WIN 8.1 ISO FILE

[magnus1492]

Does this file just replace/re-install Win 8.1 or does it do anything else? I almost used it instead of a Recovery Thumb Drive thinking
it would replace and not repair Win 8.1...
Thank you for help!

 

[Bree]

You can use the ISO to do an in-place repair install.

Repair Install Windows 8

How to Repair Install Windows 8 and 8.1 without Losing Anything Windows 8 introduced the option to refresh and reset your PC to repair or reinstall Windows 8 with as needed. These new features are great for what they are intended for, but there are some drawbacks to them. When you reset your...

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You can also use it to make a bootable USB, my preferred method is the manual Option Two in this tutorial

UEFI Bootable USB Flash Drive - Create in Windows

How to Create a Bootable UEFI USB Flash Drive for Installing Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1 This tutorial will show you how to create a Windows 7 or Windows 8 or 8.1 installation bootable USB flash drive for UEFIfrom either a Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 installation ISO or DVD...

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You can use this USB to do a clean install, but you can also boot to the Advanced Startup options, see Option Seven in this tutorial

Startup Options Menu - Boot to in Windows 8

How to Boot to Advanced Startup Options in Windows 8 and 8.1 Using advanced startup, you can start up from a device or disc (ex: USB/DVD), change your PC's firmware settings, change Windows startup settings, or restore Windows from a system image. This tutorial will show you how to boot to...

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[TechnoMage]

I don't know, how many people I've seen asking (on a forum) if they can re-install their OS without loosing their data. ???

Have those people NEVER heard of doing backups? Strange, because I personally have been telling them to Backup their data, for well over a decade.
If you (any YOU) have all your important stuff (data) backed up, you can reinstall your OS all day long, and never loose a bit of data.
I personally have been backing up my stuff since 1980. Heck, that's 41 years!!!
Like my Army trng Sgt used to tell us...."Some people just don't get the word!"
I give up!