Win 8.1 Update Rolling Out. Apps Ready and Waiting.

Posted on 17 October 2013, Last updated on 27 November 2013 by

In under 4hrs from posting this, at 4am PDT, we’ll all be able to start upgrading to Windows 8.1. Windows 8.1 updates are active in the Windows Store. That’s assuming you’re running Windows 8 of course!

Update: Windows 8.1 update download is 2.8GB. Servers seem to be coping though.

Windows 8.1 apps are already in the store waiting for upgraded users and one of those is the official Facebook app. Ta Da!

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There’s lots more coming including IE11, new imaging and video apps and a new suite of built-in app upgrades. You’ll probably see a lot of new and upgraded third party apps too and that’s one of the yardsticks that people will be using to gage Windows Store progress. It’s important, no, critical that ISVs get a positive feel over the next few weeks and 8.1 rolls out and the new wave of modern form-factors roll out. That includes the ASUS Transformer T100 which some have already got in their hands today.

See the Windows 8.1 preview on the Acer W510.

Latest information is that Microsoft will flip the switch at 4am local time. That’s 1300 in central Europe, 1200 in the UK and 7am in New York.

4am in Silicon Valley in your timezone.

You should get the update notification through Windows Store when it’s available but be aware that availability could be tight, some locations may get it earlier than others, there may be firmware updates needed on some PCs and that the update process itself is going to take a long time. Installing the Beta on a Clovetrail tablet could take an hour or more. On an Ultrabook with a quick Internet connection you’ll probably be done in 20 minutes.

I’m ready and waiting to update to Win 8.1 with an Acer W510, Samsung ATIV 500T and an Intel developer Ultrabook…

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10 Comments For This Post

  1. Me says:

    Does this fix the problems with Connected Standby? Option to turn off the screen and keep the tablet awake. Automatically connect to WiFi access points without the need to wake the tablet up. Honor wake lock and scheduled waking requests of desktop applications.

  2. Chippy says:

    Scheduled waking of Desktop apps in CS? I dont think the DAM allows that. Are you thinking of Intel Smart Connect?
    CS (for cabable hardware) works with the new addition of 3G modem support.

  3. me says:

    No, an example is the Malwarebytes software I use. It can wake a PC from standby to run its scheduled scan. It works on non-CS devices. It doesn’t work on CS devices.

    I don’t know, this whole CS thing has annoying drawbracks that I would prefer to just disable it altogether and go back to using regular standby if I could. I hardly make use of it anyway. Especially since it doesn’t even auto connect to WiFi when they become available. I still have to wake the tablet up like any other PC to connect to WiFi.

    If 8.1 doesn’t fix these things or at least allow me to just plain revert to regular standby then I’m giving up on any device that’s CS capable. I have little use for a PC that’s still “connected” when in standby. It’s not a phone.

  4. guy says:

    Having had a Clover Trail tablet for almost a year now, I found that the “connected” part of Connected Standby to not be very useful. When I put my tablet to sleep, I have no use for it until I wake it up again.

    I don’t need it always listening to Skype calls since video chatting is a more planned thing than phone calls. I don’t have it constantly streaming music and playing it over it’s non-music quality speakers. The couple seconds it would take to update emails, weather, stocks, etc. on resume isn’t so long that I need it to constantly update during standby. The new hotspot feature won’t be that useful to me since the tablet is likely to be the one connecting to a hotspot instead of creating it.

    I just don’t see my usage of UMPCs making “Connected” Standby a top feature. I’d much rather just have the low power hardware that’s required for Connected Standby coupled with regular standby. At least with that, traditional desktop side wake locks and scheduled waking would work like you mentioned.

    I hope MS gives an option to disable Connected Standby and enable regular standby. It’s more a pain than something useful.

  5. axium says:

    Ya, I’m hoping OEMs provide a BIOS/UEFI setting to tell Windows 8 that it doesn’t support Connected Standby. It’s just annoying. I want the low battery life hardware but not this Connected Standby from a desktop usage scenario.

    I have no use of being connected when I put my device in standby.

  6. mhectorgato says:

    My 500t couldn’t update today. The chat with the Samsung rep said there will be an update tomorrow on MS’ site.

    Below is part of the chat transcript:

    Tracy M: Were you able to turn off the device?
    Visitor: My first time, I restarted it by holding the powerbutton. When it turned back on, it cancelled the updated and rolled back to Windows 8.
    Visitor: Right now, the power light is still on.
    Tracy M: Please hold the power button for 20-30 seconds.
    Visitor: OK, the blue power light turned off, and the backlight on the display as well.
    Tracy M: Great. Please try to turn on the device.
    Visitor: It’s starting up and says “Restoring you previous version of Windows…”
    Tracy M: I will be right with you.
    Visitor: The previous version of Windows is running again.
    Tracy M: Please use Windows 8 for now because Windows 8.1 update will be released tomorrow for Samsung and you will be able to update from Microsoft website.
    Visitor: It says “couldn’t update to Windows 8.1” 0xc1900101 – 0x30018
    Visitor: Where will I go to download it?
    Visitor: Where on the MS site do I need to go?
    Tracy M: As of now the MS site is not yet updated. You will get have the option tomorrow.

  7. Chippy says:

    I upgraded perfectly from Windows 8. Strange.

  8. Andy says:

    Anyone know how to disable Connected Standby? It doesn’t work well with desktop applications.

  9. stan says:

    Wow,8.1 crippled my system. A refresh made things worst.Had to activate 8 from the command prompt and lost the option to upgrade to 8.1. Went the MSDN route and now have the secure boot watermark?! Had to dig for hd 4000 and wifi drivers that worked properly with the upgrade. Now i just need to get the rotation working again and eliminate the limited wifi issue.

    Avoided the preview cause i had a bad vibe. Should have waited before installing 8.1.

    Wont even go into the fingerprint scanner issues..(resolved now)

  10. Stan says:

    Gave up on 8.1 for a bit assuming MS would resolve the store issue but still no update option. Had it on launch day but never again (stopped the download to switch from 3g to Wi-Fi). Full install cripples the tablet! (driver issues and can only activate through the command prompt).

    Its been 3 weeks so giving the serious PC a break (desktop) and giving 8.1 another try… will Sacrifice 1 last weekend to getting it working or at the very least updated t 8.1.

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