Upgrade From Windows 8 To Windows 8.1

[Tavarus Calamia]

Thisarticle deals with upgrading from Windows versions that are out of support. For a current version of this article, please see Windows upgrade paths that deals with currently supported versions of Windows.

This article provides a summary of available upgrade paths to Windows 10. You can upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7 or a later operating system. Paths include upgrading from one release of Windows 10 to later release of Windows 10. Migrating from one edition of Windows 10 to a different edition of the same release is also supported.

If you're also migrating to a different edition of Windows, see Windows edition upgrade. Methods and supported paths are described on this page to change the edition of Windows. These methods require that you input a license or product key for the new Windows edition prior to starting the upgrade process. Edition downgrade is also supported for some paths. However, applications and settings aren't maintained when the Windows edition is downgraded.

Windows 10 version upgrade: You can directly upgrade any General Availability Channel version of Windows 10 to a newer, supported General Availability Channel version of Windows 10, even if it involves skipping versions. Work with your account representative if your current version of Windows is out of support. See the Windows lifecycle fact sheet for availability and service information.

In-place upgrade from Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 General Availability Channel to Windows 10 LTSC isn't supported. Windows 10 LTSC 2015 didn't block this in-place upgrade path. This issue was corrected in the Windows 10 LTSC 2016 release, which only allows data-only and clean install options.

You can upgrade from Windows 10 LTSC to Windows 10 General Availability Channel if you upgrade to the same or a newer build version. For example, Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB can be upgraded to Windows 10 Enterprise version 1607 or later. Upgrade is supported using the in-place upgrade process using Windows setup. The Product Key switch needs to be used if you want to keep your apps. If you don't use the switch, the option Keep personal files and apps option is grayed out. The command line would be setup.exe /pkey xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx, using your relevant Windows 10 GA Channel product key. For example, if using a KMS, the command line would be setup.exe /pkey NPPR9-FWDCX-D2C8J-H872K-2YT43.

Windows N/KN: Windows "N" and "KN" SKUs (editions without media-related functionality) follow the same upgrade paths shown in the following tables. If the pre-upgrade and post-upgrade editions aren't the same type (for example, Windows 8.1 Pro N to Windows 10 Pro), personal data is kept but applications and settings are removed during the upgrade process.

With Windows, you can quickly upgrade from one edition of Windows to another, provided the upgrade path is supported. For information on what edition of Windows is right for you, see the following articles:

Each desktop edition in the table also has an N and KN SKU. These editions have had media-related functionality removed. Devices with N or KN SKUs installed can be upgraded to corresponding N or KN SKUs using the same methods.

Edition upgrades via Microsoft Store for Business are no longer available with the retirement of the Microsoft Store for Business. For more information, see Microsoft Store for Business and Education retiring March 31, 2023 and Microsoft Store for Business and Microsoft Store for Education overview.

To upgrade desktop editions of Windows using MDM, enter the product key for the upgraded edition in the UpgradeEditionWithProductKey policy setting of the WindowsLicensing CSP. For more info, see WindowsLicensing CSP.

For information on upgrading editions of Windows using Microsoft Intune, including switching out of S mode, see Upgrade Windows 10/11 editions or switch out of S mode on devices using Microsoft Intune.

Use Windows Configuration Designer to create a provisioning package to upgrade a desktop edition of Windows. Windows Configuration Designer is available as part of the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK) or as a stand-alone Microsoft Store app. Download the Windows Configuration Designer from one of the following locations:

Download and install the Windows ADK - When installing the ADK, make sure to select Configuration Designer. After installation, Windows Configuration Designer can be found in the Start Menu under Windows Kits > Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer.

Volume license customers whose license has expired need to change the edition of Windows to an edition with an active license. Downgrading the edition of Windows is possible using the same methods that were used to perform an edition upgrade. If the downgrade path is supported, then apps and settings can be migrated from the current edition. If a path isn't supported, then a clean install is required.

The table may not represent more complex scenarios. For example, you can perform an upgrade from Pro to Pro for Workstation on a computer with an embedded Pro key using a Pro for Workstation license key. You can then later downgrade this computer back to Pro with the firmware-embedded key. The downgrade is allowed but only because the pre-installed OS is Pro.

You can move directly from Enterprise to any valid destination edition. In this example, downgrading to Pro for Workstations, Pro Education, or Education requires an additional activation key to supersede the firmware-embedded Pro key. In all cases, you must comply with Microsoft License Terms. If you're a volume license customer, refer to the Microsoft Volume Licensing Reference Guide.

Windows 10 is arguably still the best (even in 2024) PC operating system. Unfortunately, as of fall 2023, you can no longer upgrade from Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 10 for free. However, Windows 10 licenses can be found for cheap, look immediately below for some of the best deals available right now.

Windows 10 should install without a hitch, but driver problems are a possibility and, during any system update, there's always a chance something will go wrong. Before you begin the process, make sure you have all of your data files backed up, preferably to a cloud service such as Microsoft's own One Drive, where you can download them again if your computer crashes. If you don't have a system restore disk already, it's a good idea to make a full system backup using disk imaging software such as Macrium Reflect, which makes a bit-by-bit copy of your hard drive.

Finally, make sure you have 1 to 2 hours free to run the install. Though you can walk away for large portions of the process, you can expect all the downloading and file copying to take at least 60 minutes and, in our case, closer to two hours on a fast Internet connection. If you have slow or inconsistent Internet, you should go to some place that has a strong connection and follow the instructions for creating a USB install disk you can use at home.

4. Click Select Upgrade this PC Now if you are just installing on this computer and want to do so right away. However, if you want to create your own USB or DVD media, see the section below on "How to Create Windows 8 Install Media." Though it requires a few extra steps and a blank Flash drive or disc, creating your own install media allows you to not only install on multiple computers, but also reinstall on your current computer if something goes wrong.

The tool will take a while to download the software so be patient, particularly if you have a slow Internet connection. After it downloads, the software also goes through a preparation process and downloads some more files, all of which takes time, perhaps as long as an hour even on a high-speed connection.

6. If you're upgrading from Windows 7 make sure to select "keep personal files and app" or the upgrade won't work. Then Click the Install button. Wait 20 to 30 minutes for the computer to copy files. It will reboot several times.

If you have a 4GB or larger USB flash drive (very common and affordable in 2022), or a blank DVD handy (if you still use an optical drive), you can create your own Windows 10 install disk. Having your own disk allows you to run the upgrade on multiple computers without waiting an hour for a fresh download. You also have the option of doing a clean install or running the upgrade a second time if you run into problems later. Here's how to create a Windows 10 install disk.

If the software asks you for a product key, you are using the wrong version of Windows 10 to upgrade. For example, you might be attempting to install Windows 10 Home over your existing Windows 8.1 Pro or vice versa. The following steps are the same as if you install via direct download.

Note: This article was originally published in January 2017. It has been updated multiple times since then to reflect the most current information. The most recent update was on May 15, 2024.

When Microsoft released Windows 10 in 2015, it offered the new operating system as a free, no-strings-attached upgrade for anyone still running a supported, fully activated previous version of Windows. That offer was only supposed to last for one year, but Microsoft quietly kept its activation servers running for more than eight years, granting free digital licenses to Windows 10 on hardware originally licensed for use with Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

That loophole officially closed on September 20, 2023, when Microsoft posted an inconspicuous announcement on a website for its hardware partners. (For details, see "It's official: No more free Windows 10 upgrades".)

Since that announcement, I've heard from multiple readers who confirmed that their Windows 7 and Windows 8.x systems are not properly activated after an upgrade to Windows 10. (Systems that were previously activated still continue to work properly, though.) Surprisingly, I've also heard from a handful of correspondents who had been successful in activating their PCs after upgrading an old Windows version to Windows 10.

3a8082e126