Microsoft Giving You More Time to Update to Windows 8.1

Back in April, Microsoft told Windows 8.1 users to refresh their system with the new Update released earlier that month. Customers were advised to do so before May 13, the next Patch Tuesday, in order to receive additional security patches from Microsoft.

"This update will be considered a new servicing/support baseline," a Microsoft engineer said. "What this means is those users who have elected to install updates manually will have 30 days to install Windows 8.1 Update on Windows 8.1 devices; after this 30-day window (and beginning with the May Patch Tuesday), Windows 8.1 user's devices without the update installed will no longer receive security updates."

However, on Monday, Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc jumped onto the Windows Experience Blog and announced that the Windows 8.1 Update due date has moved back another 30 days so that customers have plenty of time to download and install the mandatory Update.

"While we believe the majority of people have received the update, we recognize that not all have. Having our customers running their devices with the latest updates is super important to us. And we're committed to helping ensure their safety. As a result, we've decided to extend the requirement for our consumer customers to update their devices to the Windows 8.1 Update in order to receive security updates another 30 days to June 10th," he writes.

"As noted previously, consumer customers who do not update their Windows 8.1 devices to the Windows 8.1 Update by this new deadline will no longer receive updates. We're confident that within the next month, the majority of the remaining customers who haven't updated their devices to the Windows 8.1 Update will be able to do so," LeBlanc adds.

To update Windows 8.1 manually, follow the steps here. For those who run into problems, LeBlanc suggests heading here or posting the problem in the Windows community forums.

  • dextermat
    **facepalm**
    If you have a windows 8 /8.1 oem, reinstalling windows is hell...
    M$ need to fix this up.
    Updating to 8.1 makes recovery disk and recovery partition unusable.
    Windows 8.1 cannot create a recovery disk only recovery usb drive....

    Fix that up before shoving something down costumer's throat...
    Reply
  • soldier44
    Good luck with that Microsoft, keeping 7 until Win 9 comes so I have a while yet.
    Reply
  • adipose
    Title is wrong. It says you have to update to Windows 8.1. Instead, as the article itself explains, you have to install "Windows 8.1 Update," an update to Windows 8.1. If you don't have Windows 8.1, you don't need the update.
    Reply
  • memadmax
    Waiting on Win9....

    Win7 is the new XP...
    Reply
  • pjmelect
    **facepalm**
    If you have a windows 8 /8.1 oem, reinstalling windows is hell...
    M$ need to fix this up.
    Updating to 8.1 makes recovery disk and recovery partition unusable.
    Windows 8.1 cannot create a recovery disk only recovery usb drive....

    Fix that up before shoving something down costumer's throat...

    I agree reinstalling Windows 8 is a pain, even if you create a Windows 8.1 install disk, it will not allow a legal Windows 8 serial number .
    Reply
  • IamFinn
    What if you bought a laptop running win 8.1 after the deadline, does that mean you cant update it? Please someone clarify this to me.
    Reply
  • SteelCity1981
    I have had nothing up ongoing issues with windows 8.1. since updating my laptop freezes a lot. So figuring it maybe something software related I reformatted it, and upgraded straight from windows 8 which my laptop came with to windows 8.1.1 thinking that may solve the issues, but I had the same issue with a fresh install going right from windows 8 to windows 8.1 to windows 8.1.1. even after installing the latest drivers. I got fed up with it and nothing on my laptops vendors website stated there were issues. So I went and grabbed an oem windows 7 home edition cd I had laying around and reformatted my laptop to windows 7 Since then I haven't had a single freeze or issue since. I'm apparently not alone as I did a google search other people have had the same freezing issues with windows 8.1 and windows 8.1.1. Just another issue ontop of the problems windows 8.x continues to have.
    Reply
  • SteelCity1981
    What if you bought a laptop running win 8.1 after the deadline, does that mean you cant update it? Please someone clarify this to me.

    no it just means you can't download any more updates until you download the windows 8.1 update 1 first.
    Reply
  • SteelCity1981
    **facepalm**
    If you have a windows 8 /8.1 oem, reinstalling windows is hell...
    M$ need to fix this up.
    Updating to 8.1 makes recovery disk and recovery partition unusable.
    Windows 8.1 cannot create a recovery disk only recovery usb drive....

    Fix that up before shoving something down costumer's throat...

    I agree reinstalling Windows 8 is a pain, even if you create a Windows 8.1 install disk, it will not allow a legal Windows 8 serial number .


    yeah which is stupid that would be like you installing windows 7 sp1 from a clean installed and not allowing any original windows 7 keys.
    Reply
  • drwho1
    Microsoft scary tactics at work.
    Reply