Run a Windows Update and install all important updates before you upgrade. You won’t be able to see the Windows 8.1 file until all key updates have been installed. Next, make sure you have sufficient storage space on your system drive; the upgrade file is between 2 and 4GB. After you cleaned up, create a backup of your files. Better yet, if you want to be able to downgrade or restore your system in case something goes wrong during the upgrade, create a system image.
You can restore, refresh, or reset Windows 8, but the option to create a backup of your data or a full system image is kind of hidden. In Windows 8, open the Charms bar and do a Search for recovery in Settings. The option you are looking for is called Windows 7 File Recovery.
This feature was added so you could restore backups made in Windows 7. Windows 7 File Recovery might seem familiar. Indeed, it looks the same as the Windows 7 Backup and Restorefeature. Not only does it look the same way, it also works the same way, meaning it has retained the capability to create backups and system images. So go ahead and create that Windows 8 system image, which is your only chance to restore your personal Windows 8 setup, after an upgrade to Windows 8.1.
Since Windows 8.1 won’t allow you to restore a system image of Windows 8, you will have to re-install Windows 8 before restoring your system image.
If you do not have Windows 8 installation media, you should create them now. This is something Microsoft has actually made fairly easy. Have your product key ready, navigate to thisUpgrading Windows page, click the Install Windows 8 button, run the .exe file, and after entering your product key select Install by creating media. See the entire process with screenshots on theSupersite for Windows.
Upgrade To Windows 8.1
This is the easiest part of this whole endeavor, although not necessarily the quickest; it can take more than 3 hours, so don’t plan on doing anything with that computer for a while.
Whenever you can spare the time, navigate to the Windows Store on the Windows 8 device you wish to upgrade.
If you don’t see this huge purple Update Windows tile shown above, then you probably have a few important updates to install. Just go to Windows Update (open Charms bar, search Settingsfor update, and launch Windows Update), check for updates, force pending updates to download and install immediately, then come back and try again.
If you do see the purple tile, click it, download the Windows 8.1 update…
…and initiate the installation process.
Your computer will automatically restart several times.
As part of the installation process, you need to accept new license terms, choose express or custom settings, sign into your Microsoft account, verify your account with a security code sent to the registered email address, and OK the SkyDrive setup.
Once setup has completed, you will land on the improved Windows 8.1 Start screen. If you upgraded from Windows 8, your files and previously installed applications will still be there. If you upgraded from Windows 8.1 Preview, however, you’ll have to re-install your desktop programs and apps, although the download links for modern apps will be waiting for you on the Start screen. Enjoy exploring the updated environment.
Downgrade to Windows 8
Are you disappointed in Windows 8.1? Don’t like how it works compared to Windows 8 or did something go wrong during the upgrade? This is the time to use your previously created system image to “downgrade” to Windows 8.
As mentioned previously, you can’t use your Windows 8 system image on Windows 8.1 because essentially, it’s a different operating system. So this is not a downgrade at all, but rather a very time intensive brute-force system restore. And here is how you do it…
First, you have to replace Windows 8.1 with a fresh installation of Windows 8 using your original installation media or the ones you created prior to upgrading. Once you’re back in Windows 8, use a Windows 8 recovery disk or restart to recovery options from the Power menu. Hold down the left [SHIFT] key and select Restart. A moment later you should find yourself in the recovery environment.
Within the recovery environment, go to Troubleshoot, Advanced Options, and finally System Image Recovery. You will need to choose the target operating system; select Windows 8. Make sure the drive containing the system recovery image is connected, select the image you want to restore, proceed to the Next window, click Finish and confirm that you want to continue.
Windows should now re-image your computer and if all goes well, you will be back in your old Windows 8 setup in just under a day. Well, nobody claimed it was fast or easy, but with some tedious detrous, at least it’s possible.