How to: Create Windows 8.1 install media if you lost your install disk

If you buy a Windows 8.1 machine and you lose your recovery disks, the process can be a huge pain in the butt to reinstall the OS. Thankfully, Microsoft has recognized this and is now making it quite easy to reinstall your OS if find yourself in this situation.

You can check out Microsoft's site on how to create the media here or we linked to the download you will need at the bottom of the post. The short version of the directions are that you run the file you download from the link below and the app will give the option to create backup media using a USB drive or on a DVD.

If you’re using Windows 7, you will need to enter a Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 product key for this process to work.

The process is quite simple and we had not previously seen this method discussed, so we thought we would share as we know there are quite a few of you trying to do this based on the tips and feedback we receive.

Download: Windows 8.1 media backup