Hazzaaa! Download Windows 8.1 ISO Using Windows 8.0 Product Key

By Nazmus Shakib Khandaker
in Microsoft (Windows)

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sagum

Posted
Posted

Has anybody used this ISO to clean install on a PC that original came with Win 8.0?

Mine didn't have a sticker on the bottom with the product key. Is the key embedded in the BIOS and I just never have to enter a key?

Or should I extract the key somehow and use that during setup?

 

Yes, Windows 8 keys are now embedded. It'll automatically detect the key.

Grand Master

Stoffel

Posted
Posted

Yes, Windows 8 keys are now embedded. It'll automatically detect the key.

 

Nice, so if I burn this ISO to a usb stick and do a clean install I should never have to enter a product key at all?

 

On a side note, quoting a post works fine again in Win 8.1 on IE11

Mentor

random_n

Posted
Posted

Yes, Windows 8 keys are now embedded. It'll automatically detect the key.

 

That didn't work for my system while using the MSDN images (which did work fine on Windows 8.0 for this method). I used the generic install key and a utility to retrieve the BIOS key afterwards which activated just fine once pasted in. Quite a bit of hoops to jump through with OA3.0 on a good day, and making Windows 8.1 keys different from 8.0 for no discernible reason really doesn't help any.  :/

Contributor

tkaw220

Posted
Posted

Reporting what? This is something we should have been able to do without any silly workarounds in the first place.

 

Agreed. I wasted 3 hours to use the workaround to get 8.1 ISO, and found out it wouldn't let me install using W8 key. Ultimately, I re-download the W8 ISO, created the media and install. After installation, it won't let me upgrade to 8.1 either. I have to install all Metro apps updates and several huge size Windows Updates, restart PC more than 5 times, and at last, I finally see the 8.1 upgrade in Store.

 

After these crazy works, I have to repeat installation from Store for my sister and wife's PC. Approximately 10 GB of Internet data gone due to this silly restriction from MS.

 

For the very first time, I regret buying genuine MS product. We could install however and whenever we want with pirated version.

Grand Master

DirtyLarry Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

Just want to confirm real quick, I want to hold off on the update at least a few more days, but I would love to have the ISO. So this would not negatively affect my current install of 8 in any way whatsoever right? Will just let me download the ISO?

Grand Master

ViperAFK

Posted
Posted

Just want to confirm real quick, I want to hold off on the update at least a few more days, but I would love to have the ISO. So this would not negatively affect my current install of 8 in any way whatsoever right? Will just let me download the ISO?

It gives you several options, just like the windows 8.0 setup app does. Upgrade in-place, create usb or dvd media, or save a .iso for you.

Veteran

Nazmus Shakib Khandaker

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Just want to confirm real quick, I want to hold off on the update at least a few more days, but I would love to have the ISO. So this would not negatively affect my current install of 8 in any way whatsoever right? Will just let me download the ISO?

 

This will have no negative effects. You are downloading directly from Microsoft. It is pure and virus free. Also, the installer gives you the option to only create an ISO file. You are not required to install anything. No changes will be made to your system. The setup will upgrade your PC when you ask it to.

Mentor

JaredFrost

Posted
Posted

hmm, I can't seem to get it to work, I get an error "check your internet connection and try again"

Obviously I'm connected, tried resetting a bunch of junk, from 4 different PCs here, going through a VPN in NZ and the US

Remoting into a machine in Canada and trying from there, the same error in all places.... I just want my ISOs so I don't have to

download this thing so many times. Plus the TMG blocks this stuff at work and I need to update my work laptop without

bringing it home or moving my IP to outside the TMG.

 

Has anyone done a traffic sniff of this thing to get the direct URL for the download?

Grand Master

DirtyLarry Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

Thanks for the quick responses, but I missed the part about the Windows 8 Pro upgrade keys not working in the first step. Since an upgrade is the only copy I have, I cannot get the next button to appear. Damn.

Grand Master

ViperAFK

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the quick responses, but I missed the part about the Windows 8 Pro upgrade keys not working in the first step. Since an upgrade is the only copy I have, I cannot get the next button to appear. Damn.

I did the exact procedure in the OP with a win8 pro upgrade key and it worked fine. The windows 8.0 setup app should absolutely accept a windows 8 upgrade key (since running that is the official way to upgrade to windows 8...), and as long as the windows 8.0 setup app accepts it and starts the download the 8.1 app should just skip past asking for the key when you run it after canceling the download in the 8.0 app. At which point did it not accept your key?

Mentor

Thief000

Posted
Posted

This is the ISO I was talking about yesterday. It was created with the ESD from this glitched setup.

https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1182721-windows-81-iso-wont-be-available-to-the-public/page-3

It works great BTW! Installs everything you need up to the GA release in one package and if you want it to bypass having to install those default keys just add an ei.cfg.

Mentor

Radium

Posted
Posted

Reporting to Microsoft.

 

I had Windows 7 on my PC and then I bought an Windows 8 upgrade.

The DVD that comes with the upgrade box has a complete installation process which enables me to make a clean install.

This time around it's even more a pain in the butt to make a clean install.

Windows 8.1 is free for those who have Windows 8. That means that if I want to get my hands on a fresh 8.1 install and use my original Windows 8 key then everything is okay but that's not the case.

I have to fiddle around to get it to work. I want to be able to make fresh installs of a product I've paid for. My old Windows 7 license is just laying around and I paid a full price for that.

 

I've managed to get 8.1 installer onto a USB-stick and make a clean install and activate Windows using the very same key I got when I bought Windows 8.

I even have a spare Windows 8 disc+license laying around.

 

The fresh install is cleaner, much cleaner than an upgrade would be.

To me, a fresh install of the latest version of the product I've purchased and have the right to use is a very basic thing.

 

What if you were forced to install Windows 1 and then upgrade through Windows 2, 3, 95, 98, Me, XP, Vista, 7 and 8 before you could upgrade to 8.1?

Mentor

JaredFrost

Posted
Posted

I had the same issue. Read through the instructions again. You should be able to figure out the issue.

 

Sadly I cannot, maybe I can't read or follow instructions, or maybe it's not the same issue you had, but if you could shed some light on which one my issue might

be I would appreciate it, thanks.

Rising Star

Mandosis

Posted
Posted

Sadly I cannot, maybe I can't read or follow instructions, or maybe it's not the same issue you had, but if you could shed some light on which one my issue might

be I would appreciate it, thanks.

You used the windows 8 installer first and not the 8.1 right?

Grand Master

SnoopZ

Posted
Posted

This will have no negative effects. You are downloading directly from Microsoft. It is pure and virus free. Also, the installer gives you the option to only create an ISO file. You are not required to install anything. No changes will be made to your system. The setup will upgrade your PC when you ask it to.

So can this downloaded ISO be used to do a clean install of the Windows 8 upgrade i bought for ?25 without having to have another OS present on the system?

Mentor

JaredFrost

Posted
Posted

You used the windows 8 installer first and not the 8.1 right?

 

 

Yes, though I am using the generic install key, since mine is OEM.

 

Yeah, mine was related to the generic install key, I've used a friends retail and that worked to download it.

Neowinian

markdj

Posted
Posted

I got the download and selected install later but where on earth is the ISO? And can I use the standard windows 7 usb boot disk creator with it? I don't have a usb disk to put it on and if I was to put it on a usb disk, I would want to be able to do that at will.

 

Thanks

 

EDIT: I found it ! Create media and ISO is an option, that's great.

Mentor

Radium

Posted
Posted

So can this downloaded ISO be used to do a clean install of the Windows 8 upgrade i bought for ?25 without having to have another OS present on the system?

Yes, you can make a clean install from it.

I made a clean install. I deleted all the partitions on the SSD and started from scratch.

Grand Master

Jason S. Global Moderator

Posted
  • Global Moderator
Posted

all i get is "cannot connect" and the download doesnt start.

 

anyone else having issues opening certain sites w/ 8.1?  Say, I google 'cnn' and click the 1st link. Doesnt connect, and the site instantly times out. Try with other sites and they dont work either. Also, if i try to go to different sites like 'espn' using the URL (not google) and the same thing happens.

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