Microsoft makes installation Windows 8.1 for tablets with little storage

Microsoft has developed a version of Windows 8.1 that is offered in the form of an image file. This is intended for use on tablets with little storage, so that they have enough space after installation for apps and other content.

The new installation method is called Windows Image Boot and should significantly reduce the space that Windows 8.1 occupies on the storage memory of the tablet, Microsoft announced. Installing the image file ensures that the necessary files can be put on the memory with compression, so that the installation takes up less space. Nothing changes for the users: they will continue to see a C drive with the usual files.

Manufacturers must install the Windows Image Boot on a special partition. Next, so-called pointer files are necessary that refer to files in the image file. In this way, the device in question knows how to boot Windows, according to Microsoft. After placing the image file and the pointer files, there should be 12GB left of the 16GB of space on a device for the user. When Windows 8.1 is installed conventionally, only 7GB of the 16GB is left.

According to the company, tablets with 16GB of storage will be released in the coming months that feature the new installation method for Windows 8.1. Microsoft did not say which manufacturers will use Windows Image Boot.