14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 8.1 Update 1 yesterday got leaked for the second time from Microsoft, as the Redmond-based tech giant has published a new series of links that allowed users to download the upcoming pack of improvements for Windows 8.1.
Even though it wasn’t an official launch and Microsoft was most likely just testing the launch scheduled to take place in early April, many users rushed to download the released updates in an attempt to see what’s new in the first major update for Windows 8.1.
It turns out that this was indeed just a test performed by the software giant, as all download links have now been removed, so you can no longer get Windows 8.1 Update 1 from Microsoft.
Of course, the released MSU installers are still up for grabs if you know where to look, but Microsoft took down all links, which means that it might still make some changes to the original installers until the update hits the market in official form.
All users are obviously strongly recommended to wait for the public launch in early April and only then install the update on production machines. The builds that got leaked yesterday could be a bit unstable and might include a number of bugs that would obviously affect the overall performance on your device.
As you know, the leaks came with builds for x86, x64, and ARM devices, so the exact same versions will be released in early April as well, which means that basically all devices capable of running Windows 8.1 right now will get the updates.
As you can easily figure out since the improvements are being delivered in MSU form, all patches will be shipped via Windows Update, so all computers running Windows 8.1 right now could get it automatically without any user input. Several reboots might also be required, as Windows 8.1 Update 1 will also require some other updates, including previous rollups launched by Microsoft on Patch Tuesday.
Although Microsoft is yet to publicly reveal the launch date of the new Windows 8.1 Update 1, people close to the matter said that MSDN subscribers would get it on April 1 or April 2, just in time for the BUILD developer conference, while everyone else is expected to receive the update on April 8, the same day when Microsoft releases next month’s Patch Tuesday updates and officially stops support for the ancient Windows XP operating system.