This is absolutely ludicrous!

[dlalonde]

OK so I've updated my legitimate Windows 8 Pro to Windows 8.1 through the store. Great.

Except I don't like upgrades.

So I wanted to get an ISO to make a clean install. Nope, can't do that (and I've tried all I found with the online installer and such and all I get is the bloody "Can't connect right now").

So I thought I'd just refresh my PC after upgrading it. Nope, that won't work either because it'll bring me back to Windows 8.

So basically the only way I can do a fresh install is to install Windows 8 and then upgrade through the store?? This is absurd!

Plus, at work, I have to download an upgrade on every PC that has Windows 8. Every PC. So if I have 10 PCs I have to use 35 GB of bandwidth just for the upgrade process!

If Microsoft wants businesses to adopt Windows 8 (or 8.1 now) shouldn't they make it easier for IT's. Not all IT's are MSDN subscribers! Some IT's (like me) don't need MSDN except now to get this update.

This is ludicrous!

I'm really really mad at them right now.

Plus, you know on a Mac? When you upgrade say from OSX 10.8 to OSX 10.9 through their app store, it puts an installer somewhere on your hard drive. So if you want to reinstall you can without having to install all the versions of OSX beginning at 10.0!

Now if I'm wrong and there is a way, then if someone can tell me, I'd appreciate it. But I've been searching and trying since yesterday (and I'm not downloading the RTM from any illegal source) and NOTHING works.

Why can't Microsoft make our lives easier?

 

[Darren Walsh]

The only way I can think of is a torrent sorry! But when you do upgrade from a fresh install of win 8 be sure to make a system image straight away, then if you want to "refresh" you can just use the image and it's a lot faster too !! Hope this helps

 

[anony_mouse]

I'm very surprised if Microsoft don't have some arrangement to support enterprise users.

 

[Michael Alan Goff]

Why do you hate upgrades? They work just fine.

 

[stephen_az]

OK so I've updated my legitimate Windows 8 Pro to Windows 8.1 through the store. Great.

Except I don't like upgrades.

So I wanted to get an ISO to make a clean install. Nope, can't do that (and I've tried all I found with the online installer and such and all I get is the bloody "Can't connect right now").

So I thought I'd just refresh my PC after upgrading it. Nope, that won't work either because it'll bring me back to Windows 8.

So basically the only way I can do a fresh install is to install Windows 8 and then upgrade through the store?? This is absurd!

Plus, at work, I have to download an upgrade on every PC that has Windows 8. Every PC. So if I have 10 PCs I have to use 35 GB of bandwidth just for the upgrade process!

If Microsoft wants businesses to adopt Windows 8 (or 8.1 now) shouldn't they make it easier for IT's. Not all IT's are MSDN subscribers! Some IT's (like me) don't need MSDN except now to get this update.

This is ludicrous!

I'm really really mad at them right now.

Plus, you know on a Mac? When you upgrade say from OSX 10.8 to OSX 10.9 through their app store, it puts an installer somewhere on your hard drive. So if you want to reinstall you can without having to install all the versions of OSX beginning at 10.0!

Now if I'm wrong and there is a way, then if someone can tell me, I'd appreciate it. But I've been searching and trying since yesterday (and I'm not downloading the RTM from any illegal source) and NOTHING works.

Why can't Microsoft make our lives easier?

If you want to rant, that's fine but get your facts straight. Windows 8.1 Enterprise is available as an ISO. Much like the fact that 8.1 preview was made available as an ISO shortly after the initial store release, this certainly will be as well for the non-Enterprise version. As for preferring to do a clean install, I sympathize but as a TechNet subscriber who did a clean install on a Surface Pro a few weeks back and then uninstalled and let the store upgrade happen yesterday, the results were the same. Unfortunately, in this case it also means the bugs in the RTM are also still the same after a store upgrade. IE 11 being prone to randomly crash and the return of the old limited connectivity problem are the most notable.

 

[gsquared]

More first world problems.

 

[squire777]

The upgrade through the store is as easy as it gets. You are the one looking for a more complicated way of doing the upgrade due to some kind of stubbornness about updates.

 

[dlalonde]

The only way I can think of is a torrent sorry! But when you do upgrade from a fresh install of win 8 be sure to make a system image straight away, then if you want to "refresh" you can just use the image and it's a lot faster too !! Hope this helps

I did find a command that allowed the system to be refreshed as if it had been installed from an ISO. I believe this is the command:

NEVERMIND THIS DOES NOT WORK...

What do you think?

I'm very surprised if Microsoft don't have some arrangement to support enterprise users.

Yes me too! Especially since they've been trying to get into enterprises with Windows 8.

Why do you hate upgrades? They work just fine.

See on my work computer, all my Documents links are broken, I have the Windows.old folder that takes a lot of space (I know I can just delete it) and I have to reinstall apps, etc.

If I have to do this might as well rest assured I have no junk left (in the registry or elsewhere) and start off fresh. Maybe it's a little OCD I have but I've always hated upgrades.

If you want to rant, that's fine but get your facts straight. Windows 8.1 Enterprise is available as an ISO. Much like the fact that 8.1 preview was made available as an ISO shortly after the initial store release, this certainly will be as well for the non-Enterprise version. As for preferring to do a clean install, I sympathize but as a TechNet subscriber who did a clean install on a Surface Pro a few weeks back and then uninstalled and let the store upgrade happen yesterday, the results were the same. Unfortunately, in this case it also means the bugs in the RTM are also still the same after a store upgrade. IE 11 being prone to randomly crash and the return of the old limited connectivity problem are the most notable.

I actually do have my facts straight. As I've said in my first post, I have Windows 8 PRO not enterprise. When I bought my Windows 8 PRO I had the ability to create an ISO from the installer. Not with this one.

More first world problems.

True

The upgrade through the store is as easy as it gets. You are the one looking for a more complicated way of doing the upgrade due to some kind of stubbornness about updates.

No I am looking for a way to install it fresh for many reasons I've stated in my first post. Please read it.

 

[Michael Alan Goff]

I did find a command that allowed the system to be refreshed as if it had been installed from an ISO. I believe this is the command:

NEVERMIND THIS DOES NOT WORK...

What do you think?



Yes me too! Especially since they've been trying to get into enterprises with Windows 8.



See on my work computer, all my Documents links are broken, I have the Windows.old folder that takes a lot of space (I know I can just delete it) and I have to reinstall apps, etc.

If I have to do this might as well rest assured I have no junk left (in the registry or elsewhere) and start off fresh. Maybe it's a little OCD I have but I've always hated upgrades.



I actually do have my facts straight. As I've said in my first post, I have Windows 8 PRO not enterprise. When I bought my Windows 8 PRO I had the ability to create an ISO from the installer. Not with this one.



True



No I am looking for a way to install it fresh for many reasons I've stated in my first post. Please read it.

None of what you mentioned happened to my sister when she did her upgrade to 8.1. >_>;

 

[dlalonde]

None of what you mentioned happened to my sister when she did her upgrade to 8.1. >_>;

That's strange. But I've found a way that seems to work

How to download the Windows 8.1 ISO