Windows 8.1 Update Must Be Installed by May 13

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Last week, Microsoft released Windows 8.1 Update (1), a mandatory update that makes the Windows 8 experience a bit more tolerable for mouse and keyboard customers. Since then, Microsoft has warned that this update needs to be installed by May 13, the next Patch Tuesday, in order to receive additional security patches from Microsoft.

"Since Microsoft wants to ensure that customers benefit from the best support and servicing experience and to coordinate and simplify servicing across both Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8.1 RT and Windows 8.1, this update will be considered a new servicing/support baseline.

"What this means is those users who have elected to install updates manually will have 30 days to install Windows 8.1 Update on Windows 8.1 devices; after this 30-day window - and beginning with the May Patch Tuesday, Windows 8.1 user's devices without the update installed will no longer receive security updates," states a Microsoft engineer.

In other words, starting on patch Tuesday in May 2014 and beyond, Windows 8.1 (and Windows Server 2012) users will require this update to be installed. If the Windows 8.1 Update is not installed, those newer updates will be considered "not applicable."

Note that no other Windows platform has this restriction; users of Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 will have no problems downloading and installing security fixes on the Patch Tuesday. This new baseline only applies to Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2.

For keyboard and mouse users, Windows 8.1 Update is a must-have despite Microsoft's own push. Simple things like pinning Start Screen apps to the taskbar, the power button on the Start Screen, and options to close and minimize within Start Screen apps makes the experience a lot easier than before.

To see what's new in Windows 8.1 Update, head here.

Kevin Parrish
40 Comments Comment from the forums
  • InvalidError
    Meh, all useless "must-haves" for people who do not use Metro/Modern apps and use Classic Shell Start Menu to ditch the Start Screen.
    Reply
  • Nada190
    Meh, all useless "must-haves" for people who do not use Metro/Modern apps and use Classic Shell Start Menu to ditch the Start Screen.

    Yeah, I've been using Pokki, forgot the Start Screen even existed,
    Reply
  • anoldnewb
    What about situations where applications need to be revalidated with the updates before release to production? Four weeks from announcing that the update is required to "no support" is a pretty short deadline for something you for which you received no prior notification.

    Microsoft is so customer friendly!
    Reply
  • Optimus_Toaster
    I'll stick with 8.0 for now, 8.1 offered nothing to me but trouble.

    Only time I see the modern ui screen is at startup - and even then it is blank and only show for a few seconds.
    Reply
  • red77star
    What an arrogant company...

    In translation...our Windows 8 sucks so bad and Windows 8 base is so fragmented between 8.0, 8.1 and 8.1 update 1 that we need to fix a mess asap by saying to people you must this and that.
    Reply
  • JoBales
    I actually updated my Win 8.1 notebook with this update this morning. All went smoothly. I'd forgotten I'd used the same desktop and Start screen wallpaper. After rebooting I switched over to the Start Screen. With the new icons available to minimize an open window and the search and shutdown buttons on the Start screen, I was switching between the Desktop and Start screens and didn't feel it such a jarring experience now. I'm still personally prefer the desktop for the way I work with open applications and still hope that MS continues to improve the experience for the desktop user but I'm about to the point I'd consider upgrading my desktop to Win 8.1 with update (if it weren't such a bloody hassle to reinstall all the software and data files since I'd do a clean install and not just an upgrade).
    Reply
  • cklein
    WIn XP support ended after a decade. WIN 8.0 support ends after 2 Years. LOL
    Reply
  • sykozis
    WIn XP support ended after a decade. WIN 8.0 support ends after 2 Years. LOL
    Win8 is still supported. Win8.1 won't be. Vista, 7 and 8 will continue to be supported. MS is dropping support for Win8.1 only a few months after release. As long as you didn't upgrade to from 8.0 to 8.1, you're not being forced to install "Update 1" to continue support.
    Reply
  • SuckRaven
    "Since Microsoft wants to ensure that customers benefit from the best support"

    Since Microsoft wants to ensure that everyone has a good experience, we will take away your security updates unless you do EXACTLY as we say.

    Brilliant.
    Reply
  • rokit
    Mikes are the best at screwing their own customers. Seriously after reading system *uck up cases after almost every update that comes after 8.0 i wonder if there is someone who is actually using 8.1 if he had 8.0 previously installed and how many.
    My friend is Win8 user(because it was preinstalled on a laptop) after updates he experianced nothing but troubles and back to 8.0 Many companies have preinstalled way to say "**ck you" to metro crap. Sure it leaves you with ugly flat theme but atleast you ca use it.
    Reply