Windows 8.1 - ARGH!

pburke90pburke90 Posts: 14,754
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As someone who was quite happy with Windows 8 and how everything worked I downloaded the 8.1 update today thinking it would enhance the experience somewhat. Boy was I wrong. The update took the best part of 2 hours to install, (it downloaded very quickly on my fibre connection so that wasn't the reason for the delay, and I have a SSD so it couldn't have been a drive issue).

The system takes longer to start up now, from what was once a 17 second start-up (from pushing the power button to finishing typing my PIN and the Start screen loading instantly) now takes about 40 seconds. If I right click on the desktop the pop-up menu takes 14 seconds to come up whilst I get to watch a spinning wheel go round and round. The whole system seems sluggish and unresponsive and a lot of the customisations and such I had on the system have not been maintained so its all back to looking stock and now with the custom fonts and layout I had.

I'm not impressed at all by the update procedure or how is has messed up my system. Thanks a lot, Microsoft. Asshats.
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Comments

  • -Batman--Batman- Posts: 7,391
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    i can no longer login into my Netgear router since updating.
    works fine from my Macbook but from my Windows Desktop refuses on i.e and Firefox
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 742
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    Glad i didn't update now.Microsoft always seems to make things worse with updates rather then making it any better.
  • LiamCarbinLiamCarbin Posts: 357
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    -Batman- wrote: »
    i can no longer login into my Netgear router since updating.
    works fine from my Macbook but from my Windows Desktop refuses on i.e and Firefox

    Nice find, just tried logging into the superhub as same problem. "Google chrome could not connect"

    I have to agree. I seemed to be in the minority of people that were actually happy with W8, since the update though, computer is more sluggish (was fine before the update)
  • daclickdaclick Posts: 3,393
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    Seeing the slowness too was debating upgrading to 16gb ram
  • pburke90pburke90 Posts: 14,754
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    I am actually considering uninstalling 8.1 and going back to 8. I would probably go back to 7 but I paid for a product key for 8 so it would be a shame to not use it. I'm just so frustrated why 8 was absolutely fine and 8.1 has turned out to be such a f*** up. I don't particularly want to spend the rest of the evening restoring laptops and installing an OS. *sigh* :(
  • SexbombSexbomb Posts: 20,005
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    I had to reinstall everything, now made a true image 2014 backup.
  • TheBigMTheBigM Posts: 13,125
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    Paddy C wrote: »
    I am actually considering uninstalling 8.1 and going back to 8. I would probably go back to 7 but I paid for a product key for 8 so it would be a shame to not use it. I'm just so frustrated why 8 was absolutely fine and 8.1 has turned out to be such a f*** up. I don't particularly want to spend the rest of the evening restoring laptops and installing an OS. *sigh* :(

    check for additional updates and updating your drivers.

    8.1 installed smoothly for me but then I had some WiFi issues. Updating these has made my PC fast and smooth again.
  • Sick BulletSick Bullet Posts: 20,770
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    I think it's great way faster than windows 7, could it be because I went straight to 8.1? :)
  • StigStig Posts: 12,446
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    Paddy C wrote: »
    I am actually considering uninstalling 8.1 and going back to 8. I would probably go back to 7 but I paid for a product key for 8 so it would be a shame to not use it. I'm just so frustrated why 8 was absolutely fine and 8.1 has turned out to be such a f*** up. I don't particularly want to spend the rest of the evening restoring laptops and installing an OS. *sigh* :(

    Give it another day and a few more reboots. My updated system got faster after a fe boots.

    As for the long install time: I think it has more to do with how much personal data you have on the PC rather than how fast it is. The update process backs up all your data, installs Windows 8.1 and then reinstates your data.
  • pburke90pburke90 Posts: 14,754
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    Well I have downloaded 8.1 and made an ISO from it and am going to do a clean install. No way should the right-click menu on the desktop take 16 seconds to show up after you click. Something is wrong and hopefully a re-install will fix it.
  • pburke90pburke90 Posts: 14,754
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    Won't seem to work. 8.1 installer won't accept my 8 product key. I have to install 8 again or pull out my old 7 disc. Hmmmm, decisions decisions...
  • DWA9ISDWA9IS Posts: 10,557
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    does win 8.1 actually correct the start menu issue? after the rubbish attempt at a new style start menu for desktop PCs with windows 8 I hope so! if they have I might even consider win 8.1 as an update as up till now I have stuck with 7 after skipping Vista!
  • psionicpsionic Posts: 20,188
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    Paddy C wrote: »
    Won't seem to work. 8.1 installer won't accept my 8 product key. I have to install 8 again or pull out my old 7 disc. Hmmmm, decisions decisions...

    It's a major pain in the ar$e. You can make an 8.1 ISO / bootable disk. With a small trick mentioned here.

    However you cannot use that to upgrade as it asks for a 8.1 product key. Why on earth MS decided to do it this way is a mystery. There are apparently two ways around it. One use a generic 8.1 key which allow you to install/upgrade but won't activate. However you can then your 8.0 to activate using 'slmgr' (see the comments below the article linked above). The other way is if you make a bootable USB drive to install 8.1 you can create a file on it called ei.cfg (again see comments in article for details) this will allow you to install without it prompting for a 8.1 key, then after install you can activate with a normal 8.0. key.

    I haven't tried these methods yet, but I have several machines to upgrade to 8.1 in the coming week, and won't have the time to download 8.1 each and every time. So I hope it works.
  • psionicpsionic Posts: 20,188
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    lotrjw wrote: »
    does win 8.1 actually correct the start menu issue? after the rubbish attempt at a new style start menu for desktop PCs with windows 8 I hope so! if they have I might even consider win 8.1 as an update as up till now I have stuck with 7 after skipping Vista!

    Nope it doesn't bring back the traditional start menu. It does however bring back the start button and allow you to boot straight to desktop mode. It also has more customisation of the start screen. However loads of third party utilities around that can bring back the start menu like Classic Shell etc.
  • ffa1ffa1 Posts: 2,833
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    My boot up time tripled from about 20 seconds under 8.0 to around a minute. But it gradually came down with each boot and is now back down to not much longer than the boot up time under 8.0. Hopefully you'll have the same experience as me.
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,692
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    Paddy C wrote: »
    Won't seem to work. 8.1 installer won't accept my 8 product key. I have to install 8 again or pull out my old 7 disc. Hmmmm, decisions decisions...

    If you are installing 8.1 from a ISO or a usb stick you need to use a generic 8.1 window key

    Then once installed you can put your own windows 8 key back in.

    Have a look at the comments on here.
  • psionicpsionic Posts: 20,188
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    What I'm not sure about is the machines with came with 8.0 pre-installed by the OEM. They don't even put product key stickers anymore on computers these days. Guess there's little choice but to download separately for each computer. Microsoft have really made things unnecessarily difficult. All I want is a stand-alone offline installer to perform upgrades without repeatedly downloading from scratch. Also why have different keys for 8.1 and 8.0?
  • pburke90pburke90 Posts: 14,754
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    I have now re-installed 7 to see how I feel. I may go back to 8 in time, but I'm gonna let 7 have one last hurrah, and at least I get the start menu back!
  • DWA9ISDWA9IS Posts: 10,557
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    psionic wrote: »
    What I'm not sure about is the machines with came with 8.0 pre-installed by the OEM. They don't even put product key stickers anymore on computers these days. Guess there's little choice but to download separately for each computer. Microsoft have really made things unnecessarily difficult. All I want is a stand-alone offline installer to perform upgrades without repeatedly downloading from scratch. Also why have different keys for 8.1 and 8.0?

    is there not software for win 8 that extracts the info like product keys like you can do in win 7?
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,692
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    lotrjw wrote: »
    is there not software for win 8 that extracts the info like product keys like you can do in win 7?

    http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/

    So I have been told, I just downloaded it, and now going to put windows 8.1 on a all in one Lenavo, i hope it works. i will take my Iso with me that I downloaded yesterday as it will be quicker than downloading it again.

    i will also back up the whole system before I start, wish me luck, now if I can just go out without getting soaked.
  • SexbombSexbomb Posts: 20,005
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    MS has removed the windows RT update from the website as it had caused a few issues with IE with some google services and RT gadgets while it looks into the issue.
  • neo_walesneo_wales Posts: 13,625
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    I am surprised that MS has not offered a direct ISO download. My lad got one from using
    http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/windows-81-tip-download-windows-81-iso-windows-8-product-key

    which I think has been linked here already and has done the upgrade on my PC and I think my Surface Pro during my absence from home. To be honest the rest of the home network in still on W7 and although I've several un-used and legal W8 licenses I could use there is no point in upgrading the other machines for what they're used for at the moment; as they say 'If it ain't broke don't fix it'.
  • late8late8 Posts: 7,175
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    Its time the entire PC echosystem was revamped.

    Windows is bloated and Win 8 and 8.1 are still turd.

    MS should have grown balls gone down the separate tablet and NEW PC OS route instead.
  • John259John259 Posts: 28,327
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    Sexbomb wrote: »
    MS has removed the windows RT update from the website as it had caused a few issues with IE
    It's worse that that. The update bricked some Surface RT tablets.
    http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/19/4855660/windows-rt-8-1-update-taken-offline-due-to-installation-issues
  • neo_walesneo_wales Posts: 13,625
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    late8 wrote: »
    Its time the entire PC ecosystem was revamped.

    Windows is bloated and Win 8 and 8.1 are still turd.

    MS should have grown balls gone down the separate tablet and NEW PC OS route instead.

    Is it? In your view maybe but remember millions of individual users are happy with Windows (as are millions of businesses).
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