Solved Windows 8.0 ISO Download Problem

[amdman013]

Hi There

Slight problem with getting a new copy of the ISO of Windows 8.0, Seem to have lost the original email with link to get it, the Product key only one says we cannot connect right now error, I have ran chkdsk, disabled Avast when trying it, (didn't help) Have so many flash drives, with possible 8.0 or 8.1 versions, don't know if my key is blocked from doing 8.1 ISO install prior to 8.1 coming out officially, I guess I should've waited and upgraded thru the Windows Store as normal users would do.

Any help is appreciated in this matter

 

[dalchina]

Hi, I imagine you're going here
Upgrade Windows with only a product key - Microsoft Windows Help
to try to download your Win 8 iso. Here it seems Win 8 download will not work (from my Win 8.1).

However, a little searching yields
About.com: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/upgrade-product-key-only

found from
Where Can I Download Windows 8 or 8.1?
Seems to work. Strange- appears to be the same page.

If your key is for Win 8, Win 8, not 8.1, is the only one that will work, in simple terms.
Note that you need to be clear if your key is for new install or upgrade.

(There is a way- and it works- to get a Win 8.1 iso with a Win 8 key from here. But that doesn't mean your key is valid for that- it's only handy to have for e.g. updating multiple PCs).

Both pages wrongly identify my OS as Win 8- it's 8.1.

Hope that helps

 

[alphanumeric]

@ dalchina, I have downloaded 8.0 and 8.1 on a Windows 8.1 PC, from the first link you posted. I used a Windows 8.0 product key. It needs to be a Retail key, OEM keys won't work.

@ amdman013, You can't install Windows 8.1 with a Windows 8.0 product code. You can activate it with an 8.0 code though. http://www.eightforums.com/installa...retail-windows-8-1-windows-8-product-key.html

 

[amdman013]

What I was gonna do was do a complete Windows 8.0 clean install, then update/upgrade to 8.1 thru the store this time, don't have an ISO to 8.1, and key won't allow to download it. Still get We can't connect right now when I try to download 8.0 ISO from Product key only page.

Flash drive I don't know which drive was the original efi enabled one.


Should I just try one of the flash drives sometime, and use either Generic 8.1 Key, and then use my real key to activate or should I still work on getting 8.0 ISO onto flash drive?

 

[alphanumeric]

My personal preference is to go right to 8.1 and avoid the Store Upgrade. I have easy access to the TechNet ISO's though. Other than that I don't know what to tell you? Is the key you got in the e-mail an upgrade key? If it is that may be why it doesn't work.

 

[amdman013]

Yes could be upgrade Key, was $14.99 price for Windows 8 when I got it on October 26th 2012, Not sure if my flash drive I did find is 8.0 install or not, as I got so many with possibly different versions of Windows on them, don't have access to TechNet, so I guess will have to try it with restore with restore CD's to Windows 7 64bit, update that, then clean install of 8.0, then store update to 8.1 I suppose

Would it be possible to do 8.1 Refresh? did a clean 8.1 install last time with a Flash drive I found that had 8.1 on it, reason I wanna refresh PC or reset PC, is cause of corrupt files, with Windows Media player CD ripping, think fixed that earlier, sfc scannow shows no issues now, maybe I won't need to do a thing actually. Still running Windows Defender included with Windows 8.1 update 1, and Malwarebytes 2.0, and mvps hosts file.

 

[genet]

Still get We can't connect right now when I try to download 8.0 ISO from Product key only page.

edit:

How to download and clean install Windows 8.1 if you have an OEM computer with UEFI firmware (BIOS) embedded Windows 8/8.1 product key. -> link

How to download and clean install Windows 8.1 if you don't have an OEM computer that came with Windows 8/8.1 preinstalled. -> link

 

[alphanumeric]

Yes could be upgrade Key, was $14.99 price for Windows 8 when I got it on October 26th 2012, Not sure if my flash drive I did find is 8.0 install or not, as I got so many with possibly different versions of Windows on them, don't have access to TechNet, so I guess will have to try it with restore with restore CD's to Windows 7 64bit, update that, then clean install of 8.0, then store update to 8.1 I suppose

Would it be possible to do 8.1 Refresh? did a clean 8.1 install last time with a Flash drive I found that had 8.1 on it, reason I wanna refresh PC or reset PC, is cause of corrupt files, with Windows Media player CD ripping, think fixed that earlier, sfc scannow shows no issues now, maybe I won't need to do a thing actually. Still running Windows Defender included with Windows 8.1 update 1, and Malwarebytes 2.0, and mvps hosts file.

You could try doing a Refresh, it may prompt for install media, then you'll have to remember what thumb drive you used. I'd backup you data to external media just in case it goes south. If everything is working I'd likely just leave it alone.

 

[amdman013]

Yeah all working properly now, chkdsk completed over night, no bad sectors, malware scans done--nothing found, auto defrag done, seems to be responding better now, and no issues seen at this point, so think gonna leave alone now.. Thank you all for the replies, really appreciate it