14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 8.1 Update was released last month on April 8, but some users are still getting all kinds of errors when trying to install it, even though the process was supposed to be pretty straightforward from the very beginning.
Since Windows 8.1 Update will become mandatory for everyone running Windows 8.1 on May 13, manual steps to deploy the new release are basically the only option in case you're still stuck with some errors on the screen when trying to get it via Windows Update.
According to Microsoft's very own recommendations, before starting the manual installation of Windows 8.1 Update, you should plug in your computer and connect it to the Internet using a non-metered computer and it's very important to avoid disconnecting or turning it off during the process.
First of all, enter the Modern UI and using the Settings charm (swipe in from the right edge of the screen if you're using a touch-capable device), click/tap or “Change PC settings” and open the “Update and recovery” option.
Tap or click “Windows Update” and hit the “Check now” option to make sure that Windows Update displays the most recent patches available for your device. Once new updates are found, tap or click “View details” and select “KB2919355.” Hit Install, wait to complete and then reboot your computer. Be advised that it sometimes takes up to 10 minutes, depending on your system configuration and Internet speed.
According to Microsoft, some users can't see the aforementioned patch in the Windows Update list because they haven't yet installed the necessary updates.
“If you don’t see KB 2919355 in the list of available updates, you might be missing one or more required updates. Follow the previous steps to check for updates, install all important updates, particularly KB 2919442, restart your PC, and then check for KB 2919355 again,” the company says.
As mentioned, 8.1 Update is mandatory for Windows 8.1 users, so unless you deploy it by May 13, your computer will no longer get other fixes and updates via Windows Update as part of the Patch Tuesday rollouts. Microsoft says that this is absolutely necessary because all future improvements will be based on 8.1 Update, so everyone needs to install it as soon as possible.
If you're wondering, Windows 8.1 Update doesn't eat up too much space on your hard disks, so the 64-bit version only needs 2 GB of free space. The 32-bit version requires 0.8 GB, while the RT flavor asks for 1.1 GB.