How to Upgrade Windows 8 to 8.1 so you can then upgrade to Windows 10

To say that upgrading from Windows 8 to 8.1 can be a pain is an understatement.  I'm helping out this one person right now who keeps getting stuck at 82% during the upgrade.  So I thought I'd compile some info around the upgrade process.  Hopefully this journey will bear fruit for everyone having these issues.

To upgrade the operating system to Windows 8.1 following these steps exactly:

1. Disconnect any external devices connected to the computer like printers, cameras, smartphones, scanners, USB drives, etc. that aren't essential to the upgrade. You can always plug them back in and install them AFTER you get the upgrade done. Obviously the mouse and the keyboard will need to remain plugged in. 
2. Uninstall ALL antivirus or internet security software before you begin, so they don't interfere with the setup program. This is VERY IMPORTANT. And hey, don't worry, the Windows Defender software will still be running on windows, so it'll keep your system safe during the upgrade process. 
3. Make sure you install any pending Windows upgrades before you start the upgrade to 8.1. 
4. If your PC comes with custom "help desk" software that helps you install upgrades/device drivers/bios/firmware updates be sure and do that as well. 
5. Now do a clean boot of your machine by following the steps outlined here:
• https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/929135
6. Start the upgrade to Windows 8.1

The upgrade will take some time but you should be able to get through it without issue.  If you do have issues, such as getting stuck at 82% for a long time here are some things you can try:

• Wait for at least an hour before trying anything else.  Many people have reported 45-60m or more wait times and then all of a sudden it continues on.  Knowing what I know about how things are done, this is likely because any devices the setup has trouble with will eventually TIMEOUT.  No idea how long the time out is, or how many times it RETRIES before giving up.  Just be patient, it may work itself out.
• If things still don't clear up, it's likely that setup is getting stuck on a device driver setup of some sort.  So here are a few things to try, and yes some of them may seem crazy but I'm just compiling a list of things folks have reported seems to work for them:
• A number of users have reported that unplugging their power from their laptop for a few moments allowed them to get past this point.  It's worth a try, don't ask me why.  Thanks Microsoft!
• Go to the device manager and uninstalling all NON-ESSENTIAL devices such as (don't worry, you can reinstall this stuff AFTER the upgrade):
• bluetooth devices
• printers/all-in-one devices
• webcams
• camera/smartphone drivers
• scanners
• any older devices you may have had for a while that could hang things up
• I'll add more trouble shooting tips here as I come across them.

Once you manage to get your PC updated to Windows 8.1 you can move onto Windows 10. Use the following link to do the upgrade:

• https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/windows/windows-10-upgrade

Here are a couple other useful links from Microsoft on this topic:

• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135
• http://windows.microsoft.com/en-in/windows-8/update-from-windows-8-tutorial