updating multiple machines

[comda]

Hey guys! So here is the deal,

I have 4 Machines that are running windows 8. Not 8.1. Since i havnt been home in a while, i figured id do some tech work for my family and get these machines running windows 10. But since microsofts update to windows 10 requires 7 or 8.1 then i need these machines running 8.1 however since my internet is very slow i was wondering if there was anywhere i could download ONE 8.1 executable update, that way i dont have to eat up my internet downloading the same update for 4 different machines. All but one are running 64bit windows 8 Pro. Thanks

[Geek-9pm]

When you identify yourself as an IT administrator, MS will provide one download for all computers in your group, provided they all use the same Windows 8.1 OS and need the same updates

However, it is very hard to find it now.  It seems that all attention is now on Windows 10.

[comda]

Well the only IT Admin i am is of my home haha. I have found some links online, but i do not want to venture and risk a virus of cracked software. All my windows copies must be legit to minimize issues.

[Calum]

What Geek-9pm means is that the "offline installers" for most larger Microsoft updates are normally named "<update> for Network Administrators".  This would typically be the full downloaded version as opposed to some patches where the "standard" version is a tiny executable which just downloads the actual patch from Microsoft when you run it.

The question you pose is interesting as Microsoft hasn't, as far as I know, provided an offline installer as such for updating Windows 8 to 8.1.  The best I could find are these two links here:
http://mcakins.com/2013/10/19/download-windows-8-1-iso-using-you-windows-8-0-key/
https://superuser.com/questions/661402/is-there-a-way-i-can-share-the-3-42-gb-download-of-windows-8-1-from-windows-stor

I don't have a Windows 8 key to test this with to make sure it works, but I would say it's worth a try.

I assume once you have the machines on 8.1 you'll be doing an upgrade install to Windows 10 from within Windows 8.1 - guessing you've already created install media for Windows 10 to do this?  If not, you'll want this link to the media creation tool - https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10 - that'll save you downloading Windows 10 four times, too.  On a positive note, it'll also be the latest, or near-latest, version so you'll have very few updates to download and install afterwards.

Hope this helps

[comda]

Thanks Calum,

I might give that a shot. I know these executables exist as when i worked at a tech store (wont name it due to privacy) we had installers as such (offline updater is the correct term thanks for reminding me) and i would simply plug the flash drive in, drag either the 32 or 64 (99% of the time the 64) onto the desktop and double click it. The rest would be done for me VIA the installer and within maybe an hour depending on how beefy the machine is id be running 8.1.

[Calum]

From what I've read, the offline installers for the 8->8.1 update are only available for volume licenses and MSDN subscribers, and these installers will not update a retail or OEM version of Windows 8.  I can't confirm this as I haven't tested it myself though.

[comda]

Well at work we used them to upgrade customer machines as our internet was quite slow so we had these installers. Quite helpful and fast, while using less time to download each update.

[patio]

See Here...

[Calum]

See Here...

Confusingly, that's the Windows 8.1 Update - the update to Windows 8.1 - no, actually I can't think of a less confusing way to word it.  It's not the update from 8.0 to 8.1 anyway but a collection of updates which can only be installed on Windows 8.1.  If you check the system requirements, 8.1 is required, so unfortunately this isn't the holy grail in this case

[patio]

They sure make things interesting....
Thanx for the heads up Calum.