As some of you might know, the Windows 8.1 Preview and Server 2012 R2 Preview (code name Windows Blue) will become available on the 26th of June. Personally I’m looking forward to both of them and can’t wait for it. Also for those who missed it, The Windows 8.1 / Windows RT 8.1 update will be free. The final RTM version of Windows 8.1 is expected to be available August 1st.

When you’re planning to install a new version, you might want to prepare for it. Even though I tried to keep it as generic as possible, some of the steps described are not applicable to Windows RT but you should be able to understand what the goal is. You can probably also re-use these preparations when you want to update from the Preview version to the RTM version.

Preparations could include, but are not limited to:

1. Determining if you can/want to install the update.
   • Read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
   • Windows 8.1 Preview Comes with Install Caveats
   • Check the forum that can be used to provide feedback and to get/provide assistance with bugs/issues. There’s also a forum for the Internet Explorer 11 Preview.
   • Determine if you like the update by reading websites and articles like:
     • Windows 8.1
     • What’s new for the enterprise in Windows 8.1
     • First look at Windows 8.1 video (5 mins)
     • Continuing the Windows 8 vision with Windows 8.1
     • Windows 8.1 preview: many small tweaks make for a significant update
     • Windows 8.1: release date, screenshots, features (2 pages)
     • Windows 8.1 Wikipedia
     • Windows 8.1 Updated and New Apps in Action
     • Outlook 2013 RT Coming to Windows RT Tablets as part of Windows 8.1 Update
     • Windows 8.1 @ Computex 2013 – Demo, apps, devices (video+transcript)
       
     • New in Windows 8.1 Security: Overview (video+ slides)
     • New in Windows 8.1 Security: Modern Access Control Deep Dive (video+slides)
     • Let’s get the Windows 8.1 party started
     • The Windows 8.1 Preview is here!
     • Windows 8.1: Getting Beyond the Non-Starter to the Good Stuff
     • Microsoft’s Windows 8.1 public preview: What you need to know
   • Check if your system meets the requirements.
     • A Microsoft account is mandatory for the Preview during installation. There is a workaround though.
     • Not supported tablets and PCs
   • Since it is a preview version, there might still be bugs and annoyances. Be sure to read this article that explains that a Preview is not considered even Alpha code, let alone Beta.
   • Determine the installation methods and consequences.
     • The preview will be available as an optional update through the Windows Store.This means you don’t have to reinstall Windows 8. More information about updating can be found here.
     • When you update from the 8.1 Preview version to the final version of 8.1 you have to reinstall your applications.
2. Determining how you are going to run the Windows 8.1 Preview. Some functionality is best tested on hardware installations, but virtualized installations can be more convenient/flexible.
   • Virtualized (by example using Client Hyper-V)
     • Install Windows 8 already and wait for the 8.1 Preview to become available.
       • Will consume more space.
       • Will allow you to install the 8.1 RTM.
     • Wait for full Windows 8.1 Preview ISO to become available.
       • Will consume less space.
       • Might not allow you to install the 8.1 RTM version.
   • Physical
     • Create a new Windows To Go (WTG) installation.
       • On an officially supported WTG certified storage device.
       • On an unofficial non WTG supported storage device.
     • Create a dual/multi boot environment on a physical disk.
       • Create a new installation.
         • Gather required drivers and store them in an easy to access location.
         • Gather applications you want to install.
         • Install.
         • Installation directly to disk.
         • Use the boot from VHD method
     • Update your existing installation.
       • Ensure your important data is safe prior to updating. Even though the update should not destroy data, there is always a chance that it might.
         • Ensure you have recovery media and/or create a USB recovery drive.
         • Move/backup your data.
           • Verify if the new location / backup contains all your data. With backups, verify if you can restore
         • Sync to cloud services (Skydrive, Dropbox, Google Drive).
           • Realize this is not the same as a backup.
       • Document the installed applications (using PowerShell):
         • For Modern/Metro applications:
           Get-AppxPackage | Export-Csv -NoTypeInformation -path “C:\MyMetroApplications.csv”
         • For regular applications:
           Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select DisplayName, DisplayVersion, Publisher, InstallDate, HelpLink, UninstallString | Export-Csv -NoTypeInformation -path “C:\MyRegularApplications.csv”
       • Check if your current Windows 8 installation is healthy and if it is not, make it healthy again before installing the 8.1 Preview.
         • Install any updates that are still missing.
         • Update your drivers and software if necessary.
         • Check Action Center for open actions to perform.
         • Use System File Checker to verify and repair system files.
         • Check the health of your Windows installation.
         • Check your free space and optionally perform cleanup. Use a combination of treesize free, disk cleanup and DISM.
       • Install 8.1 Preview when it is available through the Windows Store
         • In the past I’ve seen issues with Service Pack updates caused by anti-virus solutions. So you might want to disable it until the installation has completed.
         • If you get an error “The windows 8.1 preview isn’t available right now. Please try again later.” take a look here.

With TechEd Europe 2013 in Barcelona and the Microsoft Build 2013 in San Francisco this week there’s probably a lot more news coming. So you might want to keep an eye on news on all websites. You can also check live streams on Channel 9.

I hope this was informative. If you have any other questions, suggestions or just want to share what you’re looking forward to the most, please leave a comment.