How to download the Windows 8.1 ISO

[anuj kumar]

ESD-TO-ISO will work with 8.1. But only if you downloaded the whole thing and just forgot to make an iso. It won't work with just the files just downloaded for upgrade - they are different.

but the tutorial saying ..you can make iso if u downloaded from windows store...and windwos store is just for upgrade to windows 8.1.

 

[ivangow]

hi guys! I'm trying to download the Windows 8.1 ISO, but i Always receive "we can't connect right now" error. i only want it to refresh my pc. i'm just running Windows 8.1. Can somebody send me his ISO file? my system is Windows 8.1 pro with media center.
Thanks!

 

[SIW2]

It has changed since win 8.0. That used to offer to make an iso after downloading the files. People would sometimes forget to make the iso. That is why I made the little ESD-TO-ISO program for them.

Now it is different. The 8.1 store upgrade downloads the files, does the upgrade, but does not offer to make an iso. There is something missing from the files it downloads so it is difficult to make it yourself ( no boot.wim) .

There is a workaround where you can download a different ( but very similar ) set of files, which will offer to make an iso.

That workaround is explained on the first post of this thread.

I am not surprised people are getting confused.

ESD-TO-ISO will work with 8.1. But only if you downloaded the whole thing and just forgot to make an iso. It won't work with just the files just downloaded for upgrade - they are different.

but the tutorial saying ..you can make iso if u downloaded from windows store...and windwos store is just for upgrade to windows 8.1.

 

[jds63]

It has changed since win 8.0. That used to offer to make an iso after downloading the files. People would sometimes forget to make the iso. That is why I made the little ESD-TO-ISO program for them.

Now it is different. The 8.1 store upgrade downloads the files, does the upgrade, but does not offer to make an iso. There is something missing from the files it downloads so it is difficult to make it yourself ( no boot.wim) .

There is a workaround where you can download a different ( but very similar ) set of files, which will offer to make an iso.

That workaround is explained on the first post of this thread.

I am not surprised people are getting confused.

ESD-TO-ISO will work with 8.1. But only if you downloaded the whole thing and just forgot to make an iso. It won't work with just the files just downloaded for upgrade - they are different.

but the tutorial saying ..you can make iso if u downloaded from windows store...and windwos store is just for upgrade to windows 8.1.

O.K. but is there any difference between doing it from first post and your ESD-TO-ISO program with a clean install of Windows 8.1
Just to clear my confusion of why some are trying to create it from those folders afterwards.

 

[SIW2]

If did the full iso download trick, it will offer to create an iso anyway. ESD -TO-ISO will work for that also.

If you did the upgrade download thing only - then you cannot make a working iso because boot.wim is missing from downloaded files. You could probably use another boot.wim, from the RTM, or possibly 8.0 and pop it in the sources folder. Haven't tried that. It might also be possible to use winre.wim, if it was flagged correctly.

 

[4wd]

Had to try all this. Needed this code along the way. Created media > USB flash, did a test install on a spare disk, activated fine using a 8 Pro code (was one of the cheap upgrades licenses). Desktop watermark went away after a restart. All well.

 

[TimK]

I found a link to very similar instructions on the answers.microsoft.com site

 

[Brink]

Yep, here also:

http://www.eightforums.com/installa...retail-windows-8-1-windows-8-product-key.html

 

[Ztruker]

Doesn't need to be on the desktop, but needs to be on the same drive.

Ah ha. I ran it from a different drive! Thanks for the info.

 

[Ztruker]

Had a friend do the upgrade from the store for Windows 8 Pro X64. He does not have the ESD folder in the root of the boot drive. Any idea why not. I did the exact same thing for Windows 8 Pro X86 and the ESD folder is there.

 

[theog]

Ask your friend to unhide the folder.

 

[Ztruker]

I did show hidden folders, files and drives, still not there.

 

[SIW2]

I think it depends what you downloaded.

Maybe if he downloaded the upgrade files (not the full iso thing ), then it deletes the esd folder as part of the upgrade process.

If you d/l the full iso , then it keeps the esd folder on the drive.

 

[DJG]

I want to point out the upgrade failed for me because my boot partition was on an external PCI-E controller, not the motherboard-native controller. After I moved my boot partition to the on-board controller the upgrade was pretty much perfect. Once I had the OS upgraded I moved the partition back to the external controller where I wanted it and activated there no problems.

 

[Ztruker]

He just did the upgrade via the store, same as I did.

 

[SIW2]

Not sure then. I did the regular upgrade and it deleted the esd folder. Might depend how much space you have on that partition.

 

[mikiep]

I updated before the store showed the update, instructions for 81preview to 81 final at Microsoft are gone now but was,,, open store while downloading/installing . I had no ESD after all was done.

I also downloaded a second time the update from the 'Upgrade Windows with only a product key' page which allows you to make media and then I suddenly had an ESD added to the 8.1 install & also the install from web desktop icon pointing to 'C:\Users\mike\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WebSetup\Sources\WebSetup.exe /late elevate'
I haven't run the disk cleanup to see what it removes from this 2nd time update download.

 

[mosharino]

I found a link to very similar instructions on the answers.microsoft.com site

Yup, and at the end of the article he mentions where he got the info from...

 

[gzhtub]

This only works if you bought W8 at a retail location, not if you have an OEM machine or (like me) bought he update. Shouldn't we be entitled to a reinstall ISO file as well? PS: I tried the generic keys from MSDN or Technet & they did not work. :-(

 

[undine]

I made the dvd from the iso gotten from the start of this thread. I tried to do a clean install on a blank reformatted hdd and all went well untill I got to the place where I chose "custom install" and then it said it could not find a proper partition and would go no farther. What are the people on this thread calling a clean install? I think you may have to already have win 8 installed first? Any help? Thanks.