Win8.1 Preview Upgrade Guide and New Features Experience

Windows 8.1 Preview Pre-Upgrade Preparation

The Windows 8.1 Preview is exciting to download today, users want to know if the traditional start menu is restored What are the new improvements in the operating system interface and functions? Answers and other new systems must be revealed after installation! Xiaobian This will bring you the Windows 8.1 preview version of the installation upgrade guide.

Microsoft officially offers upgrades and new installations.

Option 1: Upgrade through Windows8 Store

Upgrade on the original Windows8 system: Download the official update patch , then connect to the Windows 8 app store to upgrade the system.

Option 2: New installation via ISO file

Users who cannot directly upgrade the system can consider the second new installation.

Preparing for the upgrade

1. Confirm that the current computer system is Windows 8, and the app store is running normally.

Second, there are users who cannot upgrade directly by installing patches. Please note: Not all users can upgrade directly from the Win8 app store to the 8.1 preview version. If your computer is Windows 8 Enterprise Edition or Enterprise Evaluation Edition, you need to download the ISO image installation package for a new installation.
Can not directly upgrade the situation

Third, build a folder, specifically for storing upgrade patches, ISO image files (the installation package for both scenarios are ready to download, one method is not acceptable, you can also Use another).

32-bit system patch: http://download.pchome.net/system/patch/detail-193382.html

64-bit system patch: http://download.pchome.net /system/patch/detail-193383.html

ISO image file download: http://windows.microsoft.com/zh-cn/windows-8/preview-iso

This installation The packages are all ready, and users who want to upgrade directly install patches. Users who cannot upgrade directly use the ISO image file for a new installation.

Upgrade patch and new ISO installation package

4. Pre-upgrade backup: If you have installed many applications on your system, the preview version will be cleared. It is recommended to create the upgrade before you create it. A USB recovery drive, then install Windows 8.1 Preview, so you can return to Windows 8 when needed (create a USB recovery drive tutorial: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create -usb-recovery-drive).

Scenario 1 Upgrade through Win8 App Store

Double-click the system upgrade patch, and the following interface will pop up, indicating that the system is searching for updates on the local computer.
Search Update 8.1 Preview Updater

After installing the update program, the system will prompt the user to restart. After restarting, the start interface will pop up "Free access to Windows 8.1 Preview..." and update the reminder, then The user clicks on the <quo;go to the app store” button above.
Go to the app store

Now, you can download the Windows 8.1 preview version from the app store to upgrade. The advantage of direct upgrade through the store is that you don't need to enter the key, the conditional user recommends direct upgrade through the store. .
Download Windows 8.1 Preview

The above is a strategy upgrade based on the original system, users can follow the above picture, you can easily upgrade your Win8 to Win8.1 preview.

Scheme 2 New installation of Win8.1 via ISO file

2. New installation of computer system: New installation of Win8.1 by downloading the iso image file on the network.

Win8 system comes with a CD image tool, double-click to open the ISO file directly, enter the directory and double-click the "Setup" program icon.
Double-click on the ISO directory "setup"

Double-click to enter the installation navigation interface, “Install online now (recommended) ”, "No, thank you & rdquo;, both options are fine.
Choose which one can be

If it is a new ISO installation, you need to enter the product key, the user can find the correct key input on the Internet.
Enter the installation key

Navigation setup and progress display for ISO installation

Pop up the license agreement interface, check "I accept the license terms", click “Accept”.
Accept the license terms

After the installation files are copied, the installation will be started. Before the installation, the user will be confirmed to choose whether to keep the "personal files" and “all not retain" Options, users choose according to their needs.
Selecting a reserved file

The settings before installation are working well. Start the installation. The fully automatic installation process does not require user intervention.
Installation progress display

Automatic installation is successful without any settings. Xiaobian has already demonstrated the two installation processes in detail. Users only need to follow the above process step by step, upgrade or new installation of Windows 8.1, it will become very simple.

Installation Success Experience Start Button and Start Screen Features

When Windows 8.1 Preview is installed, users will find two most significant differences:

“Start button" (non-menu)

Click this button to switch to the start screen immediately.
Windows 8.1 desktop start button (red box)

Clicking on the start icon, you will find that you have switched to the start screen. It seems that the desktop "start icon" is only for pointing to the start screen, the start menu is still It’s gone forever.
Click “Start button” Switch back and forth between the desktop and the start screen

Start screen changes to move up and down

There is a change on the start screen, unlike the previous Win8 start screen The slider below moves left and right to view the application, and now it moves up and down. The upper screen is a preset Metro application menu.

The lower screen lists all the application icons installed on the Windows 8.1 system, finds the application, and can use the filter to query, sort and so on.





Improve multi-screen display Built-in Xbox Music

Multi-screen browsing function is a major feature of Win8, and the Windows 8.1 browsing experience has been further improved.
Multi-screen display

Generally, 2-3 programs are displayed side by side, and there is a better improvement than the original Win8 system: in the original system multi-screen mode, only one major application The program is fully operational, and now, in multi-screen mode, the program window displayed on the screen can be fully operated.

Built-in Xbox Music

Built-in Xbox Music, not only for music, but also for Radio.
Search and collect music

You can import playlists in iTunes and also have Radio listening.
Import iTunes Create List

Multi-screen display and operation functions are more powerful. In the past, the system has multiple screen operations. In the case of the current split screen area, only the main program can be fully operated, and the other only Can browse, and now both programs can be fully operational.

Xbox Music can connect to the Xbox server to get music resources, import iTunes playlists to favorites, and also have built-in Radio function. The music playback function is improved compared to Win8.

Local and network integration search Bing channel

Windows 8.1 preview version, has realized the integration of local search and network search, let's see what happened.

Click on “Search” in the Charbat column on the right, and enter “Notepad” in the search box, the local “Notepad software” icon at the top of the search results, but below “Notepad” keyword web search results.
Typing “Notepad”Keywords show local and web search results at the same time

Click “Notepad" software icon to open Notepad, click on “Notepad Kelly Chen” , the web search result related to the keyword is automatically popped up (as shown below).
“Notepad” keyword search results

It can be seen that the Windows 8.1 preview version allows you to find a local file or program associated with the keyword by entering a keyword. Integrated search results for web content.

Colorful Bing Search Channel

Enter Bing search directly from the right side of Charmbar, and create a special search for weather, maps, fitness, local applications, network information, etc., and for the search results interface, A submenu is provided to further narrow the search.

Right-click on the special search channel page of “BING Health” to create a sub-menu (as shown below). Users can click to enter for further filtering search according to the category shown in the menu.
Bing Fitness Search Submenu

Type "<;Weather" from charmbar and go directly to the Bing Weather Metro program.
Bing Weather

With the Win8.1 preview search engine, you can search for local and network resources at the same time by typing a keyword from the "Search" box on the right sidebar. The setting is delineated, and the local and network search integration function is truly realized.

I have selected some Windows 8.1 compared to the previous version, which has a significant change in features. I hope that everyone will get a certain level of understanding of the 8.1 preview.

Summary of the article:

The first part introduces the upgrade of Windows 8.1 preview and two new installations, allowing users to quickly upgrade their Win8 system to 8.1.

The second part of the Windows 8.1 preview version of some significant features, it seems that Microsoft listened carefully to the opinions of the majority of users, in addition to the start button, start screen operation mode, multi-screen display and operation, etc., detailed In addition to the adjustment, the built-in program of the original Win8 system has also been deeply enhanced and expanded.