How to download window 8.1 for free

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You may unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time. Microsoft listened to their woes and delivered Windows 8. You also have the ability to hide the start screen or be directed to the app list instead. This list is basically a full screen start menu which you can organize into a number of different categories. It's not the same as that of Windows 7, but it's definitely not as bad as Windows 8. You now have to option to create smaller or larger screen tiles to your heart's desire.

Use smaller tiles to make your start screen more productive as you can see more apps all at once. Bigger tiles show more up to date details. You can glance at the weather forecast without actually opening the application. The start screen can also adjust to larger resolutions so you have more rows of tiles without needing a huge empty space. The varying sizes of tile apps allow for more convenience in using your mouse or trackpad to navigate.

More options to suit you Microsoft also included over different color combinations you can use to personalize your desktop. Desktop apps color coordinate themselves to match the most dominant color in its logo.

You can easily see changes on your desktop without jumping in and out of the PC settings app. Just simply go to the personalization panel in the Charms bar and try to change your wallpaper and see if it looks nice. The updated search function goes beyond the ordinary OS search engine. It's now a platform built right unto your computer's system that allows you to search locally and on the internet for whatever you need. Locating a document using this feature will not only lead you to the file but will also offer you search results from the internet and on your app settings.

In some cases, the installer might find something you need to take care of before you can continue installing the update. If so, you'll see a message telling you what you need to do. After the update is downloaded and the first phase of the installation is complete which could take between 15 minutes and a few hours, depending on your system and your connection speed , you'll see a message telling you that your PC needs to restart.

Or you can restart it yourself. Important: If you leave your PC before it's ready to restart, be sure to save your work and close any desktop apps you're using to make sure you don't lose anything when it restarts automatically.

Restarting will take longer than usual—from 20 minutes to about an hour—while the update is applied. During this time, you won't be able to use your PC. You'll see a list of recommended settings called Express settings. To accept these settings and continue, select Use express settings.

You can change any of these settings later, after you finish setting up. If you'd like to change some of these settings now, select Customize. For more info, select Learn more about express settings. To learn about how these settings affect your privacy, select Privacy statement. Next, you'll be asked to sign in. If you already use a Microsoft account to sign in to Windows 8 or Windows RT, your account name will be filled in for you.

If you previously used a local account, you can still use it to sign in. We'll send a security code to the alternate email address or phone number you've set up for this account, and you'll need to enter that code to verify that you're the owner of the account.

This helps us protect your account and devices when you access sensitive info. If you don't have alternate contact info set up for the account yet, you'll be asked to provide it now. To sign in with your local account, enter your password. You can always connect to a Microsoft account later, and we recommend giving it a try. Simply put, your Microsoft account is the glue that holds together so many useful features of the new Windows. With an account, you'll be able to get apps from the Windows Store, automatically sync your settings and documents between PCs, back up your photos to the cloud so you can get to them from anywhere, and see all your contacts from multiple email and social networking accounts together in the People and Mail apps.

If this is your first time setting up a PC with Windows 8. If you already have another PC running Windows 8. Step 4. Click on the version of Windows 8. If you are unclear about your computer is bit or bit, you can refer to this guide. Step 5. After you click on the Download button and select a location to save the Windows 8.

The download process may take a while, so please wait for it to complete patiently.