Upgrading to Windows 8

Are you ready to switch to a new OS? We hope that our guide will save you from a headache and help you overcome the difficulties that arise during the installation process. Switching to a new operating system is always a rather exciting event. And if proper precautions are not taken, there is a risk of losing documents, photos and other important data. Regardless of whether you are upgrading to an earlier version of the OS or performing a clean installation of Windows 8 from scratch, it makes sense to protect yourself from unwanted consequences in advance by following simple recommendations. First of all, check if Windows 8 is compatible with the hardware you have. The hardware part of the computer must meet the following minimum requirements: a processor with a clock frequency of 1 GHz, a graphics adapter (integrated or discrete) that supports DirectX 9, and a monitor with a screen resolution of 1024x768 points. In addition, the 32-bit version of Windows 8 requires 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of free disk space, and the 64-bit version requires at least 2 GB of RAM and 20 GB of disk space. If Windows Vista or Windows 7 is already installed, switching to Windows 8 should not cause any particular difficulties.

1. Check your computer - Windows 8.1 will tell you if your computer can run Windows 8.1, then provide a compatibility report and a list of additional steps to purchase, download, and install Windows. If you wish, you can familiarize yourself with system requirements , but it is not necessary. The Update Assistant does everything for you, and you don't even have to buy an update to run it.

Instead of upgrading online, you can buy Windows 8.1 on DVD from a retail store. Current prices are indicated on the web page, compare and вирішите or in the update assistant. Windows 8.1 upgrade DVDs are not available in all countries and regions. If you decide to buy the DVD, we still recommend that you run the upgrade assistant before installing to make sure that Windows 8.1 will work on your computer.

Завантаження та запуск помічника з оновлення

Compatibility check screen in the upgrade assistant Before starting the upgrade assistant, turn on and connect peripheral devices (printers, monitors, etc.) to check their functionality in Windows 8.1. When installing on a laptop or tablet computer, it is recommended to connect them to the mains.

Запуск помічника з оновлення

1. Click to download the update assistant .

Installation may take up to several minutes depending on the speed of your Internet connection.

1. When prompted in your browser, open, save, or run the Update Assistant program file. You can choose any of the options, but when choosing a team Зберегти need to find a file on your computer and double-click it to run.
2. Follow the instructions on the screen. Assistant Update will check whether the computer системним вимогам. It also checks the compatibility of applications and devices with Windows 8.1.

Notes.

• Learn more about how we use your data: Windows 8.1 Update Assistant and Setup Privacy Statement .
• To buy and download the Windows 8.1 upgrade over the Internet, you need to run the upgrade assistant.
• If you want to reformat the disk (this option is called a clean installation), then you need to do it from the installation media (DVD or USB flash drive) from the Windows installation program. More details: Як виконувати чисту установку Windows .

Перегляд звіту про сумісність

This is what the received data screen looks like in the upgrade assistant: After the Windows 8.1 upgrade assistant completes, it will be known whether Windows 8.1 can run on the computer. Plus, you'll get a free compatibility report that shows which apps and devices you use will work after the update, which ones won't, and what you can do to make them work. You don't need to do anything at this stage. If we need to suspend encryption programs, we will notify you later. A product that worked in Windows 7 will most likely work in Windows 8.1. However, information for some programs or devices may be missing. Here's how we get compatibility information:

• Independent hardware and software vendors test and officially certify some applications and devices for Windows 8.1.
• Compatibility information is partially taken from test reports provided by manufacturers. However, this information has not been verified or confirmed by Microsoft.
• Microsoft tests the most popular applications and devices on the market and provides compatibility information based on the results of testing. For some products not tested in Windows 8.1, compatibility status may be determined based on performance in Windows 8.

Learn more about the compatibility of specific programs or devices (as well as receive information from members community) in Центрі сумісності Windows or contact your device or application vendor.

2. Selection of saved elements

Екран зберігаються елементів в помічнику по оновленню

After receiving the compatibility report, you can decide what to keep on your computer after the update. Programs and settings cannot be saved during the update. Look for software installation discs or e-mails confirming the purchase of software over the Internet. They will be needed to reinstall programs after upgrading to Windows 8.1. For example, such programs include Microsoft Office, Apache OpenOffice, and Adobe programs. Backing up your files is also recommended at this stage.

• To save only personal files (documents, photos, music, movies, etc.), select an option Personal files only.
• To not save files, select an option Nothing. Before choosing this option, it is recommended to create a backup copy of the necessary files on an external medium.

Note.

• If you select the “Nothing” option when upgrading to Windows 8.1, personal files will not be transferred to the new version automatically, but they can be restored after the upgrade. They will be stored in the Windows.old folder and will be available after the update. More details: Відновлення файлів з ​​папки Windows.old .

3. Start updating

With a high speed Internet connection (between 1.5 and 10 Mbps), the download will take 30 minutes to 3 hours. The download may take longer depending on the speed of the Internet connection, computer performance, and other factors.

Downloads Windows 8.1 Click Further, To download the update to your computer. Downloads can be paused at any time. If you need to stop it and resume later, click Download Windows, which will appear on your desktop (instead of a link in an email message or an Update Assistant download). In this case, the download will resume from the moment of suspension, and not start again. If the download is interrupted, which does not work or the button does not appear suspend try restarting your computer. After rebooting, click the icon Завантажити Windows on the desktop to resume the download.

Installation Windows 8.1 Screen settings in Windows 8.1 Upgrade Assistant. After downloading Windows 8.1 on your computer, you can select several installation options.

• Install now. In most cases, the most convenient option will be Install.
• Create installation media. This is an optional installation that requires a USB flash drive or a blank DVD. It is recommended only for installation in a virtual environment or as part of a dual-boot configuration. It is not recommended to install Windows 8.1 on a separate computer.

Media selection screen in the upgrade assistant If you chose to install using media, install Windows 8.1 on a computer that is already running Windows, and then perform a clean installation. See instructions in sections Booting from media created for partition installation and Як виконувати чисту установку Windows . If you do not follow these instructions, you will not be able to activate your computer in the future. Install later from your computer. If you chose an option Install later from your computer, then a shortcut is created on the desktop that allows you to install Windows 8.1 later. Regardless of which option you choose (now or later), Windows Setup will prepare your computer and check if there are any other steps required before installation. Study all the items on the list in order. The list is automatically updated after each item. After completing all the points, everything will be ready to install the update. The installer will display a brief summary of the selected options. If you need to change something, click the button Back. When you're ready, click the button Install. During the installation of Windows 8.1, the computer reboots several times. After installing Windows 8.1, you will be prompted to select options.

5. Selection of parameters After installing Windows 8.1, you will be prompted to select options for your computer.

Персоналізація Personalization screen during installation Select a color. It can be changed at any time from the home screen. To do this, on the initial screen, bring the mouse pointer to the lower left corner of the screen, move it to the corner itself, click parameters, a potim Personalization.

Використання стандартних параметрів

Options screen during installation A list of recommended options, called defaults, will appear. Click to accept these settings and continue with the installation Use standard settings. Any of these options can be changed after the installation is complete. If you want to change any of these settings now, click Adjust.

For more information, click Learn more about standard options. To learn how these settings affect your privacy, click Privacy statement.

Вхід Microsoft account sign-in screen during installation You will then be prompted to sign in. If a local account sign-in page opens, you must first sign in with a local account, and then you will be asked to set up a Microsoft account.

Створення облікового запису Microsoft

1. Select Create an account.
2. You will then be prompted to select an email address to use as your Microsoft account. This can be any address, not necessarily the one provided by Microsoft. Enter the email address you use most often. This will allow you to set up e-mail addresses and contacts that are used every day in the Mail and People applications.
3. Enter the password to be used and enter other details, including last name, first name, country or region.
4. You will then be prompted to provide an alternate email address or phone number for email, phone or SMS communication. This helps protect your account and devices when sensitive data is accessed using your account. After entering this information, a message will be sent containing a security code that must be entered to confirm ownership of the account.

Використання локального облікового запису

Windows 8.1 is designed to be used with a Microsoft account, so we encourage you to give it a try. Simply put, a Microsoft account brings together many useful features of the new Windows system. Without a Microsoft account, it will be impossible, for example, to get new applications from the Windows Store, automatically synchronize settings and documents between computers, create backup copies of photos in the cloud so that you can access them from anywhere, as well as simultaneously view in applications "People" and "Mail" are all contacts from different mail accounts and social networks.

But if you're sure you want to use a local account, choose Create a new account, and then on the new account page, select Continue using your existing account.

SkyDrive The SkyDrive installation screen If you are installing Windows 8.1 for the first time on your computer, the new SkyDrive options will appear. When pressed On on this screen, the computer will use the following SkyDrive settings by default.

• Photos taken on this computer are stored in the Camera Roll folder on the computer, and a reduced copy of each photo is automatically copied to SkyDrive.
• By default, the created document is suggested to be saved in SkyDrive. For individual documents, you can choose local storage or storage on another disk.
• Windows backs up your PC settings to SkyDrive. If there is a problem with the computer and it needs to be replaced, the settings stored in the cloud can be instantly transferred to the new computer.

Any of these settings can be changed later in the Computer Settings section. If you want to disable the options now, click Disable these SkyDrive options (not recommended).

Installing updates in

Since Windows is constantly being updated, it's possible that critical updates have become available since Windows 8.1 was released. Windows checks for critical updates after the first installation of Windows 8.1 is complete and automatically downloads any updates it finds. Downloading and installing such updates can take from a few minutes to an hour, depending on the required updates. You may need to restart your computer several times to complete the update.