Skip to main content

Windows 8.1 update set for March 11?

Windows 8.1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re running Windows 8.1, you might not have to wait too long to get to play with some brand new features when using Microsoft’s latest OS. A new rumor indicates that a significant Windows 8.1 update could be released and become available for download on March 11, roughly a month and a half from now. Initially, the rumored release date for the Windows 8.1 update indicated an early April launch, during Microsoft’s Build conference, which will run from April 2 – April 4.

The new Windows 8.1 update could decrease the OS’ = memory and storage space requirements, which would allow the tiled OS to run on lower-end tablets that don’t have much RAM and sport smallish hard drives. According to Microsoft, running Windows 8.1 requires a 1 GHz processor, 1GB/2GB of RAM depending on whether you’re running the 32 or 64-bit version of the OS, and 16/20GB of hard drive space for the same reason.

Last week, a Russian site by the name of Wzor allegedly leaked screenshots of the upcoming Windows 8.1 update. When we looked at the images, we noticed a button on the Taskbar in the classic desktop UI that appeared to be a button sporting the Windows app store insignia. However, it’s unclear whether the app store would run within the desktop UI, or simply take you back to the tiled Metro/Modern interface and run there.

Microsoft is allegedly chipping away on the idea already, looking to make non-desktop apps accessible and usable from the desktop. What isn’t known is if such a feature would appear in this update, a future Windows 8.1 update, or be held back entirely for the launch of Windows 9, which could be released in the middle of 2015.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments below. 

Editors' Recommendations

Konrad Krawczyk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Konrad covers desktops, laptops, tablets, sports tech and subjects in between for Digital Trends. Prior to joining DT, he…
The latest Windows Update is reportedly causing Starfield problems
A man walking into a dusty town on another planet in starfield.

If you've installed the latest Windows 11 update and you've been experiencing all sorts of issues ever since, you're not alone And if you're still yet to install it, it's probably best hold off on it for now. Many users have been reporting problems following the recent update, including crashes, slowdowns, and blue screens of death (BSOD). Gamers appear to be affected most of all, with some reporting stuttering in Starfield and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. 

Following the latest update released on Patch Tuesday, various reports of problems started pouring in across social media and Microsoft's Feedback Hub. Microsoft itself hasn't spoken up about this yet, but considering the number of reported issues, we could soon hear an official comment on the situation. If you've already installed the update and aren't experiencing problems, you have nothing to worry about. If you have installed and are encountering issues, it's best to revert to the previous version and reach out through the Feedback Hub.

Read more
Windows just gave us another reason not to download fresh updates
Windows 11 blue error crash screen.

As if we needed another reason to hold off on downloading the latest patches before they've been tested by a considerable number of people, Microsoft's most recent Windows Update comes with an unfortunate side effect -- it causes blue screens for some users. The blue screen shows up right at boot, citing the "UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR" error as the stop code. Here's what we know, and more importantly, how to make sure this doesn't affect your PC too.

The issue started popping up right after the latest Windows 11 update, KB5029351, which brought the operating system up to version 22621.2215. The build addresses some issues and brings minor improvements, such as adding a new hover behavior to the search box gleam and improving the reliability of the Search app.

Read more
The Windows 11 taskbar is getting an important new update
Windows 11 set up on a computer.

Microsoft is working on new experiences for Windows that will allow developers to enable pinning for third-party applications, as well as enable pinning to the Taskbar.

Microsoft recently announced the details of these upcoming functions in a blog post. This is the brand's attempt to universalize its pinning process across all apps used on Windows. In practice, it will be similar to how pinning works on the Edge browser, with the Windows 11 users being notified by the Action Center about a request for pinning to the Taskbar by the app in question.

Read more