Year ago I have installed W8-0 and although I bought two Pro keys and two WMC keys, I stayed with Enterprise, because: -it has largest feature set (Windows2Go, etc.) -it installs in one step (not like: 1. clean install some OS, 2. W8-0 Pro Upgrade key install and 3. WMC install) -I didn't needed that terrible WMC app, as I never wanted TV Tuner card... And that WMC UI? It can't be more confusing... Today I tried to upgrade to W8-1 (and decrypted TrueCrypt system volume for that). Here are the findings: 1. There is no Windows Store update for W8-0 Enterprise. Why??? 2. All those W8-1 Windows Upgrade Assistants are s**tty apps. They gave me various errors (no upgrade in your region, Windows can't be downloaded - use Windows Store (on Enterprise)...) 3. So I used Pro RTM ISO and W8-0 Pro key (retail, valid) of course didn't worked (as setup said: "for this edition"), so I put Pro non-VLK key there with intension to apply my key later via -ipk. 4. But real surprise was this: Choose, what you want to keep: <Settings> or <Nothing>. What about those 200 installed apps? (I also tried W8-1 Enterprise setup with same result - no apps to keep...) After this I quit of course and I will stay with W8-0... So the conclusion: "THANKS" MS for forcing us to update OS each year, it is real pleasure to do that on 50 company computers, especially when it includes Server too (and new SDK, ADK...). Also thanks for creating havoc in drivers (there are W7, W8, W8-1 drivers already and I also hope for W8-2, W8-2-5, W8-3 drivers etc.) Also please, MS, continue to provide new proprietary versions of WDDM v1-x, NDIS v6-x, DX v11-x with each new OS version each year. It is real fun for users when installing drvs... And to those W8-1 enhancements? I only found three minor ones: 1. Tile for Immersive Control Panel, 2. Boot to desktop and 3. Option "Apps from same developer" in Windows Store.... That's it. It is really the reason for new OS. Really. Also it is GREAT that W8-0 will have only two years support and while W7 users will have IE11, W8-0 users will have IE10. Really nice policy... Finally it is nice, how many people are catched with that "GA Rollup A" nonsense, althought there were three bigger updates on W8-0 (KB2756872, KB2770917, KB2779768) and nobody called them Roll-up or Roll-down or semi-SP or whatever. It is just update... What is your opinion? What do you think?
Because it's only for consumers. For enterprise you can download the iso from msdn and go. Generally is for security reasons. See answer for 1. Are you serius? Its obvius keys aren't the same, you can't install windows 7 with windows vista key. For Windows 8 - 8.1 is the same. Can't answer this, this is a real problem. Now, all your post is related to windows 8.1 enterprise, thi version is only for enterprises, not for a single consumer
Company users of Windows v8-0 Enterprise doesn't need the easy update to W8-1 then? Using ISO isn't update, it is complete reinstall with old Windows dir copied to backup and creating whole new Windows dir by installation program... WVista and W7 are two different OSs and MS didn't stated free updating there. BTW: It is no big deal to write setup app, what will recognize W8-0 keys (after all consumers paid for them). Basically it is same OS. When MS will provide full-feature-set-version for consumers (like Ultimate on W7 and WV) I will buy it.
Windows 8.1 is "special". Its an upgrade or a complete new OS, they change the kernel and for this reason the install key. For the same reason after "bypass" the firs key prompt with the old windows 8 activate w/out problems.. And for the enterprise version, and for any windows installing from windows is an upgrade i think they block the store update from security, remember that enterprise has "premium" support M$ name the updates GA Rollup A?, i don't know, i think no. Can be that on internet forums the users name these updates with that name. When W8 was releases, 1 day before the worlwide launch appeared in Windows Update some with "Update for Windows 8 KBxxxxxx", and in the description the text explain it's for general availability
I think you should blame directly to Microsoft as you own legit keys. Here we can't do too much. PD: btw I think same as you, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 it's the biggest s**t Microsoft has made. Starting with the EULA.
Enterprise users do not use the setup that way a home user would do. You don't know how enterprises manage their installations, do you? They either do predeployed images packed with updates and drivers, and deploy to clients via WDS, or other way of enterprise deployment like WSUS etc, including the user state migration tool, backing up data in the domain. So blocking Store upgrade is by design. Not all enterprises allow such in-place upgrades, for those, Windows 8.1 must pass in their accounting, the IT department must approve it, etc. In enterprises every setting in the OS is typically configured in domain group policies.