Microsoft provides more details on Windows 8.1 upgrade scenarios

Jul 2, 2013 07:55 GMT  ·  By

Windows 8.1 Preview is already alive and kicking, so Microsoft is now getting ready to announce the final version of the operating system that’s expected to be here by October.

The company has recently rolled out the so-called Windows 8.1 Upgrade Scenarios for OEMs, which comprises pre-release documentation supposed to ease the process of moving to the newest OS.

While the company confirmed that upgrading using media disks would also provide the option of a clean install, it also explained that XP and Vista users wouldn’t be allowed to deploy the latest OS.

“Windows 8.1 Preview upgrade installations from Windows Vista and Windows XP aren’t supported,” the company briefly mentioned.

In other words, if you’re running XP or Vista, it’s basically impossible to jump straight to Windows 8.1. The only way to migrate to 8.1 is to first purchase Windows 8 and only then get the update from the Store or install it using the stand-alone ISOs.