Obtaining Installation Media for Windows 8.1

If you need to install or reinstall Windows 8.1, there's never been any great solutions for getting it done. If you remember, Windows 8.1 was delivered through the Windows Store, which presented some issues all its own. After that an early on, Microsoft provided a way to install Windows 8.1 using your product key, but it was still a bit convoluted and was still a web-based installation system.

But what if you just need to install or reinstall Windows 8.1 and want to do it from local media?

Microsoft now has a page to help. You'll need Internet access at first, to download your applicable Windows 8.1 version (32bit or 64bit), but you can store the download on a USB flash drive or burn it to DVD. All the same system requirements for installing Windows 8.1 apply, as do the rules for obtaining a legal copy of the OS, but once you have the installation media, installing Windows 8.1 is as simple as executing Setup.exe.

The initial download comes in the form of a Media Creation Tool (mediacreationtool.exe) and then once you select your specific OS needs…

…just tell the tool what type of installation file you require – either a USB flash drive installation or in the form of an ISO image (for burning to a blank DVD disk).

Download and creation will of course, depend on your Internet speed, but after selection it's a pretty hands-off procedure.

For IT Pros, this provides a great solution for keeping Windows 8.1 on hand should end-users problems arise that requires a PC or device refresh.

Go here to get the Media Creation Tool and get started: Create installation media for Windows 8.1