Windows 8.1 Boot Files Download

22.12.2019
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Feb 21, 2016  See in my video how to download Windows 8.1 for free. This is directly from Microsoft download store, the legal full version of download Windows 8.1. How to Download Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 This guide is to show you how to download Windows 8 and 8.1 legally, and allow you to create a Windows ISO or bootable memory key. There are a few different ways to get Windows 8 and 8.1 legally. Jun 24, 2019  Any other free or incredibly inexpensive Windows 8 or 8.1 download you find online is almost certainly illegal, including Windows 8 ISO files you might find on torrent sites. Legal issues aside, these Windows 8 downloads, unlike the official ones from Microsoft, run the very serious risk of containing a surprise or two.

  1. Windows 8.1 Boot Disk
  2. Windows 8.1 Startup Disk

In keeping up with tradition, Microsoft has launched Windows 8.1 in both digital and physical form. Users can install the new operating system by using either a downloaded ISO file or the provided DVD. But what happens when neither option is right for you? You can use a USB drive.

There are a number of major benefits to using a USB drive for this process. It's compatible with virtually every device that is meant to run Windows, forgoes the need to have a spare DVD and the burner around and is much easier to store and carry with you wherever you may go. A USB drive can also be faster than any DVD, shortening the time needed for the install, and, chances are, you probably already have one lying around. Also, compared to ISO files which can only be leveraged from Windows, USB drives can be used with no software installed on the device.

Requirements

To create a bootable Windows 8.1 USB drive you will need the following:

  • 4 GB or larger USB drive;
  • Windows 8.1 DVD, ISO file or product key;
  • A device that is running Windows.

What If I Have a Windows 8 Product Key?

If you have a Windows 8 product key, you can download the Windows 8.1 ISO file directly from Microsoft's servers, and create a bootable USB drive as well. My colleague Wayne Williams has already written a guide which details all the steps that you have to go through. Please note that you need a Windows PC for this task.

Windows 8.1 Boot Disk

How Does the Windows 8.1 Product Key Help?

Windows 8.1 Startup Disk

Obviously, you cannot install Windows 8.1 using just the product key. But, you can use it to download the ISO file directly from Microsoft's servers. Please note that the default Windows partition (usually 'C') has to have at least 5 GB of free storage. You will have to follow these steps next:

  1. Download and open the Install Windows 8.1setup file from Microsoft;
  2. Type in your Windows 8.1 product key and initiate the download;
  3. After the download completes, select Install by creating media;
  4. Select USB flash drive (it should be the default choice) and insert the USB drive;
  5. Accept any prompts to erase the contents of the USB drive in order to kick off the process.

If you prefer a visual step-by-step guide, you can look at the screenshots posted below. [portfolio_slideshow id=193058 size=large autoplay=false random=false centered=true carousel=true navstyle=graphical navpos=bottom pagerstyle=thumbs pagerpos=bottom]

How Can I Create the USB Drive From a Windows 8.1 DVD or ISO file?

If you already have the Windows 8.1 DVD or ISO file, you will first have to copy the contents of the DVD or ISO into a folder on the internal storage of the device. You can use 7-Zip or WinRARto extract the contents, if the file cannot be mounted. Please make sure the location you choose has more free space available than the size of the media -- more than 4 GB should suffice. After you have copied or extracted the contents, follow the next steps:

  1. Open the Command Prompt. This can be done by triggering the Run -- Windows Key + R -- feature, and opening 'cmd'.
  2. Type 'diskpart' to open the disk partitioning software. Accept the UAC security prompt, if asked.
  3. Insert the USB drive.
  4. Type 'list disk'. The program will then show you a list of all the physical drives (HDD, SSD, USB, etc.) that are attached.
  5. Identify the disk number of the USB drive (it can be recognized by looking at the size column; it's usually the last listed disk) and type 'select disk X', where 'X' is the disk number of your USB drive.
  6. Type 'clean'. This will erase the contents of the USB drive, so make sure you have the contents backed-up beforehand.
  7. Type 'create partition primary'. This command will create a primary partition on the USB drive.
  8. Type 'select partition 1'. This command will select the created partition.
  9. Type 'active'. This command will make the selected partition active.
  10. Type 'format fs=ntfs quick'. This command will format the created partition as NTFS.
  11. Type 'assign'. This command will assign a letter to the USB drive, which will make it show under Windows Explorer.
  12. Copy the contents of the Windows 8.1 DVD or ISO from the created folder on the USB drive.

Below is a visual step-by-step guide featuring all the commands presented above. [portfolio_slideshow id=193131 size=large autoplay=false random=false centered=true carousel=true navstyle=graphical navpos=bottom pagerstyle=thumbs pagerpos=bottom]

What Should I Do Next?

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You have now created a bootable Windows 8.1 USB drive. To install the operating system from it you will have to set the device to boot from USB, right after powering it on. Afterwards, carry on with the process as you would normally.

Photo Credit:You can more/Shutterstock

RECOMMENDED: Click here to fix Windows errors and improve PC performance

Microsoft has released Windows 8.1 RTM to the public and is available as a free update to existing Windows 8 users. While Windows 7, Vista, and XP users have to purchase Windows 8.1 in order to upgrade to newest version of Windows, Windows 8 users are eligible for the free upgrade and can upgrade to Windows 8.1 without losing data and installed programs.

As you probably know by now, Windows 8 users can download Windows 8.1 upgrade setup by launching the Store app and then clicking the Get Windows 8.1 for free tile. The downside of this method is that the downloaded setup file upgrades your existing installation to Windows 8.1 but doesn’t offer an option to create and save an ISO image of Windows 8.1 that you might need when performing Refresh PC and Reset PC operations.

Windows 8.1 Boot Files Download

Users who have genuine license of Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 can download the official ISO copy of Windows 8.1 from Microsoft and then create a bootable DVD/USB from the ISO file to begin installing or reinstalling Windows 8.1.

Even though the downloaded ISO from Microsoft can’t be used to perform a fresh install of Windows 8.1, you can use it for Refresh PC and Reset PC operations.

Complete the given below instructions to download Windows 8.1 ISO file from Microsoft by entering the license key.

Method 1:

Follow this method if you have a Windows 8.1 license key. Skip to Method 2 if the license key belongs to Windows 8. And if you’re not sure whether the product key belongs to Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, we suggest you follow this method first and if you’re not able to download the ISO file using the key, follow instructions in method 2.

If you have lost the product key, follow our how to recover Windows 8/8.1 product key and how to recover Windows 8/8.1 product key without using third-party tools.

Step 1: Visit this page, scroll down, and click Install Windows 8.1 to download Windows 8.1 setup file (it’s just 5MB) on your Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 PC.

Step 2: Run the downloaded Windows 8.1 setup file. Note that a single setup is available for both 32-bit and 64-bit systems.

Step 3: When you’re prompted, enter your Windows 8.1 product key (if you have Windows 8 product key, skip to Method 2), and then click Next button.

Step 4: If the entered product key is valid and Windows 8.1 is available for you, you’ll see the following screen:

Click Next button to begin downloading your Windows 8.1 installation files. Depending on the version (32-bit or 64-bit) of Windows 8/8.1 is installed on your PC, the setup will download x86 or x64 installation files. The time required to download installation files largely depends on your internet connection speed.

Step 5: Once installation files are downloaded on your PC, you’ll see the following three options: Install now (install Windows 8.1 right away), Install by creating media (create bootable media or create ISO), and Install later from your desktop (to manually initiate the installation later from desktop).

Select the second option titled Install by creating media and click Next button.

Step 6: Finally, select the ISO file option (selecting USB flash drive creates bootable Windows 8.1 USB) and click Save button to create Windows 8.1 bootable ISO and save the file. You’ll be prompted to select a location to save the ISO file. Click Finish button. That’s it!

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Method 2:

Use this method to download Windows 8.1 ISO using your Windows 8 product key.

Step 1: Head over to this page and click on Install Windows 8 button to download Windows 8 setup file (~5MB).

Step 2: Launch the setup file, type your Windows 8 product key when you’re asked to do so, and then click Next button.

Step 3: If the entered license key is valid, you’ll see the following screen:

Click Next button to begin downloading Windows 8 ISO file. We know, you’re here to download Windows 8.1 ISO and we’re not going to download the full ISO file (move on to the next step to know how).

As soon as the setup starts downloading Windows 8 ISO file, click on the Close button and click Yes when you see the confirmation dialog to terminate the download process.

Step 4: Head over to this page again (the same page that you visited in Step1), and this time, click Install Windows 8.1 button to download the setup file.

Step 5: Run the newly downloaded setup file to begin downloading Windows 8.1 installation files.

Step 6: Once all required files are downloaded, you’ll see the following screen:

Select the option titled Install by creating media and click Next button.

Step 7: Finally, select the option titled ISO file and then click Save button create and save your Windows 8.1 ISO file. That’s it!

Once you have the ISO file of Windows 8.1, you can follow our how to install Windows7/8/8.1 from USB drive guide to prepare the bootable media.