After upgrading to Windows 8.1 I wanted to re-install (or refresh) the OS but the only way was to install Windows 8 from the recovery disks and spend hours updating the system until the Windows 8.1 upgrade appeared in the store and then download another 3.5GB to upgrade the system. I am one of those Windows users that likes to refresh the system every now again and this is not the way I want to spend my day refreshing my tablets OS.
So with some research and trial and error I have found a way to do this fairly painlessly. Firstly you need to find out your bios Windows 8 product key. I used this sites program http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html and it worked very simply.
Next you need a copy of Windows 8.1, search in the usual places online and you should find the OS and a product key for Windows 8.1 that will allow you to install it. I burnt mine to a dvd but a usb key installation should work just the same. Use the recovery "advanced start up" setting in your settings section and install. If you upgrade it will rename the current Windows installation as windows.old and that can be removed easily later on when using "disk cleanup system files". Upgrading imports all the device drivers so it should boot up without any issues or driver installation needed.
After the installation is completed it will need to be activated with your legal Windows 8.0 product key from the bios of your W700 tablet. This will activate Windows 8.1 online. This takes less than 1 hr to complete but you will need to re-install all your applications again.
I hope this is helpful for those who like to refresh their system like I do. Remember to backup your files/photos etc before attempting any upgrade or refresh.
