Upgrading Windows XP to Windows 8.1

To directly upgrade to Windows 8.1 from Windows XP, you'll need to install it from a Windows
 8.1 DVD and perform a clean installation. This means you won't be able to keep any files, settings, or programs when you upgrade.

The alternative procedure would be to upgrade to version Windows  8 and get a free downloadable upgrade to Windows 8.1



But don't be distracted by the process, what you really should be thinking about is applications, user data, system compatibility and so on. That way, you won't be distracted by a false goal and expend too much energy on it.

Your first point of call to check to see if your PC meets the requirements for Windows 8 is by downloading and by running the Upgrade Assistant.

Applications

Any applications for which an installer cannot be found will need to either be replaced entirely or migrated by hand to the new environment.

Migrating user data

Because migrating user data also typically involves copying application settings and user data, it's impossible to talk about apps without some discussion of user data.
In some ways, migrating user data is the easiest part because Microsoft provides a few different ways to move data automatically between Windows XP and 7 installations. For individual users, the Windows Easy Transfer tool can copy user data directly to another machine or to an archive file, which can be stored on a network or portable drive. Located on the Windows 7 DVD in \Support\Migwiz, the utility is accessed by running the Migsetup.exe, which pulls up a wizard to transfer user accounts, documents, pictures, email and other settings.Minimum Hardware Requirements
The following table shows the minimum hardware requirements for Windows® 8.1 & Windows 8 as provided by Microsoft:

Windows 8.1

If you want to run Windows 8.1 on your PC, here's what it takes:

• Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with support for PAE, NX, and SSE2 (more info)
• RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)
• Hard disk space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
• Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver

Additional requirements to use certain features:

• To use touch, you need a tablet or a monitor that supports multitouch (more info)
• To access the Windows Store and to download, run, and snap apps, you need an active Internet connection and a screen resolution of at least 1024 x 768
• Microsoft account required for some features
• Internet access (ISP fees might apply)
• Secure boot requires firmware that supports UEFI v2.3.1 Errata B and has the Microsoft Windows Certification Authority in the UEFI signature database
• Some games and programs might require a graphics card compatible with DirectX 10 or higher for optimal performance
• Watching DVDs requires separate playback software (more info)
• Windows Media Center license sold separately (more info)
• BitLocker To Go requires a USB flash drive (Windows 8.1 Pro only)
• BitLocker requires either Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 or a USB flash drive (Windows 8.1 Pro only)
• Client Hyper-V requires a 64-bit system with second level address translation (SLAT) capabilities and additional 2 GB of RAM (Windows 8.1 Pro only)
• A TV tuner is required to play and record live TV in Windows Media Center (Windows 8.1 Pro Pack and Windows 8.1 Media Center Pack only)
• Miracast requires a display adapter which supports Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 1.3, and a Wi-Fi adapter that supports Wi-Fi Direct
• Wi-Fi Direct Printing requires a Wi-Fi adapter that supports Wi-Fi Direct and a device that supports Wi-Fi Direct Printing
• Free internet TV content varies by geography, some content might require additional fees (Windows 8.1 Pro Pack and Windows 8.1 Media Center Pack only)
• To install a 64-bit OS on a 64-bit PC, your processor needs to support CMPXCHG16b, PrefetchW, and LAHF/SAHF
• InstantGo works only with computers designed for Connected Standby

If your PC is currently running Windows 7 or Windows 8 you can check to see if it meets the requirements by running the Upgrade Assistant. We also recommend that you visit your PC manufacturer's website for info about updated drivers and hardware compatibility.

Windows 8

If you want to run Windows 8 on your PC, here's what it takes:

• Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with support for PAE, NX, and SSE2 (more info)
• RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)
• Hard disk space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
• Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver

Additional requirements to use certain features:

• To use touch, you need a tablet or a monitor that supports multitouch (more info)
• To access the Windows Store and to download and run apps, you need an active Internet connection and a screen resolution of at least 1024 x 768
• To snap apps, you need a screen resolution of at least 1366 x 768
• Internet access (ISP fees might apply)
• Secure boot requires firmware that supports UEFI v2.3.1 Errata B and has the Microsoft Windows Certification Authority in the UEFI signature database
• Some games and programs might require a graphics card compatible with DirectX 10 or higher for optimal performance
• Microsoft account required for some features
• Watching DVDs requires separate playback software (more info)
• Windows Media Center license sold separately (more info)
• BitLocker To Go requires a USB flash drive (Windows 8 Pro only)
• BitLocker requires either Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 or a USB flash drive (Windows 8 Pro only)
• Client Hyper-V requires a 64-bit system with second level address translation (SLAT) capabilities and additional 2 GB of RAM (Windows 8 Pro only)
• A TV tuner is required to play and record live TV in Windows Media Center ( Windows 8 Pro Pack and Windows 8 Media Center Pack only)
• Free Internet TV content varies by geography, some content might require additional fees (Windows 8 Pro Pack and Windows 8 Media Center Pack only)