#Install windows 8.1 media creation tool how to#
#Install windows 8.1 media creation tool install#
#Install windows 8.1 media creation tool upgrade#

#Install windows 8.1 media creation tool install#

If youвЂ™re going to use the installation media on that PC, go ahead and just click вЂњNext.вЂќ If youвЂ™re planning to install it onВ a different PC, clear the вЂњUse recommended options for this PCвЂќ check box, select options that are more appropriate for the license you have, and then click вЂњNext.вЂќВ Note that if youвЂ™re using the 8.1 version of the tool, you actually start with this screen. The tool will suggest a language, edition, and architecture for Windows based on information about the PC on which the tool is running. When the tool asks what you want to do, select вЂњCreate installation media for another PCвЂќ and then click вЂњNext.вЂќ The Windows 8.1 version of the tool also does not provide this option it just defaults to creating installation media for another PC (which is what we want). Microsoft will offer you a direct download of the Windows 10 or Windows 8.1 ISO file instead of the standard Media Creation Tool, which only runs on Windows.) (If you donвЂ™t want to use the Media Creation Tool and just want to download an ISO file directly, just change your browserвЂ™s user agent to a non-Windows browser like Apple Safari on iPad while youвЂ™re viewing the download page.

Note that the Windows 8.1 version of the tool does not ask you to accept license terms. When the tool starts, click вЂњAcceptвЂќ to accept the license terms. Once the file has downloaded, just double-click it to start the tool and then click вЂњYesвЂќ to give it permission to make changes to your PC. Start by downloading either the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool or the Windows 8.1 Media Creation Tool.

#Install windows 8.1 media creation tool upgrade#

After that, you should be able to do a clean installation of Windows 8.1 using the new product key and wonвЂ™t have to worry about installing Windows 8 first and going the upgrade route. You can find that product key in a number of different ways and save it for the future. After you do the upgrade, Windows will assign the new product key to the installation. Instead, youвЂ™ll have to install Windows 8, then do a free upgrade to 8.1. And the product keys are different for Windows 8 and 8.1, so if you have a Windows 8 product key, you canвЂ™t just use it to install Windows 8.1.

One caveat you should be aware of up front is that you can no longer download an ISO for Windows 8вЂ“just 8.1.

#Install windows 8.1 media creation tool how to#

RELATED: How to Find Your Lost Windows or Office Product Keys The process for using the tool is largely the same for both versions of Windows, so weвЂ™ll be using the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool for our example. If youвЂ™ve got access to a Windows machine, the official method for downloading ISOs for Windows 8.1 and 10 is the Media Creation Tool. Download the Windows 10 or 8.1 ISO Using the Media Creation Tool The most important thing is that you have a valid license key. If it wonвЂ™t activate, you can always install and then call Microsoft toВ get them to straighten it out and allow your copy to activate. NOTE: Depending on the OEM version of Windows that you are running, you might run intoВ an issue using the OEM key with a retail version of Windows. Instead, you get official installation media straight from Microsoft. There are a few ways to do this, but theyвЂ™re all on the straight and narrowвЂ“you wonвЂ™t have to visit a shady BitTorrent site to downloadВ ISOs that may be filled with malware.