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

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)





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




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




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




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)




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.




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




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




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







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)




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




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







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

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 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)




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




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




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




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



That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Boot from a USB Drive within Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Boot from a USB Drive on Surface
• Enable or Disable Always Automatically Boot PC from USB Drive in Windows To Go Startup Options
• How to Create a Windows To Go Startup Options Shortcut in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Do a Clean Install of Windows 8 or Windows 8.1
• How to Upgrade from Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista, or XP to Windows 8 or 8.1
• How to Download and Run the "Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant"
• How to Create or Download a Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 ISO
• How to Do a Dual Boot Installation with Windows 8 and Windows 7 or Vista
• How to Create a Windows 8 VHD at Boot to Dual Boot with Windows 7 or Vista
• How to Create a Recovery USB Flash Drive in Windows 8
• How to Setup "Windows 8 To Go" on a USB Flash Drive or USB Disk
• Create a Bootable UEFI USB Flash Drive for Installing Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Open Device Manager During Installation of Windows 8 and 8.1

 

[Cly]

Cly,

It doesn't mention that it has a write protection option. I don't see a screenshot in your post though.

Have you tried to format the USB flash drive?

Yes, it formats as 58.9GB. The "clean" command deletes the existing partition while at the same time throwing that error...not sure why. Maybe there is some super hidden hardware partition that it can't touch??

 

[Brink]

Cly,

Could you post a screenshot of Disk Management with the USB flash drive connected showing all of the layout of the USB flash drive? There's not one attached to your other post. This may be able to help determine what may be wrong.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2598-screenshots-files-upload-post-eight-forums.html

 

[Cly]

Here is the screen shot:

 

[Brink]

For an advertised 64GB drive, the actual size is about 58.9 GB as you are seeing. There's no problem with this part. The link below can explain this better.

HDD's - the Advertized size vs the Actual size. - Windows 7 Forums

It appears to be ready for in Disk Management. Does it show up in the Computer window with the D drive letter? Are you able to save anything to it?

 

[Cly]

I was able to install Win 8 64-bit on the USB stick. Not sure why the "clean" command threw that error.

Win 8 on USB has been a mixed bag. It worked on 40% of the 64-bit computers I tried it on.

It worked on 2 HP laptops.
It did not not work on 2 separate Dell desktops (quadcore and Nehalem-based).
It also did not work on the desktop I recently put together (Asrock motherboard, i7-2600k).

When I say it did not work, here is what happens:

It seems to be booting fine, and then a faint blue screen flashes for half a second and the computer shuts down. It happens so quickly I cannot read the message.

 

[Brink]

Cly,

Just to clarify since you say "install Win 8 on the USB stick", do you mean Windows To Go or a bootable Windows 8 installation USB as in the tutorial on the first page?

 

[Cly]

Sorry, I meant Windows To Go.

 

[Brink]

Ah, ok. I was wondering what that had to do with this tutorial. LOL

 

[schreibman]

Sorry if I missed this in the above, but I just got a Win 8 Pro 64 bit OEM DVD, and I'm looking for the way to do the 'reverse' of the tutorial -> How can I create an .iso of the DVD so that I have a backup in case the physical media fails?
(alternatively, I recall for Win 7 (?) there were legal/appropriate locations to download the .iso's (obviously without keys ) does the same exist for Win 8 pro?.

 

[Brink]

Hello Schreibman, and welcome to Eight Forums.

You could use a program like MagicISO to create a ISO from a DVD.

Using MagicISO to create ISO image files

 

[schreibman]

Hello Schreibman, and welcome to Eight Forums.

You could use a program like MagicISO to create a ISO from a DVD.

Using MagicISO to create ISO image files

Thanks, perfect!

(somehow thought MS DVD's had some special byte that caused this to glitch)

But I am downloading it now!

 

[Brink]

Please let us know how it went for you.

 

[werty12345]

Thanks for the tutorial. One quick question:

After having the Windows ISO file on the USB, can I still use the USB for storing other data like songs,docs, programs, etc.?

 

[Brink]

Hello Werty,

Why yes, you sure can.

 

[alpinekid61]

Went through the tutorial for creating a bootable USB and I got it done. Then did what I hope, a clean install of Windows 8. There where a couple of things that where missing. But that could be because of the computer I am using. But it looks like it is going to work.

 

[Dave76]

Congrats.
What was missing?
I installed W8 on a OEM desktop very similar to yours, haven't had any issues.

 

[Brink]

Went through the tutorial for creating a bootable USB and I got it done. Then did what I hope, a clean install of Windows 8. There where a couple of things that where missing. But that could be because of the computer I am using. But it looks like it is going to work.

Great news.

As Dave posted, what was missing?

This way I could update the tutorial if needed for it.

 

[alpinekid61]

Congrats.
What was missing?
I installed W8 on a OEM desktop very similar to yours, haven't had any issues.

I missed a word, tutorial. When I did this some steps where not in the tutorial the way I did it.

 

[alpinekid61]

Went through the tutorial for creating a bootable USB and I got it done. Then did what I hope, a clean install of Windows 8. There where a couple of things that where missing. But that could be because of the computer I am using. But it looks like it is going to work.

Great news.

As Dave posted, what was missing?

This way I could update the tutorial if needed for it.

This line There where a couple of things that where missing. should have been There where a couple of thingssteps that where missing in the tutorial. At least the way I did it. Brain works faster then fingers. And I am referring to "OPTION TWO".
UN-HID the C:\ESD\Windows folder. Did step 1 then 2. Using the Windows 8 machine, extracted the file but could not find ESD-TO-ISO.EXE.Had to go to Windows Explorer andfound file.
I did not Unblock as in step 3. Found ESD-TO-ISO.EXE using Windows Explorer.
Right clicked on file namea nd ran as Administrator.
Got gray strip across screen that stated "Windows protected your PC".
have picture but cannot insert.
There were other boxes that came up and did not get pictures. Now I wish I recorded the process.
I might just be reinstalling Windows 8 again because when I installed "Windows 8 Media Center Pack", I got a red circle w/ white X (flag) at bottom of screen. Opened that and Windows 8 is not activated anymore.

 

[Brink]

That gray strip is "System Protection" from not unblocking the ESD-TO-ISO.EXE file.

You can only add your "Windows 8 Media Center Pack" product key if you have Windows 8 Pro installed. Otherwise you would have to purchase and the Windows 8 Pro Pack to have Media Center added and all the features of Windows 8 Pro.

If you only have Windows 8 and tried to add the WMC key, then that's why you are no longer activated. You could use the tutorial below to change your product key back to the Windows 8 key instead to be activated again.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/8855-product-key-number-change-windows-8-a.html