Yesterday I started downloading 8.1 on a Windows 8 system for hours but it still wouldn't finish.  I shut down the computer and tried to restart today hoping it would resume as I expect it works like Windows Update which would always resume, when restarts, from where it leaves off when computer shuts down.  I restarted the Windows Store and there was no sign of anything has been partially downloaded.

Could it be clarified how the Windows Store download works?  If the download cannot be interrupted, how long the 8.1 download would take.  I understand the download is onlya little more than 3 gigabytes.  I had downloaded some operating system software up to 2 gigabytes from Microsoft server, it didn't seem to take that long.

Windows Store works like Windows Update, if you restart your PC or your download interrupt , it will resume once you reconnect to internet.

Sometimes, after connecting to internet you have to wait for a while for update status appear in Windows Store.

No there are too much problem with the upgrade.

I was downloading the upgrade to Windows 8.1 Pro from Windows 8 Pro.

When I was at 40% download, my internet connection lost. So I waited, but it automatically restarted from 0%. What the hell? I downloaded that 40% by giving 10 hours of time. Now I have to start again from 0%. Assume I'll start downloading again and if this time it will fail at 90%. So Microsoft don't consider customers like us. 

So much bugs in download from Windows Store. If Microsoft won't give a solution to this problem, then Microsoft will lose lots of fans and customers. I have always welcomed Windows 8. But after this situation, if you don't give iso file for upgrade like it was for Windows7 to Windows 8, then we will mass publish articles about this problems.

I tried again today and wait and wait.  Nowhere could I see signs of some partial download had been done.

There is no progress indicator like what we can see at Windows Update.

Likewise when I tried to update and install apps, what I could see is the word "?pending", nothing else.  And it took forever and I had to give up eventually.

It is getting worse.  Perhaps Microsoft didn't expect download would take so long.  However, shoudn't they provide some indicator at least for a download of gigs of data?

I had expected the 8.1 download to be done at Windows Update, because it is an update to the operating system.

I have already given up downloading.  I had given up on Windows 8 in favour of Windows 7 after having a taste of it.  I can't convince others to take on Windows 8 but endcourage them to get Windows 7 if possible at all.  Windows 8.1 is supposed to be a fix of all the problems, but the teething problem is too much to bear.

Once the download starts, there is no change, no indication telling the download is still in progress.  I can only echo your sentiment.

I shall wait until all other adventurers try them all and Microsoft have all the problems ironed out, otherwise it would just waste my time and electricity.

Thanks for your advice.

I managed to have the download completed and installed on the third attempt the other day.  I could see the progress indicator then.  I don't know why I couldn't see such indication before.

A question on the side, would one need to log on to Windows Store with a Microsoft email address before the Windows Store would work?  I remember it did ask for log-in the first time when I just got the Windows 8.  However I had since reset the system to the factory state due to various Windows 8 issues.

This time it didn't ask me.  I am not too sure why.  I did however previously set up the Mail app which requires a Microsoft email account compulsorily.  However I had deleted all email accounts from the Mail app and restarted the system before I started using the Windows Store for the updating to Windows 8.1.  For I had installed Microsoft 2010 Outlook which does not need a Microsoft email account.

It seems now it works every time when I get to Windows Store even though there is no Microsoft email account set up in the system and no prior log-in either.  I wonder.

• Edited by healee Thursday, October 24, 2013 6:26 AM

Hi,

BITS service is integrated in Windows, and it definitely supports resuming transfers in case of disruptions. Also, BITS constantly monitors network traffic for any increase or decrease in network traffic and throttles its own transfers to ensure that other foreground applications (such as a web browser) get the bandwidth they need

In your case, it appeared that this service is corrupted. I suggest we follow steps below to repair this service and try update again. Since the download time also depend on your network, I suggest we connect computer via wired to internet to keep stable network connection.

How do I reset Windows Update components?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971058

Keep post.

Thanks for your advice.

I managed to have the download completed and installed on the third attempt the other day.  I could see the progress indicator then.  I don't know why I couldn't see such indication before.

A question on the side, would one need to log on to Windows Store with a Microsoft email address before the Windows Store would work?  I remember it did ask for log-in the first time when I just got the Windows 8.  However I had since reset the system to the factory state due to various Windows 8 issues.

This time it didn't ask me.  I am not too sure why.  I did however previously set up the Mail app which requires a Microsoft email account compulsorily.  However I had deleted all email accounts from the Mail app and restarted the system before I started using the Windows Store for the updating to Windows 8.1.  For I had installed Microsoft 2010 Outlook which does not need a Microsoft email account.

It seems now it works every time when I get to Windows Store even though there is no Microsoft email account set up in the system and no prior log-in either.  I wonder.

• Edited by healee Thursday, October 24, 2013 6:26 AM

Thanks for your advice.

I managed to have the download completed and installed on the third attempt the other day.  I could see the progress indicator then.  I don't know why I couldn't see such indication before.

A question on the side, would one need to log on to Windows Store with a Microsoft email address before the Windows Store would work?  I remember it did ask for log-in the first time when I just got the Windows 8.  However I had since reset the system to the factory state due to various Windows 8 issues.

This time it didn't ask me.  I am not too sure why.  I did however previously set up the Mail app which requires a Microsoft email account compulsorily.  However I had deleted all email accounts from the Mail app and restarted the system before I started using the Windows Store for the updating to Windows 8.1.  For I had installed Microsoft 2010 Outlook which does not need a Microsoft email account.

It seems now it works every time when I get to Windows Store even though there is no Microsoft email account set up in the system and no prior log-in either.  I wonder.

• Edited by healee Thursday, October 24, 2013 6:26 AM

i am having a same issue don't know how to overcome that

i am having a same issue don't know how to overcome that

Which issue of mine are you having?

I am also a bit confused.... 

Did upgrade to Windows 8 Pro installed the recommended 83 updates last night.

Using start8 so see desktop etc just like in Win7 but am running 8.

Did I think the 8.1 update - have du meter showed 20Mbps for awhile downloading and its been about an hour - du meter shows nothing.  But no notification, nothing on task bar, nor hidden saying anything about 8.1.  System info shows 8.  I assume have to install after download but how?  Dear computer please tell me what to do?

After writing this am going to reboot and see if anything happens (like something about 8.1).

UPDATE - Nothing on reboot but went back to the Store - redid it, seemed to know it was already downloaded did the compatibility check and installed.  So after that confused period... now updated to 8.1

• Edited by Dave in Phoenix Wednesday, October 30, 2013 11:15 AM

same problem i am facing..my win 8.1 was downloaded 20% when internet connection was lost..then it resumed again from%.,

I am also a bit confused.... 

Did upgrade to Windows 8 Pro installed the recommended 83 updates last night.

Using start8 so see desktop etc just like in Win7 but am running 8.

Did I think the 8.1 update - have du meter showed 20Mbps for awhile downloading and its been about an hour - du meter shows nothing.  But no notification, nothing on task bar, nor hidden saying anything about 8.1.  System info shows 8.  I assume have to install after download but how?  Dear computer please tell me what to do?

After writing this am going to reboot and see if anything happens (like something about 8.1).

UPDATE - Nothing on reboot but went back to the Store - redid it, seemed to know it was already downloaded did the compatibility check and installed.  So after that confused period... now updated to 8.1

• Edited by Dave in Phoenix Wednesday, October 30, 2013 11:15 AM

I am also a bit confused.... 

Did upgrade to Windows 8 Pro installed the recommended 83 updates last night.

Using start8 so see desktop etc just like in Win7 but am running 8.

Did I think the 8.1 update - have du meter showed 20Mbps for awhile downloading and its been about an hour - du meter shows nothing.  But no notification, nothing on task bar, nor hidden saying anything about 8.1.  System info shows 8.  I assume have to install after download but how?  Dear computer please tell me what to do?

After writing this am going to reboot and see if anything happens (like something about 8.1).

UPDATE - Nothing on reboot but went back to the Store - redid it, seemed to know it was already downloaded did the compatibility check and installed.  So after that confused period... now updated to 8.1

• Edited by Dave in Phoenix Wednesday, October 30, 2013 11:15 AM

Windows Store works like Windows Update, if you restart your PC or your download interrupt , it will resume once you reconnect to internet.

Sometimes, after connecting to internet you have to wait for a while for update status appear in Windows Store.

Hello,

Windows 8.1 Pro downloaded via Store, installation completed & prompt to restart computer appeared in order. After restart I saw the configuration progress. But in the end got error message "could not complete ... restoring earlier version of Windows".

I know that my net connection is manual & Windows 8.1 could not complete the EULA, etc. How do I manually finish this interrupted task? Please advise.

Thanks,

JB Padhi

Well guys, how about my problem.. I paused my download of Windows 8.1 from the store (it just reached 10% for an hour) and I tried to resume it, but it didn't give me any significant change.. It's clearly seen "paused" even though I hit the resume button so many times. Any idea?
Thanks.

Me too, but I wait for more than 10 minutes and just got 1%, then it went, but I faced another problem of resuming it, not in downloading (I believe it's downloadable). Try to wait first?

Yes it will restart again when you bring the machine up.

I'm facing the same problem.........I keep hitting the resume button but the download never resumes!!!

My computer did the exact same thing. I re-opened it all and re-click to download windows 8.1 and it only registered it's self to 50%, when it already had completed to 100%. So am now waiting again.

My copy expired today although I didn't realise it was going to.  Have been trying to update but got to 45% before computer restarted.  When I resumed the update it went back to 1%  For sucha  small update it takes so long to download (I have VDSL speeds of 30MBPS) yet I'm not sure if it will ever be able to finish in the 2 hours!!  So frustrating.

• Edited by Pippymint Thursday, January 16, 2014 6:13 AM

My copy expired today although I didn't realise it was going to.  Have been trying to update but got to 45% before computer restarted.  When I resumed the update it went back to 1%  For sucha  small update it takes so long to download (I have VDSL speeds of 30MBPS) yet I'm not sure if it will ever be able to finish in the 2 hours!!  So frustrating.

• Edited by Pippymint Thursday, January 16, 2014 6:13 AM

My copy expired today although I didn't realise it was going to.  Have been trying to update but got to 45% before computer restarted.  When I resumed the update it went back to 1%  For sucha  small update it takes so long to download (I have VDSL speeds of 30MBPS) yet I'm not sure if it will ever be able to finish in the 2 hours!!  So frustrating.

• Edited by Pippymint Thursday, January 16, 2014 6:13 AM

I am beyond frustrated by this whole situation. The furthest I've gotten is to about 30% and then my computer restarts because the evaluation copy has expired. M$ wants me to update Windows, but they don't realize that it takes more than two hours to download the update. Their solution for me was to downgrade to windows 8 and lose all of my programs and then re-install windows 8.1. Why can't the installation process be a little more intelligent?

+1 This was very poorly thought through.  Frustrating and wasting the time of paying customers.  I bet bootleggers don't have this problem.

Almost every web browser has a pause and resume download function.  Why can't a modern operating system?

Easy fix for MS: pause all Windows Store downloads as part of the shutdown/restart process and save progress.  Resume on next login.

Why wasn't this default functionality?

• Edited by wm4 23 hours 43 minutes ago

I am experiencing the exact same problem. Upon logon, there is a warning message that the computer will restart every two hours. I begin the windows 8.1 download from the store, but the download does not complete in less than two hours. The computer automatically restarts after two hours and when logging in again, the download starts from 0%. What a waste of time!! Very disappointed.

+1 This was very poorly thought through.  Frustrating and wasting the time of paying customers.  I bet bootleggers don't have this problem.

Almost every web browser has a pause and resume download function.  Why can't a modern operating system?

Easy fix for MS: pause all Windows Store downloads as part of the shutdown/restart process and save progress.  Resume on next login.

Why wasn't this default functionality?

• Edited by wm4 Friday, January 17, 2014 12:05 PM

+1 This was very poorly thought through.  Frustrating and wasting the time of paying customers.  I bet bootleggers don't have this problem.

Almost every web browser has a pause and resume download function.  Why can't a modern operating system?

Easy fix for MS: pause all Windows Store downloads as part of the shutdown/restart process and save progress.  Resume on next login.

Why wasn't this default functionality?

• Edited by wm4 Friday, January 17, 2014 12:05 PM

any solution to this, I only get to 50% in the app store complete before the computer restarts (8.1 preview). 

then it starts at 0% , its done this 3 times now. 

I tried installing from a 8.1 disk but it want to delete everything or only keep my personal files WTF !!!. 

same here. I'm in India and the connection is too slow to download 3+ gigs in 2 hours.  Quite ridiculous that it does not resume.

I'm in the same situation, although I'm not in India, the update is hefty enough that normal copper line DSL isn't going to finish downloading inside a reboot "cycle".

The download will not resume automatically on restart (it dumps the entire download and starts again), it will not resume after the forced reboot if I pause it manually in anticipation (it just cancels the installation if I try).

Honestly why in 2014 a multi-gigabyte download is not resumable is beyond me, having to start again is... it's a throwback to the era of the VCR. "start again if your internet hiccups" for 4 gigs has been unforgivable everywhere for a good ten years.

Having been encouraged to use this Store thing, I would like to positively BEG Microsoft to please. please PLEASE spin an update that pauses Store downloads before unceremoniously rebooting the preview and ensures they can actually be resumed on restart because while I've reconciled myself with buying a copy of this OS (despite it being the price of a small car where I live), it is frankly being made difficult to achieve an online update to it in any kind of convenient way.

I have now tried different permutations of the thing your nag prompts tell me to do FIVE TIMES to see "Downloading, 0%" again and end of tether is very close - from the point where I was beginning to feel like a fast, light Windows iteration was here and I might be able to go with that, those good feels are rapidly flying out of the window as my computer is unusable and your weird update procedure hobbles itself and literally cannot work. Please fix this guys.

• Edited by Atsa K 13 hours 45 minutes ago

I'm in the same situation, although I'm not in India, the update is hefty enough that normal copper line DSL isn't going to finish downloading inside a reboot "cycle".

The download will not resume automatically on restart (it dumps the entire download and starts again), it will not resume after the forced reboot if I pause it manually in anticipation (it just cancels the installation if I try).

Honestly why in 2014 a multi-gigabyte download is not resumable is beyond me, having to start again is... it's a throwback to the era of the VCR. "start again if your internet hiccups" for 4 gigs has been unforgivable everywhere for a good ten years.

Having been encouraged to use this Store thing, I would like to positively BEG Microsoft to please. please PLEASE spin an update that pauses Store downloads before unceremoniously rebooting the preview and ensures they can actually be resumed on restart because while I've reconciled myself with buying a copy of this OS (despite it being the price of a small car where I live), it is frankly being made difficult to achieve an online update to it in any kind of convenient way.

I have now tried different permutations of the thing your nag prompts tell me to do FIVE TIMES to see "Downloading, 0%" again and end of tether is very close - from the point where I was beginning to feel like a fast, light Windows iteration was here and I might be able to go with that, those good feels are rapidly flying out of the window as my computer is unusable and your weird update procedure hobbles itself and literally cannot work. Please fix this guys.

• Edited by Atsa K Saturday, January 18, 2014 10:01 PM

I'm in the same situation, although I'm not in India, the update is hefty enough that normal copper line DSL isn't going to finish downloading inside a reboot "cycle".

The download will not resume automatically on restart (it dumps the entire download and starts again), it will not resume after the forced reboot if I pause it manually in anticipation (it just cancels the installation if I try).

Honestly why in 2014 a multi-gigabyte download is not resumable is beyond me, having to start again is... it's a throwback to the era of the VCR. "start again if your internet hiccups" for 4 gigs has been unforgivable everywhere for a good ten years.

Having been encouraged to use this Store thing, I would like to positively BEG Microsoft to please. please PLEASE spin an update that pauses Store downloads before unceremoniously rebooting the preview and ensures they can actually be resumed on restart because while I've reconciled myself with buying a copy of this OS (despite it being the price of a small car where I live), it is frankly being made difficult to achieve an online update to it in any kind of convenient way.

I have now tried different permutations of the thing your nag prompts tell me to do FIVE TIMES to see "Downloading, 0%" again and end of tether is very close - from the point where I was beginning to feel like a fast, light Windows iteration was here and I might be able to go with that, those good feels are rapidly flying out of the window as my computer is unusable and your weird update procedure hobbles itself and literally cannot work. Please fix this guys.

• Edited by Atsa K Saturday, January 18, 2014 10:01 PM

VERY FRUSTRATED.

I'm having the same problem as many others, my copy of Windows 8.1 preview expired and now my computer RESTARTS every hour, erasing ALL download progress. I can't sit in front of my computer and time it every hour to quickly pause the download before it restarts, and the download is taking hours. THIS IS SO DUMB. I need to use my PC for online classes, and how am I supposed to do that when it restarts every hour and I can't even complete the download? 

Would calling tech support help me at all? I don't know if they can do anything remotely to fix it. I am extremely disappointed with an already disappointing Windows 8.

Windows 8...the new Windows Vista.

I too have struggled and struggled. 

Firstly on PC1 Ivybridge i5 with Windows 8.0 installed from disc purchased from PCWORLD retail shop - the STORE page did not show the win8.1update image which apparently links to the download site - so I looked for explanations and as a result the only possible explanation seemed to be that I needed to update windows8.0 first - so I downloaded ALL conceivable available updates for win8 that I could find - which took a considerable time for some reason???  over an hour even with my fast broadband - but then I was able to see the win8.1update image in STORE.  The 8.1 download also took well over an hour but finally completed and then proceeded to the install phase until after well over 2 hours in total I had accomplished the update to windows 8.1 on PC1.

Then to pc number 2.  I noted that Media Center was not showing so firstly I entered the applicable product key for that pc and then - following from the experience of PC1 I made sure that windows 8.0 was fully up to date - which again took an hour.  I then found the windows8.1update image in STORE and clicked to download.  After about 2 hours of very slow progress there was an interruption   I had been told that I could carry on working while the download was in progress but unfortunately one of my windows activities caused the pc to shut down and reboot before I had the chance to stop it. On rebooting the pc did not resume the download.  I went to the STORE page to re-start or resume the download but I got an error message. 

I am totally baffled why it is necessary to spend a lot of time updating windows 8 before I can download the 8.1 update  which probably fully replacecs the previously downloaded windows 8.0 updates....  I woud have liked to download the win8.1 update once and then make an ISO disc to update all my other win8 desktops (and laptops).

I havent even got to pc3, pc4 and pc5 let alone my 4 laptops yet - which I calculate will take me an additional 14-21 hours IF NOTHING GOES WRONG.   Is this fair???

i am having a same issue , i lost 30 GB In 20 tries

Yes....I have too faced this problem today.  I started my download and after completion of 39% suddenly the Wifi connection was lost due to some electricity interruption.  I thought that, it will resume.  But when I tried to download it again started from 0%

All I can tell is that

"These people at Microsoft are telling people to go away from their products". 

If they give trouble on every little things that should really can not be an issue, then what are they doing? Not only me, some of my friends spent months trying to upgrade to 8.1. 

I think this is time to trash these Microsoft products and find some better alternatives. It's not only on the Operating System we have problem with, rather, the problem now seems to be on most products and services they have.

I will try to avoid Microsoft as much as possible, that's the lesson I have learned.

This solution solved my problem.

make sure to restart you machine after having used the tool

I am facing Exact same problem... I have windows 8 pro... tried to update to windows 8.1 from store... when it was nearly 50%... i lost my connection to internet then when i tried to resume it started from 1%.... i have had it for three times .... Now i really got frustated.....

It does not work as expected. Download restarts from 0%. No matter what they say whatever technology was implemented.

It simply doesn't work.

Just like most of Microsoft products... works for a short while then there's something going wrong to some extent, then you spend your entire morning/afternoon/evening/day to solve something that was supposed to work in the first place.

I think the world still uses Windows only because it's a bit costly to switch, not because Windows is good or even close to be good...

• Edited by DisplayNameWhatsoever Saturday, September 06, 2014 4:25 AM

Users should stop feeling proud of solving Microsoft product problems by themselves, and should actually get paid by Microsoft for:

- Reporting/complaining issues

- Researching all over the internet to find out solutions

- Figuring out workarounds

- Creating tools to solve issues

All to fix something that was supposed to work in the first place.

• Edited by DisplayNameWhatsoever Saturday, September 06, 2014 4:23 AM

hello

I think if you continue this method you will  solve your problem.

1)Go to the   website TechNet Evaluation center in the Microsoft corporation

2)GO to the section  Windows 8.1 Enterprise then download  and register to continue

  3) fill out the following form                            

4)download Akamai NetSession Client from the website above

5)choose the direction that you save download and click download

5)downloading start automatically in the background your computer

NOTE,NOTE ,NOTE : you shouldn't close the website above until your download complete. if you close  website above your download will stop  automatically and not resume.

Perhaps we should all jump ship to Apple. Upgrading people to Windows 10 from 8 I have to upgrade them to 8.1 first? that is a crazy waste of time! When I bought my iPhone 3G years ago I thought wow! iOS just works, this is Apple's chance to take over:):):) My son went from iOS to Android & soon jumped back from Android to iOS on an iPhone 6 plus & hasn't looked back. For his servers he's checking out Linux ... You listening MS? Windows 10 still looks like it was written for a touch screen with tiles, Windows 10 desktop is really clunky!!!