Microsoft has just released Windows 8.1 to the public. If you are using Windows 8, you can get a free upgrade to 8.1 at the Windows Store. If you don’t already have Windows 8 and want to try out the latest version of Windows free, you can do so right now. The trial is valid for 90 days. But please, please, please, do not install this as your primary operating system. Best option? Download the free VMWare Player and create a virtual machine — it’s easy to do and keeps Windows 8.1 separate from your primary operating system. Another option is to use dual boot, but we don’t think that option is a good choice, since in 90 days you’d have to remove Windows 8.1 or sit there and choose operating systems at Windows start up — or wait 30 seconds for the automatic boot into your primary operating system. If our readers show enough interest in creating a virtual Windows machine using VMWare Player, we’ll do a picture tutorial for you. How about it? Are enough of you interested? (You can also run Windows XP in a virtual machine and not have to worry about security issues. If the virtual machine is attacked, just delete it and create a new one. It’s that easy.).
The download is available from Microsoft here. While you can between the 32- or 64-bit versions, this version of Windows 8.1 comes in one flavor, and that flavor is Windows 8.1 Enterprise Edition – Captain Jean-luc Picard commanding :-). Keep in mind that this is a huge 3 GB + download and it will take some time to download. Oh yes, you’ll need a Microsoft account too – which is a Hotmail, Outlook.com, Live.com or Msn.com email account..
After you install the trial, you will need to activate it. A product key is not required. You have 90 days to use the trial. You must activate your trial before 31 October 2014.
Setting up Windows 8.1 Enterprise on a Virtual Machine.
Windows 8.1 Enterprise installer finishing up.
Windows 8.1 Enterprise running in a virtual machine.
I would love to do this. I’m still operating the Windows XP operating system. I know that I need to be looking at a new computer next year, but this would be great for me so that I can get a feel for the Windows 8 or try to put Windows 7 on the machine I have. I have added the max RAM for this CPU but the graphics card is my main worry now. If this would still work to set this up as trial on a Windows XP machine, I’d love to try this. Thanks so much!
Have thinking about upgrading to Windows 8. This might be a way to give it a try first. Thanks