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Update 7/19/2021: Windows eight.1 is long outdated, but technically supported through 2023. If you lot need to download an ISO to reinstall the total version of the operating organisation, yous tin download i from Microsoft here.

If y'all are still using Microsoft Windows viii.1, nosotros recommend you at to the lowest degree begin considering what Bone you will utilize in the future. It's mid-2021 and Win viii.i volition shuffle off the mortal gyre in January 2023. You tin withalqualify for a free upgrade to Windows 10 if you own a valid Windows 8.1 license, despite the fact that Microsoft formally ended its upgrade program five years ago. Additionally, Windows 10 has the same system requirements every bit Windows eight.1, and then if yous can run the latter, you tin also run the erstwhile.

Even though Windows eleven has been appear, upgrading to Windows 10 has several advantages. Starting time, Windows 11 may not support your hardware if it'south old enough to still be running Windows 8 or Windows 8.ane. Windows 10, on the other hand, was compatible with near everything Windows 8.i would run on. Windows 10 will likewise be supported through 2025, which gives you an extra two full years of support before needing to figure out an culling solution.

If you are somehow all the same stuck on Windows 8.0 and exercise not desire to go to the hassle of a full OS swap, we recommend running Windows Update immediately and downloading all available patches for your system, including the Windows viii.one update, which will probable be offered to you by default. If yous desire to download only the Windows 8.1 update files, you can do so here.

Original story below, from 2013:

Windows 8.1 has been released. If yous're using Windows 8, upgrading to Windows 8.one is both piece of cake and costless. If you're using another operating system (Windows 7, Windows XP, OS X), y'all can either buy a boxed version ($120 for normal, $200 for Windows 8.1 Pro), or opt for one of the free methods listed beneath. To download and install Windows eight.1 for gratis, follow the guide below.

How to download Windows 8.1 for free

Windows 8.1 boxIf y'all don't want to await for October 17 or 18, at that place 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 tin 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, nosotros will at to the lowest degree tell you to cheque the SHA-1 hash of the ISO that you download to make certain that it's legitimate. If you lot striking upwardly the MSDN Subscriber Downloads page, so click Details under the version that you've obtained from elsewhere, y'all'll find the SHA-1 hash. If you then use File Checksum Integrity Verifier (FCIV) on the ISO, the hash should friction match. If it doesn't, presume the ISO has been compromised and download another. (But do make certain that you lot're checking the right SHA-1 hash on the MSDN website; your ISO might exist mislabeled).

The other easier, and completely legal, option is to download the Windows 8.i Preview from Microsoft. It's not as snappy as the final (RTM/GA) build, though, and has quite a few bugs/missing features. Comport in mind that if you lot go down this route, upgrading to a real version of Windows 8.1 volition require a few more than steps (discussed in the adjacent section).

How to install Windows 8.1 for free

Once you accept the Windows 8.1 ISO on your hard drive, the installation process is painless. Before y'all begin, you lot should consider backing up your of import files and documents, just it's not really necessary. You lot should also ensure that you accept enough of free hard drive space (20GB+).

Windows 8.1 setup processIf y'all're already running Windows 8 and yous downloaded the RTM ISO from somewhere other than the Windows Store, you can install Windows 8.ane by mounting the downloaded ISO in Explorer past double-clicking information technology, and then running the installer. If y'all're on Windows seven, XP, or (bless your soul) Vista, you'll need to burn the ISO to a USB pollex drive or DVD, or mountain 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 engagement, installing Windows 8.i is every bit simple as visiting the Windows Shop 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 viii.ane Preview, even so, you will lose your installed apps, unless you lot offset run a cversion.ini removal utility.

Once y'all've installed Windows 8.1, yous should check out our extensive collection of Windows 8.1 tips and tricks, and be certain to check our Windows 8.1 review and hands-on impressions to ensure that you're making the most of all the new features.

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Sebastian Anthony wrote the original version of this article. It has since been updated with new data.