| Mr. Fixit's PC Upgrade and Repair |
| Windows 8.1 Update |
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After the critisims of Windows 8, now comes Windows 8.1. This is not an upgrade but rather an update created to fix many issue ailing
initial release. It fixes a number of issues with additional customization of the Start Screen, return of the Start button on the desktop,
updated existing Stock Apps plus added new ones, ability to boot to the Desktop instead of the Start screen, ability to snap up to 4
apps on a single display.
Windows 8.1 received better reception from the public with the expanded functionality of the apps and tutorials compared to Windows
8. However, it was still criticized for the poor level of intergration between the Metro-style Apps and the Desktop interface. For those
who tried to update to 8.1 probably experienced the Blue Screen Of Death (BSOD) when installing the update. Microsoft was able to
fix the bugs that caused the BSOD and reissued the patches. Windows 8.1 must be installed in order to continue revceiving updates
after Jan 12, 2016.
The new interface changes focused on Desktops and laptops that still use the keyboard and mouse. For instance, if a mouse is
plugged in the PC the OS will boot to the Desktop instead of the Start screen, The Start Screen and Apps now use Context menus
instead of the tool bar at at the bottom to manipulate the tiles. There is now a autohiding title bar at the top to display the minimize and
close icons. The task bar can now pin both apps and desktop programs that can also be accessed within the apps. A visable search
box and power button. Windows Media Player and Windows Photo Viewer were returned as the default programs instead of Xbox and
Photo App. PC Setting was updated to include settings that were exclusive to the Desktop control panel. Updated Windows Mail
interface and features. Windows 8.1 RT added Office 2103 RT, but doesnt support data loss protection, group policy, lync integration,
or create emails with info rights managment. A unified search system, based on Bing, can analyze search habbits and return results
that are relevant to local and online content. Internet explorer was updated to IE11 adding expanded support for developer tools and
the metro style version now has unlimited tabs, tab syncing, and Reading list. SkyDrive was renamed to Onedrive after Microsoft lost
the trademark lawsuit with British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB).
Windows 8.1 update added hardware support for 3D printing, Near Field Communication (NFC) printing, Wi-Fi Direct, Miracast Media
Streaming, Tethering, and Non-Volatile Memory express (NVMe) host controller interface specification to support SSD connected to
the PCIe interface to reduce te I/O overhead improving performance in comparison to AHCI based SSDs. With montitors increasing in
Pixel Density, creating higher resolutions, Windows 8.1 update can scale the text and the GUI elements up to 200% from the previous
limit of 150% and you can independently set multiple monitors configuration scaling separately.
The update also removed features from Windows 8. Windows 7 File Recovery in control panel was removed. Windows System
Assessment Tool, that displayed the Windows Experience Index score of the performance between the OS and the Hardware, was
removed in order for Microsoft to promote the OS can run on all kinds of hardware. There were also some Windows Store apps that
acted as a hub like the Photo App can no longer display pics from Facebook, Flicker and OneDrive; Messiging app was deprecated in
favor of Skype app; and Calender app can only connect to Outlook.com and Microsoft Exchange and removed Google Calender
Support.
There have been concerns with Windows 8.1 over Privacy implications. As Many people have experienced, Microsoft had made it
more difficult to create a "Local" account that did not involve Microsoft. Many of the apps in 8.1 requires a Microsoft account in order to
use them. Everything you do would be shared with Microsoft and this had made many people and businesses unconfortable. Even
Smart Search send search queries and other information to Microsoft to be used is tageted advertising.
initial release. It fixes a number of issues with additional customization of the Start Screen, return of the Start button on the desktop,
updated existing Stock Apps plus added new ones, ability to boot to the Desktop instead of the Start screen, ability to snap up to 4
apps on a single display.
Windows 8.1 received better reception from the public with the expanded functionality of the apps and tutorials compared to Windows
8. However, it was still criticized for the poor level of intergration between the Metro-style Apps and the Desktop interface. For those
who tried to update to 8.1 probably experienced the Blue Screen Of Death (BSOD) when installing the update. Microsoft was able to
fix the bugs that caused the BSOD and reissued the patches. Windows 8.1 must be installed in order to continue revceiving updates
after Jan 12, 2016.
The new interface changes focused on Desktops and laptops that still use the keyboard and mouse. For instance, if a mouse is
plugged in the PC the OS will boot to the Desktop instead of the Start screen, The Start Screen and Apps now use Context menus
instead of the tool bar at at the bottom to manipulate the tiles. There is now a autohiding title bar at the top to display the minimize and
close icons. The task bar can now pin both apps and desktop programs that can also be accessed within the apps. A visable search
box and power button. Windows Media Player and Windows Photo Viewer were returned as the default programs instead of Xbox and
Photo App. PC Setting was updated to include settings that were exclusive to the Desktop control panel. Updated Windows Mail
interface and features. Windows 8.1 RT added Office 2103 RT, but doesnt support data loss protection, group policy, lync integration,
or create emails with info rights managment. A unified search system, based on Bing, can analyze search habbits and return results
that are relevant to local and online content. Internet explorer was updated to IE11 adding expanded support for developer tools and
the metro style version now has unlimited tabs, tab syncing, and Reading list. SkyDrive was renamed to Onedrive after Microsoft lost
the trademark lawsuit with British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB).
Windows 8.1 update added hardware support for 3D printing, Near Field Communication (NFC) printing, Wi-Fi Direct, Miracast Media
Streaming, Tethering, and Non-Volatile Memory express (NVMe) host controller interface specification to support SSD connected to
the PCIe interface to reduce te I/O overhead improving performance in comparison to AHCI based SSDs. With montitors increasing in
Pixel Density, creating higher resolutions, Windows 8.1 update can scale the text and the GUI elements up to 200% from the previous
limit of 150% and you can independently set multiple monitors configuration scaling separately.
The update also removed features from Windows 8. Windows 7 File Recovery in control panel was removed. Windows System
Assessment Tool, that displayed the Windows Experience Index score of the performance between the OS and the Hardware, was
removed in order for Microsoft to promote the OS can run on all kinds of hardware. There were also some Windows Store apps that
acted as a hub like the Photo App can no longer display pics from Facebook, Flicker and OneDrive; Messiging app was deprecated in
favor of Skype app; and Calender app can only connect to Outlook.com and Microsoft Exchange and removed Google Calender
Support.
There have been concerns with Windows 8.1 over Privacy implications. As Many people have experienced, Microsoft had made it
more difficult to create a "Local" account that did not involve Microsoft. Many of the apps in 8.1 requires a Microsoft account in order to
use them. Everything you do would be shared with Microsoft and this had made many people and businesses unconfortable. Even
Smart Search send search queries and other information to Microsoft to be used is tageted advertising.