Today, in a change of heart, Microsoft has released the RTM Windows 8.1 bits to MSDN and TechNet subscribers.
In a blog post published by Steve Guggenheimer, Microsoft notes that they are working through how to best support developers and IT pros as they align to a faster release cadence.
In my opinion, it would have been much better to release the bits to developers and IT pros back around the original RTM timeframe, but this is better than nothing.
For the build curious amongst us, the build string for Windows 8.1 RTM is 9600.winblue_rtm.130821-1623. The SHA1 hashes for the ISO have been posted below along with steps to check the integrity of the downloaded ISO.
Hashes for today’s release:
en_windows_8_1_x86_dvd_2707392.iso
SHA1: 802CFCD3A411D99C097EA7E747F0B6697F9BDAC4
en_windows_8_1_x64_dvd_2707217.iso
SHA1: BC2F7FF5C91C9F0F8676E39E703085C65072139B
To run MSCDCRC against an ISO file that you have downloaded follow these steps.
- 1. Download MSCDCRC to the same folder that you downloaded the ISO to. (Click here to download MSCDCRC)
- 2. Open a Command Prompt window and navigate to the folder from Step 1
- 3. Type “MSCDCRC InstallDVD.iso” (without quotes)
- 4. The integrity check will take a few moments to complete. After the check is complete compare the CRC and SHA hashes to the hashes posted above
- 5. If the hashes match then you have successfully downloaded the ISO
Tom on Tech 