14 DAY TRIAL // Several users are now complaining that Google Talk doesn’t work after installing Windows 8.1 Preview, with the app returning connectivity issues upon launch.
It turns out that the British version of Google Talk works just fine on Windows 8.1 Preview, so in case you’re looking for a quick workaround for this bug, simply download the “GB” flavor (direct link) of the app to get it up and running.
Unfortunately, the GB Google Talk version lacks some features, such as file transfer, but it’s still a quick way to deal with the issue until Microsoft comes out with a fix.
On the other hand, users who want to talk to their Google contacts can always launch Outlook.com in the browser, as Microsoft’s own email service has integrated Google Talk support to chat straight from the mail interface.