14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 8.1 Update 1 was leaked a couple of weeks ago via Microsoft’s servers and although the company has removed the downloads soon after they reached the web, plenty of users have actually managed to get the update.
A couple of days ago, it has emerged that the version that Microsoft “accidentally” leaked was only a testing build of Windows 8.1 Update 1 which wasn’t actually the RTM flavor we’ve all been expecting for, which means that Redmond most likely continued work on the upcoming OS update.
Now it turns out that a new build has been compiled, with the first signs spotted on a Windows Update page that comprises information about a fix delivered to users as part of the Patch Tuesday rollout.
Neowin is reporting that the hotfix released on Patch Tuesday to address “Video preview is blurry when you open a camera application in Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2” is being delivered to a wide array of Windows 8.1 versions, including build number 6.3.9600.17042.
The leaked version that reached the web recently via Microsoft’s servers was version number 6.3.9600.17031, which means that a new build has already been compiled and the company is already delivering a fix to machines running it.
Of course, nobody can tell for sure right now whether this build comes with big changes or not, but it’s pretty clear that we’re getting closer to the public launch which is expected to take place in early April.
People familiar with the development process said that Windows 8.1 Update 1 would most likely be published on MSDN on April 1 or April 2, which means that developers should be able to download it before the BUILD 2014 conference kicks off in San Francisco.
End users, on the other hand, will receive it on April 8, the same day when Microsoft will roll out Patch Tuesday update for several products across its range.
Windows 8.1 Update 1 will come with a long list of improvements, including options to pin metro apps to the taskbar and launch them in their separate windows. This means that PC users would be able to close them with a mouse, so Metro apps would finally make sense on desktop computers as well.
Update 1 will be shipped via Windows Update as a free download for everybody running Windows 8.1, so no download errors are expected to be experienced after launch.