically to provide the best protection for your computer.
Next, you can select two additional options below the drop-down list.
- Give me the recommended updates the same way I receive important updates.
- Give me updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows.
To provide the best protection, select both. When you’ve made your choices, click Apply to finalize them. Provided you’ve selected automatic updates, you won’t have to worry about updates again. Windows will simply install them in the background and ask you to restart your computer when necessary. Though there may be times you want to hurry that process up with a manual check such as when a critical update patch is released.
Updated by Ian Paul.