Create Bootable USB or DVD with Windows 8 ISO

How to Create a Bootable USB or DVD with a Windows 8 or 8.1 ISO


This tutorial will show you how to create either a Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 bootable USB flash drive or DVD to use to install the Windows 8 or 8.1 with.

Windows 8 and 8.1 System Requirements
Windows 8 works great on the same hardware that powers Windows 7.

Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster

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: MicrosoftDirectX 9 graphics device or higher

Additional requirements to use certain features:

  • To use touch, you need a tablet or a monitor that supports multitouch.
  • 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.
This will not work to install Windows 8 or 8.1 for UEFI. For that, see this tutorial below instead.

UEFI Bootable USB Flash Drive - Create in Windows





OPTION ONE

Create Bootable DVD using "Burn Disc Image" Context Menu Item



1. For how, see:

How to Burn a "ISO" or "IMG" Disc Image file to a CD/DVD in Windows 7 and Windows 8


Right_Click.jpg

Burn-1.jpg






OPTION TWO

Create Bootable DVD/USB with "Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool



1. If you have not already, you will need to download a 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 8 or 8.1 ISO file, and save it to your desktop.

2. If you have not already, download and install the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool.

(At sites)
link_at_site.png

USB-DVD_Download_Tool_Site-2.jpg


3. Run the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool, and click/tap on the Browse button. (see screenshot below)

Step2.jpg


4. Select the downloaded ISO file (step 1), and click/tap on Open. (see screenshot below)

Step3.jpg


5. Click/tap on Next, and do either step 6 or step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

Step4.jpg


6. Create Bootable Windows 8 or 8.1 Installation USB Flash Drive


A) Connect a USB thumb drive, and click/tap on the USB device button. (see screenshot below)

Step5.jpg


B) Select the drive letter of the USB thumb, and click/tap on the Begin copying button. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: If the drive letter is not listed in the drop down menu, then click on the refresh button and try again.

Step6.jpg


C) If prompted, click/tap on Erase USB Device. (see screenshot below)

Step4B.jpg


D) If prompted, click/tap on Yes. (see screenshot below)

Step4C.jpg


E) When finished, close the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshots below)

Step7A.jpg

Step7B.jpg



7. To Create Bootable Windows 8 or 8.1 Installation DVD
NOTE: If you are in Windows 7, then you could ause the built in Burn disc image feature to burn the ISO to a DVD instead if you like.

A) Insert a blank unformatted DVD into your DVD drive. Once it's recognized, click/tap on the DVD button. (see screenshot below)

Step5.jpg


B) Click/tap on the Begin burning button. (see screenshot below)

DVD-1.jpg


C) When finished, close the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshots below)

DVD2A.jpg

DVD2B.jpg



8. You are finished, and can now install Windows 8/8.1 with your bootable USB or DVD.






OPTION THREE

To Create a Bootable Windows 8 or 8.1 Installation USB with "Rufus"



1. Download the latest version of Rufus at the link below, and save it's .exe file to your desktop.

Rufus - Create bootable USB drives the easy way


Note   Note
This is a standalone exe file that doesn't install anything to your PC.
For Rufus FAQs, see: FAQ · pbatard/rufus Wiki · GitHub





2. Connect your USB flash drive if you have not already.

3. Run the rufus_v###.exe file, and click/tap on Yes if prompted by UAC.
NOTE: ### = latest version number.

4. Set Rufus with the settings below: (see screenshot below step 5)

  • Under Device, select the USB flash drive you want to format and use.
  • Under Format Options, check Create a bootable disk using, click/tap on the browse icon icon.jpg to navigate to and select your Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 ISO file.
  • Under Partition scheme and target system type, select MBR partition scheme for BIOS or UEFI computers.
  • Under File system, select NTFS.
  • Under Cluster size, select the (Default) (ex: 16 kilobytes or 4096 bytes) it has listed.
  • Under Format Options, check Quick format.
  • Under Format Options, check Create extended label and icon files.
  • Under New volume label, you can enter any name you like for the USB flash drive, or leave the default name.

5. When ready, click/tap on Start. (see screenshot below)

Rufus-1.png


6. Click/tap on OK to confirm. (see screenshot below)

Rufus-2.png


7. Rufus will now start creating the bootable USB flash drive. (see screenshot below)

Rufus-3.png


8. When Rufus is "DONE", you can close Rufus. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: It could take a little while to finish.

Rufus-4.png


9. You are finished, and can now install Windows 8/8.1 with your bootable USB.



That's it,
Shawn


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Shawn, always a pleasure to read your tutorials - although I have used ImgBurn. Now I am really looking forward to your tutorial on how to RUN Win8 off a stick (like e.g. Fedora on a stick).
 
brink, hey can this be normal i've install windows 8 by usb and by extracting .iso file using daemon tools so I saw the files and what i did is i copied all the files of windows 8 and put it in the usb coz cd/dvd burning is bugging me up its like a waste of money for the DVD-R can you teach me by putting files to dvd by not the .iso file
 
Hello Skream,

Could you not use the ISO to create a bootable DVD using the method and program in the tutorial on the first page?
 
hey.... does this method allow for a live boot disc? or is this just simply a boot disc to install?

i'm not a developer, but i just wanna fool around with Win8 after seeing the impressive features during the Build keynote. however, i dont have a spare hard drive to commit a clean install to (nor do i want to deal with that) is there anyway to just create a partition to run it on? (it just seems like MS is saying it has to be a fresh install with no other OS's present on the system) or is there a way to just do a live boot (like some of the linux flavors) to fool around with it? i just wanna mess with this thing :D
 
Hello khuntington, and welcome to Seven Forums.

It will be the same as a retail Windows 7 installation DVD/USB, but Windows 8 instead. You can use it to either install Windows 8 with, or to boot to System Recovery Options screen.

Hope this helps,
Shawn
 
not work using this tool its show no drivers blablabla
use PowerISO and its work perfectly
 
Hello Mirac,

Yes, you will still be able to use the USB as usual if you like. :)
 
I dont know why yet but in step 5: it says: "The Selected File is not a valid ISO file. Please select a valid ISO file and try again"
and im trying the 64bit version. Any ideas?
 
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