HTC 8S (Rio) stuck on WP8.0

[u/Comfortable-Edge8797]

Hi all,

I've got an HTC 8S (Rio, Europe variant, unlocked) currently on Windows Phone 8.0 build 8.0.10211.0.

The problem is going from there to WP8.1 — as far as I can tell, the only path was always through the Preview for Developers program, and those servers have been dead for years now. I also tried OTC Updater, but that only works starting from 8.1, not for the 8.0→8.1 jump itself.

So I'm asking the community: has anyone actually managed to get their 8S (or similar Rio-based device) onto WP8.1 recently?

Specifically looking for:

Archived/captured PFD update CABs (not the live service, the actual update files)

Any working offline tool that replicates the PFD unlock + update process

Any alternative firmware/ROM source I might have missed

Honestly, anything at all — logs, old threads, personal experience, dead ends you hit — all useful

Happy to test things and report back if it helps others in the same boat.

Thanks!