Windows 8.1 Now available in Store for download.

Overheal

SeaDaily wrote: »

Just installed windows 8.1 and already having some problems. The computer seems more sluggish than before and when I open up task manager it seems that disk usage is at 100% almost constantly for the first 10 minutes or so after powering on. Also whenever I open up anything, iTunes for example, the disk usage goes back up to 100% for about 20 seconds and then reverts back to normal. Anyone know what might be causing this?

Im having a similar issue now, except when I go analyze my processes it's Firefox taking up most of the disk usage apparently. I can't think of any reason why Firefox while idle needs 20MB/s throughput. Chrome appears unaffected.

But even shutting down firefox doesnt seem to correct the disk usage. I can't figure this out.

edit: true to the same symptom after about 20 minutes of uptime (according to cmd >systeminfo) the hard drive activity took a huge slump. Firefox troubleshooting lead me to then clear the cache and that seems to have worked too. Will have to see if this is a problem again when I boot up next.

Morf

Rambo wrote: »

messed up my AMD Radeon HD 5800 driver and replaced it with Microsoft driver f**kers

looks like you have reinstall driver from AMD to get Catalyst control Center
working again

here or the drivers for AMD http://support.amd.com/en-us/download

There isn't a Win 8.1 version.

Just Catalyst for Win 8 then?

Morf

Reinstall of the Win 8 version went swimmingly! Ta!

BopNiblets

SeaDaily wrote: »

I found the link to the download on the windows website in the end.

Link please?

kryptonmight

I'm having an issue with the Google search in IE. The results page doesn't appear correctly, the text is all skewed down the left hand side. Anyone else seen this?

gflood

Win 8.1 totally rocks. I have been using it for several months now (MSDN). It transforms Win8

michaelheno

Lads updated to win8.1 yesterday everything went fine started up to day and it boots to the log in password screen and freezes I can move the mouse put nothing works have tried rebooting and same thing any ideas on resolving this or will I have to reinstall 8

SeaDaily

BopNiblets wrote: »

Link please?

It was on page on the Windows website but now I can't find it sorry.

SeaDaily

Lads is there any reason whatsoever to be reluctant to delete the windows.old folder or should I just go for it?

yoyo

SeaDaily wrote: »

Lads is there any reason whatsoever to be reluctant to delete the windows.old folder or should I just go for it?

Windows.old is simply a backup of your Windows 8 profile (Documents, Music, Desktop, Pictures etc.). Once your happy your not missing anything delete away

Nick

Dyr

still find it unusuable on a PC hooked up to a 32" TV, fonts sizes in the apps are too small, swiping motions that go right down the screen are near impossible with a trackpad.

Just as well I only use the pc for browsing and playing video in desktop mode, as a home theatre OS it sucks

Overheal

Bambi wrote: »

Just as I only use the pc for browsing and playing video in desktop mode, as a home theatre OS it sucks

Im assuming you lack Media Center then? It's part of Pro Pack, and specifically designed for your situation.

Dyr

Overheal wrote: »

Im assuming you lack Media Center then? It's part of Pro Pack, and specifically designed for your situation.

im running the pro OS, ill be damned if im gonna pay more money to microsoft for a media player given their poxy track record in that field

Overheal

I agree. But I would suggest getting Media-Center type software online to suit your need or at least a file browser app for the tile UI

Topbike77

Morf wrote: »

8.1 has messed up the AMD Catalyst setting change that allowed me to have my image in full screen on my LG24EA53.

The AMD image settings program (that had to be updated) now seems to do almost nothing and have no settings to change at all.

Eugh.

Same thing happened me, Its probably the overscan.
Go to AMD Catalyst Control Center, then to My Digital Flat-Panels at the left, then Scaling Options and adjust the lever.
Should do the trick

kryptonmight

The Google thing seems to be fixed.

I'm liking 8.1 so far. I like the predictive text in IE, not sure if it also works in other apps. Also IE11 seems faster on my surface, the opening new tabs feature (hold on the link) seems better implemented. Also like that the 10 tab limit is gone.

Alun

Ronan14 wrote: »

Same thing happened me, Its probably the overscan.
Go to AMD Catalyst Control Center, then to My Digital Flat-Panels at the left, then Scaling Options and adjust the lever.
Should do the trick

I don't know about your TV, but on my Philips you can set the input type for each HDMI connector. Set it to PC rather than any of the other options (Set Top box, DVD player etc.) and bye bye overscan. Then just set overscan and any scaling in catalyst to zero and the picture will always fill the screen.

I only discovered this by accident playing with the TV settings ... until then I thought the input type was only for cosmetic purposes so you could see what input was selected, but this doesn't seem to be the case.

MarkY91

when i plug my laptop into my tv to watch movies via hdmi, it usually flickers and loses picture and stuff...installed 8.1 and it hasnt happened since...coincidence or was 8.1 the reason?

Fysh

I ran the upgrade on my Win8 install on my home desktop, and in doing so I discovered two things that I consider to be rather stupid:
1) You can run the Store and discover the existence of the update with a standard-user account, but only when it attempts to start installing does it point out that you need to be using an Admin-level account. And you can't use UAC to run the Store with elevated permissions.
2) Once you do run the upgrade, it attempts to force you to link your system to a Microsoft account to complete the installation. However, if you then click the "I'm not (local Admin-level username you used in step 1)" button, use the "switch user" option, then log back in using the same local account, this requirement is bypassed.

Other than that it seems fine; the new guide options and UI changes seem good to me, so I'll be testing it on Enterprise on a couple of work machines during the week to see how it shakes out.

Torqay

Not sure if this has been posted already. Somebody just asked me if they'd have to download the update for each computer separately (6 machines). Mocrosoft apparently don't care for offline deployment (unless you're a Enterprise customer or MSDN subscriber) but there is a neat little trick that will get you your own Windows 8.1 installation medium.

Alun

OK, I've just done this and have the ISO. Would I be able to install this as it is without installing 8.0 first and performing an upgrade? I downloaded the original ISO ages ago, but have never got around to installing it yet.

Torqay

Alun wrote: »

OK, I've just done this and have the ISO. Would I be able to install this as it is without installing 8.0 first and performing an upgrade? I downloaded the original ISO ages ago, but have never got around to installing it yet.

You tell me...

Insert the disk, run setup and you'll find out. But I suppose it is the full version of Windows 8.1

Marian Walsh

I see that it's a 3.1GB download - my 30 day limit is 10GB, I'm wondering whether it's worth downloading it?

Alun

Torqay wrote: »

You tell me...

Insert the disk, run setup and you'll find out. But I suppose it is the full version of Windows 8.1

I've no immediate plans to install either 8 or 8.1, so I won't know until I do.

stevenmu

Bambi wrote: »

still find it unusuable on a PC hooked up to a 32" TV, fonts sizes in the apps are too small, swiping motions that go right down the screen are near impossible with a trackpad.

Just as well I only use the pc for browsing and playing video in desktop mode, as a home theatre OS it sucks

I'm running it on a TV too and it looks great to me. Are you using high DPI mode? That's pretty essential for TV use IMO, and while it worked fine in Windows 7/8, it seems to have been improved now for 8.1 as well. I've only used it for an hour or two so far, but it looks great to me, and seems to fix some issues that were there previously (full screen video in Chrome for e.g.).

edit: http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/extremewindows/archive/2013/07/15/windows-8-1-dpi-scaling-enhancements.aspx

Adamcp898

I assume if I update this on my laptop I'll have to reinstall all programs also?

Torqay

Adamcp898 wrote: »

I assume if I update this on my laptop I'll have to reinstall all programs also?

Don't assume... Assumption is the mother of all eff ups.

Nah, if all goes according to plan, everything should be just hunky-dory. Bar some compatibility issues which may require program/app/driver updates.

Dyr

stevenmu wrote: »

I'm running it on a TV too and it looks great to me. Are you using high DPI mode? That's pretty essential for TV use IMO, and while it worked fine in Windows 7/8, it seems to have been improved now for 8.1 as well. I've only used it for an hour or two so far, but it looks great to me, and seems to fix some issues that were there previously (full screen video in Chrome for e.g.).

edit: http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/extremewindows/archive/2013/07/15/windows-8-1-dpi-scaling-enhancements.aspx

yeah, I had it on high DPI under 8 and bumped it up again with 8.1. Thing is it does'nt really make much difference to apps. The metro/modern apps will still have small black font's on a brilliant white background, I don't have bad eyesight but it still sucks. There's an option to make app fonts "bigger" which makes very little difference. It just shows how straitjacketed the modern UI is, not that I use it much anyway

Incidentally, I may be going mad but I noticed when I had the dpi up around 200% there's also a display setting in metro PC settings to make objects larger. It probably does'nt work with the DPI settings pumped up but rather than grey the option out, windows just hid it until the DPI setting was dropped. Really poor design decision.

unkel

Marian Walsh wrote: »

my 30 day limit is 10GB, I'm wondering whether it's worth downloading it?

I'd wonder whether it's worth changing your internet provider? :pac:

Marian Walsh

unkel wrote: »

I'd wonder whether it's worth changing your internet provider? :pac:

I wish that I could but I'm stuck with NBS satellite broadband.:(