Windows 8.1 Update 2 Coming
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mackintosh
I'll wait for update 8.3 then.
riardon
It will not have the so promised and anticipated Start Menu. Alright MS failed to deliver to their users what they want. Ok fine but what will this update will bring? I guess nothing serious and nothing so important. Perhaps those changes could come way earlier. I bet they keep Start Menu as a selling point for Windows 9 next year. Typical MS.
jbmcmillan
I read the update could be a full install (3GB) and will require you to re-install all your 3rd party software just like what happened to me when I did the update to 8.1 which will be a major pita again.Funny though the update to 8.1 I've done for a couple of people that didn't happen to their installs but it was much later after the update was released.
lucidus
WZOR says the actual update is the same size as the previous update but the ISO is 3.x GB as usual. No idea about the contents though, MS has drastically tighter control over leaks these days.
Extraordinary
Yea I was reading instead of employees being able to download test ISOs from MS servers whenever they like, they have to request builds now, which makes it almost impossible to leak without MS knowing who did it
Denial
Microsoft already said the start menu wouldn't be redesigned till later this year. They have made significant changes that improved the overall quality of the interface for both tablet users and desktop users and yet you are still complaining.
I have absolutely zero usability problems with the interface as designed. I don't have a start menu replacement or anything and I'm able to navigate quicker on this then I was on previous iterations.
I'm a user and I don't want the old start menu back. If they can find a common ground that can keep the enhancements they made with 8, then fine.
tensai28
Good news! Can't wait to see what kind of improvements they will bring.
lucidus
Current rumours for the start menu are that it will be a Windows "9" feature and you'll be able to disable Metro in its entirety in the Enterprise SKU, and I hope the Pro version as well. Of course metro will be improved too though. It won't be going anywhere, anytime soon.
As for Update 2 my wishlist is very simple- fix the metadata editing while searching broken with 8.1.0, add functionality to CP that is only in PC Settings such as the advanced recovery modes, and restore user account manipulation to CP. They should focus only on bug fixing right now. I would also highly appreciate being able to use Onedrive without converting to a Microsoft account, I have no desire to link my PC to an online account for login. Also get rid of that annoying sidebar which pops up when the networking icon is clicked :X
DiceAir
I on't know why people get so upset with Microsoft not giving us the start menu back. Just install classicshell. Other than that I enjoy windows 8.1 it's faster on my machine for a fact. Not better fps in all games but everything feels smoother.
jbmcmillan
Yeah I was also reading that people who buy Win 8 update 2 will be given Win 9 for free when it's released that would alienate people that got Win 8 at the beginning.How true that is remains to be seen.
lucidus
Well 8.0 users do have the option to upgrade to 8.1.x via the store and then go to 9 but I wouldn't be surprised that a lot of 8.0 users would find that to be not worth the time and just buy 9 for whatever fee they're charging. Upgrading straight to 9 would be ideal but it's MS after all.
antonyfrn
Have to say its a shame they locked down the beta program at MS was part in it since Windows XP beta on betaplace. Now days the beta programs more or less dead very rare to find much more than security essentials betas and learning stuff writing exams etc.
I do miss getting my hands on stuff before it comes out or even if it never makes the light of day. But I did find in the Windows 7 beta MS did kill the windows team shifting a lot of people around few of them ended up working on MS Office at the time at lest it wasn't handled like the vista beta where they had barely any hardware vendors working with them to provide driver support.
orion24
We didn't ask MS to force the start menu back. All we asked is the ****ing OPTION for someone to switch to the classical Win7 UI. And I'm sure that this is way too easy for MS to do, if it wanted to, but it seems that it doesn't and maybe the next version of Windows is where to expect its return.
Personally I suspect that the lack of the classical start menu in Windows 8 was done for its reasons, like using the PC to make this new MS UI for tablets and smartphones familiar to people and giving people a good reason to buy Windows 9, where they are released.
Extraordinary
The start screen is no faster than the start menu, its exactly the same except full screen, in fact Id go as far to say, clicking a pinned icon on the start menu is faster than clicking a pinned tile on the start screen as you need to move your mouse less distance
Each to their own, but there is no speed boost whatsoever with the start screen vs the menu
Denial
I get 72 items on my start screen, 10 on start menu. I get information provided to me via live tiles on start screen, nothing on start menu. On my Surface I get a usable interface with start screen, on start menu it's a frustrating experience.
I agree that there should be an option to switch to older interfaces for users unable to adapt. I don't think this option should be default nor replace the current design. Start screen to me is slightly better in desktop use and irreplaceable in tablet use.
Extraordinary
Don't start with the trolling of "Users who are unable to adapt" adapting is this:
Nursery / Kindergarten = Big colourful pictures and blocks
to
Becoming an adult and learning to become accurate and specific
10 pinned items on the start menu? You missed the option to increase that then?
I didn't insult you with my comments on the start menu, if you get butt hurt when someone prefers the menu, your issue, not theirs
It has absolutely nothing to do with adapting, the start screen IMO is a step backwards, it makes things more awkward not easier or faster
And you get NO info on pinned tiles for anything other than Metro Apps, normal 3rd party pinned programs have an icon, same as the start menu, only bigger, and my eyes are working well enough to see them as they are, I don't need massive pictures to help me use Windows after I grew up with DOS >>> and upwards
eclap
does this mean I'll have to reinstall windows again? 8 > 8.1 required a reinstall, 8.1 > 8.1 Update 1 needed a reinstall here.
Extraordinary
In theory you shouldn't have needed a reinstall for any of them, people have successfully managed to upgrade from iirc either dos or 3.1 right up to 7 purely as upgrades each time, 7 > 8 and 8 to 8.1 work fine for most too
Not sure what is causing the problem that stops you upgrading, but possibly if you've been unlucky this far, there is a driver or hardware combo causing the problem that MS haven't sorted yet / know about
lucidus
If it is through windows update it shouldn't require a full reinstall but if it ends up being a store download then yeah, it will be an upgrade installation. Until MS unveils it, your guess is as good as mine.
Cyberdyne
I had my Win 7 install for almost 5 years (which I tweaked the hell out of). I've already had to reinstall Win 8 twice in less then 2. Once because I tweaked my OS, and the Update 1 made my system unbootable, and again more recently when I lost power on a shut down corrupting my user accounts (which win 7 was usually able to properly back up and restore, apparently 8 cannot do that as well...).
While 8 may be slightly speedier, I'm really starting to regret leaving 7.
