Will buying Windows 8 now mean I get 8.1 for free?

For reasons too pointlessly long to explain, I need to upgrade my PC to Windows 8 and I want the features that are going to come with the 8.1 update. Basically, I am planning on buying Windows 8 on Amazon because it's $95.88 and that is cheaper than what 8.1 is going to cost brand new.

What I'm wondering is if I buy Windows 8 right now and install it, will I get the Windows 8.1 update for free like the rest of the people who updated a while back? In other words, can Microsoft distinguish between someone who just bought and installed vs. someone who installed months ago?

Thanks.

Felicia

Posted 2013-10-07T01:34:49.757

Reputation: 1

Answers

Yes it does - its an update that you install via windows store for all windows 8 and windows RT users. You should have no issues with this.

The retail windows 8.1 version is for fresh installs and upgrades from older versions of windows (not 8 -> 8.1 but day 7-8.1).

Journeyman Geek

Posted 2013-10-07T01:34:49.757

Reputation: 119 122

It's a matter of M$ marketing trickery. You'll "get" nothing for free unless you consider hours of headaches, registrations and long repeated Windows product key entries as "free". So I would strongly discourage anyone from buying cheaper W8 and then manually upgrade to W8.1. It's just too painful, and at the end of the day (or week), you don't even get an ISO image for the possibility of making a clean install. What that means is, that if you ever need to make a system recovery, you'll get back W8 and not W8.1.

So to answer your question:

Yes, you get 8.1 free, but you will not be able to use it for a clean install and neither as a system recovery. In addition it will take you a long time to install (due to the above mentioned issues.)

not2qubit

Posted 2013-10-07T01:34:49.757

Reputation: 1 234

If you choose to down-vote my answer, please justify why. – not2qubit – 2014-02-14T14:59:42.333

Wrong. Although it does take a while to upgrade, you don't need to reenter your product key. (I'm not the downvoter by the way). – gparyani – 2014-02-14T17:09:14.740

That's correct only if you have an activated and fully updated W8 and use the App Store to get your update. Any other method will bring you hell. – not2qubit – 2014-02-14T17:28:17.353

Yes Windows 8.1 will be available on the Windows Store. It will be the first option in the Store and will remind you from time to time.
You will not lose your data and programs. Keep in mind that you cannot rollback to WIN8. You would have to do a fresh install and reinstall your programs and restore data.
Before updating read these articles:

Manny265

Posted 2013-10-07T01:34:49.757

Reputation: 143