Win 8.1 Update - Opinions please

[LuLu]

So my laptop keeps bugging me to get the 8.1 update and I'm on the fence about it. Anyone here do it? Do you like it? Do you hate it?

[hazelnut]

LuLu I find it much better than 8.

[Derek891]

Hello LuLu - Like you, I was on the fence for quite a while, and updated about two weeks ago. I think navigation is improved, there's a new shortcut to take you from the Metro screen to the Apps screen and back. And I feel that apps open a little quicker. The one thing that surprised me is the fact the entire system is about 8GB smaller, losing about 3GB from the update itself and another 5GB or so when I deleted the Windows.old folder. The only down side is if you would ever have to re-install Windows, since it would involve installing Windows 8, applying all the security and system updates, then doing the 8.1 update again.   

[hazelnut]

Derek if you make a system image with 8.1 you would be covered

 

As regards the metro screen, I rarely use it and have 8.1 set to boot straight to the desktop anyway bypassing the metro part.

[Derek891]

Hello hazelnut - I do plan on saving an image of 8.1 soon. The 32GB memory stick I use with Macrium Reflect currently has the image of Windows 8.0 on it. I wanted to hang on to that until I was absolutely certain the update was free of any glitches, and to see if I actually preferred using 8.1 over 8.0.

 

In regards to booting straight into the Desktop, how do you do set that up? Like you, I prefer the Desktop and use it 99% of the time.

[hazelnut]

Right-click on the taskbar and select properties.

 

Choose navigation tab.

 

Put in tick in the box where it says ''When I sign in or close all apps on a screen, go to the desktop instead of Start''

 

Press Apply and then OK.

 

Next time you boot it will be to the desktop.

[Andavari]

As regards the metro screen, I rarely use it and have 8.1 set to boot straight to the desktop anyway bypassing the metro part.

 

Screenshot please.

[Winapp2.ini]

It's an option if you right click on the taskbar in 8.1.

 

I still haven't upgraded myself, but I like Windows 8 as is anyway. Waiting for the various incompatibilities (firefox namely) to be sorted before I go to 8.1

[hazelnut]

Screenshot please.

 

Here you go

[Andavari]

Here you go

 

Thank you. I'm trying to help my aunt with my very limited knowledge of Win8.x, she wanted that type of desktop view since she jumped from Win98 SE on a desktop PC to Win8.1 on a laptop.

[hazelnut]

Then a very big help to her is to right-click on the white flag bottom left of taskbar, and all options such as control panel, device manager and shut down will be available to her.

[Corona]

I think the jump from tower to laptop is more jarring than the jump from Win 98 to Win 8.

[LuLu]

Well, since there seems to be an issue between 8.1 and FF, I guess I'll hold off for a bit. Or I'll just switch to Chrome or another compatible browser like I keep saying I will.    But in the meantime, how do I create an image of 8.0?

 

ps- thanks to all those who offered input!

[hazelnut]

Open the control panel and select 'Windows 7 file recovery' (yes I know, you don't need to say it, but that's what it comes under!)

 

Then select create a system image.

 

Ideally you want to have an external drive LuLu to put it. Then just press 'start backup'

 

It will probably ask you afterwards to create a system repair disk. This is a good idea as you can use it start Windows when it refuses to start normally.

[Derek891]

Hello LuLu - I used Macrium Reflect to save an image of 8.0 just in case I decided to go back. You can download Macrium from Filehippo, the link is here: http://www.filehippo.com/download_macrium_reflect/

 

Here are the instructions how to create an image, along with a video at the bottom of the page: http://kb.macrium.com/KnowledgebaseArticle50074.aspx

 

And here's the instructions how to create a rescue CD or USB stick in case you find Windows will not boot: http://kb.macrium.com/KnowledgebaseArticle50165.aspx

 

Note that you will probably need a 32GB or 64GB USB stick to create your system image, depending on which partitions you choose to save and the amount of data they contain. Take what you have now and use about 60% of that amount to figure what size USB stick to use. This is roughly the amount of data compression that is applied when Macrium creates the images.

 

As far as the rescue media, you can use a CD, DVD, or small capacity USB stick since this is about 380MB in size.

[LuLu]

Ok cool thanks you guys!!! Sounds easy enough. I'll have to get a jump drive though since the biggest one I have is only 4gigs.

[Coffee4Joe]

Winapp, what are the incompatibilities with firefox and 8.1?

[hazelnut]

Although earlier versions of FF and 8.1 weren't compatible, version 27 is.

 

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/compatibility/CompatCenter/ProductViewerWithDefaultFilters?TempOsid=Windows%208.1&Locale=en-us&Architecture=X64&TextSearch=firefox%2Bversion%2B27&Type=Both&CurrentPage=0&TotalPages=1&ShowCriteria=0&SortCriteria=Relevance&Compatibility=Unknown&LastRequested=14

[mta]

Never noticed any issues myself.

Had 8.1 as soon as it come out have been running both Firefox and PaleMoon without any obvious issues.

In fact I haven't updated FF to 27 yet, still on 26.

[Alan_B]

Ok cool thanks you guys!!! Sounds easy enough. I'll have to get a jump drive though since the biggest one I have is only 4gigs.

I totally and fundamentally disagree.

 

You only need a SMALL Flash drive, or even a CD, for Macrium Boot Recovery to do its magic.

A small flash drive has random read access, and your Recovery software will load much faster than from a sequential access CD.

 

You can use EITHER a large Flash Drive OR a Hard Drive (preferably external) OR a stack of DVD's to hold the image.

In my experience :-

an external Hard drive does NOT need random access for a Macrium image backup and has the fastest read transfer rate;

A Flash drive is stupendously slower when you WRITE a backup image,

and you SHOULD be making images much more frequently than having to restore and recover from system and your own errors;

I have NO experience of using a stack of DVD's - and intend to avoid such agony.

[hazelnut]

Alan, LuLu may want to make a Windows System Image as well as using Macrium. Two chances then if things go wrong

 

A little external hardrive is a great thing to have.

 

In case you are wondering what I mean LuLu I'm talking about a little thing like this which plugs into a usb port and has 500 gigs of space.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Passport-Essential-Midnight-Black-Portable/dp/B004445JHC/ref=tag_stp_s2_edpp_url

[Alan_B]

I am totally disagreeing with the need for a 32 GB or 64 GB Flash drive as previously suggested by Derek,

and feared that LuLu was going down that path with a "larger Jump Drive".

 

I did have in mind an external drive such as your suggestion of

WD My Passport Essential 500 GB Midnight Black Portable Hard Drive (USB 3.0/2.0).

 

For me the simple and reliable solution is a small Flash Drive to boot into Macrium WinPE Rescue with image backups on the external drive.

Macrium will cause no problem if the external drive also holds "native Windows Image files",

but since I do not trust the behavior of Windows I would be inclined to segregate the Windows images in a separate partition on that external drive.

[login123]

My 2 cents: 

I use an external usb 500 gb drive, has its own power transformer. 

Up side is that its sturdier, doesn't draw power from the computers power supply, and usually cheaper than the newer smaller slicker ones. 

Down side is that its big and clunky, must be plugged in, not very portable. 

Doesn't matter to me, I don't need to haul all that software around with me. 

 

You could put lots of backups on such a device.