How to download the Windows 8.1 ISO

I followed the directions from the OP and it worked beautifully.

Follow these steps to download the Windows 8.1 ISO.


  1. Go here Upgrade Windows with only a product key - Microsoft Windows Help scroll down and click on both 'Install Windows 8' and 'Install Windows 8.1'
  2. Run the Windows 8 setup and enter your retail Windows 8 key, click next and when i begins downloading, STOP it! Exit setup.
  3. Now run the the Windows 8.1 setup. It will produce and error. Exit and then run Windows 8.1 setup again.
  4. It should now be downloading the Windows 8.1 ISO. Afterwards you can save it as an ISO or create the USB media immediately.
Click to expand...



The ISO file is the same size as the ESD folder; 3.06GB
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro X64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. GA-B75M-D2V
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3470 CPU @ 3.20GHz, 3601 Mhz, 4 Core(s)
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. GA-B75M-D2V
    Memory
    8 GB DDR3 1600MHZ
    Graphics Card(s)
    GE Force GT 610
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek High Def
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U2913WMP
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1080
    Hard Drives
    Western Digital WD10EZEX-00RKKA0 1TB
    Seagate ST2000DL003-9VT166 2TB
    Seagate ST31000528AS 1TB
pennybills said:
Does anyone know the size of Windows 8 ISO file size?

I have 8.1 iso file and it's size is 3.63 GB but am confused whether if it's only the iso file for the upgrade or the whole operating system including 8 and new stuff from 8.1.

I don't want to mess up my computer.
Click to expand...

Where did you obtain the ISO file? If you downloaded it and created it via this trick, its the GA version of 8.1. If your current OS is 32 bit your download will be the 32 bit version, if its 64 bit the download will be 64 bit. The product code you enter determines if its core or pro that's downloaded. The ISO size varies depending on what version you download.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
I got the 8.1 iso through DreamSpark. I tried putting the iso on my 4gb flashdrive but all the contents don't fit in. Grr.

Going to download Windows 8 from DreamSpark hoping it's smaller and then upgrading to 8.1 after installing 8.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Home Premium
pennybills said:
I got the 8.1 iso through DreamSpark. I tried putting the iso on my 4gb flashdrive but all the contents don't fit in. Grr.

Going to download Windows 8 from DreamSpark hoping it's smaller and then upgrading to 8.1 after installing 8.
Click to expand...

What method did you use to create the bootable flash drive? I've had no problems using a 4 gig flash drive for 8 and 8.1.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
Hairy Scot said:
I followed the directions from the OP and it worked beautifully.

Follow these steps to download the Windows 8.1 ISO.


  1. Go here Upgrade Windows with only a product key - Microsoft Windows Help scroll down and click on both 'Install Windows 8' and 'Install Windows 8.1'
  2. Run the Windows 8 setup and enter your retail Windows 8 key, click next and when i begins downloading, STOP it! Exit setup.
  3. Now run the the Windows 8.1 setup. It will produce and error. Exit and then run Windows 8.1 setup again.
  4. It should now be downloading the Windows 8.1 ISO. Afterwards you can save it as an ISO or create the USB media immediately.
Click to expand...



The ISO file is the same size as the ESD folder; 3.06GB
Click to expand...

Unfortunately after all that, and although my windows key worked with both setups, when I run the setup from the ISO file or from the ESD folder I get a message saying that my key will not work with this version of Windows. :(
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro X64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. GA-B75M-D2V
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3470 CPU @ 3.20GHz, 3601 Mhz, 4 Core(s)
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. GA-B75M-D2V
    Memory
    8 GB DDR3 1600MHZ
    Graphics Card(s)
    GE Force GT 610
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek High Def
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U2913WMP
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1080
    Hard Drives
    Western Digital WD10EZEX-00RKKA0 1TB
    Seagate ST2000DL003-9VT166 2TB
    Seagate ST31000528AS 1TB
Hairy Scot said:
Hairy Scot said:
I followed the directions from the OP and it worked beautifully.

Follow these steps to download the Windows 8.1 ISO.


  1. Go here Upgrade Windows with only a product key - Microsoft Windows Help scroll down and click on both 'Install Windows 8' and 'Install Windows 8.1'
  2. Run the Windows 8 setup and enter your retail Windows 8 key, click next and when i begins downloading, STOP it! Exit setup.
  3. Now run the the Windows 8.1 setup. It will produce and error. Exit and then run Windows 8.1 setup again.
  4. It should now be downloading the Windows 8.1 ISO. Afterwards you can save it as an ISO or create the USB media immediately.
Click to expand...



The ISO file is the same size as the ESD folder; 3.06GB
Click to expand...

Unfortunately after all that, and although my windows key worked with both setups, when I run the setup from the ISO file or from the ESD folder I get a message saying that my key will not work with this version of Windows. :(
Click to expand...

You have to enter a Windows 8.1 key to install. After that you can activate with a Windows 8 key.
http://www.eightforums.com/installa...retail-windows-8-1-windows-8-product-key.html
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
alphanumeric said:
pennybills said:
I got the 8.1 iso through DreamSpark. I tried putting the iso on my 4gb flashdrive but all the contents don't fit in. Grr.

Going to download Windows 8 from DreamSpark hoping it's smaller and then upgrading to 8.1 after installing 8.
Click to expand...

What method did you use to create the bootable flash drive? I've had no problems using a 4 gig flash drive for 8 and 8.1.
Click to expand...

Well I have a 4GB flashdrive which actually stores 3.72. The iso is 3.63 but when right clicked, it says

3.63 GB (3,899,295,744 bytes)

which means 3.9 GB right?

I used the Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Home Premium
pennybills said:
alphanumeric said:
pennybills said:
I got the 8.1 iso through DreamSpark. I tried putting the iso on my 4gb flashdrive but all the contents don't fit in. Grr.

Going to download Windows 8 from DreamSpark hoping it's smaller and then upgrading to 8.1 after installing 8.
Click to expand...

What method did you use to create the bootable flash drive? I've had no problems using a 4 gig flash drive for 8 and 8.1.
Click to expand...

Well I have a 4GB flashdrive which actually stores 3.72. The iso is 3.63 but when right clicked, it says

3.63 GB (3,899,295,744 bytes)

which means 3.9 GB right?

I used the Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool
Click to expand...

My TechNet ISO for 8.1 RTM x64 is 3.63 GB (3,899,295,744 bytes). I also use the Windows 7 DVD download tool to make my bootable thumb drive. I haven't had any problems doing it. I actually add some more files after making the thumb drive for my custom installs.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
alphanumeric said:
pennybills said:
alphanumeric said:
What method did you use to create the bootable flash drive? I've had no problems using a 4 gig flash drive for 8 and 8.1.
Click to expand...

Well I have a 4GB flashdrive which actually stores 3.72. The iso is 3.63 but when right clicked, it says

3.63 GB (3,899,295,744 bytes)

which means 3.9 GB right?

I used the Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool
Click to expand...

My TechNet ISO for 8.1 RTM x64 is 3.63 GB (3,899,295,744 bytes). I also use the Windows 7 DVD download tool to make my bootable thumb drive. I haven't had any problems doing it. I actually add some more files after making the thumb drive for my custom installs.
Click to expand...

Hmm.. I already tried twice to do so but both attempts failed. Do you know what might be the cause and if there is a solution?

This is really frustrating, been trying since the morning to get 8.1 on my computer.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Home Premium
yeah, to reiterate... getting the 8.1 ISO is easy. but to install windows 8.1 from the ISO, you need a Windows 8.1 key. A Windows 8 key will not work.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
@pennybills; 1) what is the format of your flash drive; fat32 or ntfs; use ntfs or ex-fat;2) what you need (based on my experience with windows 8; unfortunately I am not able to download a legal windows 8.1 yet) are the boot folder and the source folder (boot.wim, install.wim and ei.cfg); copy the bootmgr to the root of the flash menu; 3) if the windows on startup asks for some missing drivers, then you need inf folder from the source folder4) support, migration etc are not required!regardsneelakantan
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8 Pro (WMC) originally; updated to 8.1 prowmc through store
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo G570
can't connect at the moment

today I have now seen in the store, 8.1 free upgrade; which I have started;

1) does this create an esd folder; where the files are stored? when you go for free upgrade using the Microsoft store does it dowloed/ produce only the upgrade files or the whole GA? ( I have a licensed windows proWMC windows 8.0 running on a Lenovo)
2) since I have a valid Win 8.1 pro retail key, I am still persisting with obtaining a legal and valid 8.1 setup file as I have a genuine Pro key; but each time after clicking the web installer and after the key is validated, I am finding that "we can't connect at this moment"; any real solutions?

regards
neelakantan
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8 Pro (WMC) originally; updated to 8.1 prowmc through store
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo G570
pennybills said:
alphanumeric said:
pennybills said:
Well I have a 4GB flashdrive which actually stores 3.72. The iso is 3.63 but when right clicked, it says

3.63 GB (3,899,295,744 bytes)

which means 3.9 GB right?

I used the Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool
Click to expand...

My TechNet ISO for 8.1 RTM x64 is 3.63 GB (3,899,295,744 bytes). I also use the Windows 7 DVD download tool to make my bootable thumb drive. I haven't had any problems doing it. I actually add some more files after making the thumb drive for my custom installs.
Click to expand...

Hmm.. I already tried twice to do so but both attempts failed. Do you know what might be the cause and if there is a solution?

This is really frustrating, been trying since the morning to get 8.1 on my computer.
Click to expand...

Have a look at this, http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/15458-uefi-bootable-usb-flash-drive-create-windows.html?filter
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
neelakantanr said:
today I have now seen in the store, 8.1 free upgrade; which I have started;

1) does this create an esd folder; where the files are stored? when you go for free upgrade using the Microsoft store does it dowloed/ produce only the upgrade files or the whole GA? ( I have a licensed windows proWMC windows 8.0 running on a Lenovo)
2) since I have a valid Win 8.1 pro retail key, I am still persisting with obtaining a legal and valid 8.1 setup file as I have a genuine Pro key; but each time after clicking the web installer and after the key is validated, I am finding that "we can't connect at this moment"; any real solutions?

regards
neelakantan
Click to expand...

the store update to 8.1 produces no usable download ,it just downloads temp file ,for it to use to upgrade your win8 to win8.1
save you win8.1 key until you can acquire the full iso file
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win8.1.1 enterprise
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Hinze57
    CPU
    AMD FX 6100 6core 3.30gHz
    Motherboard
    gigibyte ga-78lmy-s2p
    Memory
    4gig ddr3
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radon hd5000 Series
    Sound Card
    onboard realtek hd
    Monitor(s) Displays
    19" viewsonic/ 22"Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    128gig ssd Kingston
    80gig WD 10000 rpm spinner
    Case
    micro
    Keyboard
    microsoft curve 200
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless M215
    Internet Speed
    high speed 20
    Browser
    ie 11
    Antivirus
    windows defender
    Other Info
    updated enterprise apr 2/14
Update: I was finally able to put my iso on my 4gb flashdrive using Rufus.

However I did it using UEFI method which I'm not sure if my BIOS is running.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Home Premium

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win8.1.1 enterprise
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Hinze57
    CPU
    AMD FX 6100 6core 3.30gHz
    Motherboard
    gigibyte ga-78lmy-s2p
    Memory
    4gig ddr3
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radon hd5000 Series
    Sound Card
    onboard realtek hd
    Monitor(s) Displays
    19" viewsonic/ 22"Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    128gig ssd Kingston
    80gig WD 10000 rpm spinner
    Case
    micro
    Keyboard
    microsoft curve 200
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless M215
    Internet Speed
    high speed 20
    Browser
    ie 11
    Antivirus
    windows defender
    Other Info
    updated enterprise apr 2/14
I am using the method of starting with a download of windows 8, quickly closing, and opening windows 8.1 download. I am using my official, personal license key that I received from Microsoft when I purchased my 14.99 windows upgrade when windows 8 first came out. I keep getting the "can't connect, try connection and try again" error.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 9
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