Follow the steps below to download the utility, create a USB recovery media and reinstall Microsoft Windows or Linux on your Dell PC. What you will need. To manually download the Windows ISO file on a non-Windows PC: Browse to Dell Recovery Image website. Download the Windows 10 or 8.1 ISO Using the Media Creation Tool. If you’ve got access to a Windows machine, the official method for downloading ISOs for Windows 8.1 and 10 is the Media Creation Tool. Microsoft has a free utility that will automatically make a bootable USB flash drive from a Windows 8 ISO image file. First, download and install the utility.
Upgrading your Windows 8 system to Windows 8.1 is simple enough through the Microsoft Store, but if you need to reinstall it or run the update on more than one PC, it can be inconvenient and time-consuming since Microsoft doesn't give you the option to save the update files.
There's a trick, however, that allows you to download the official Windows 8.1 ISO from Microsoft's servers with your Windows 8 product key. With the Windows 8.1 ISO, you can create DVD or USB media to update a Windows 8 PC to Windows 8.1. Unfortunately, as Paul Thurrott over at WinSupersite mentions, you can't use the ISO to perform a clean install of Windows 8.1 with a Windows 8 product key. The ISO is still worth having, though, just to be able to bypass the Microsoft Store when upgrading to Windows 8.1 from Windows 8. Here's how to download the official Windows 8.1 ISO:
Step 1: Go to Microsoft's page for upgrading to Windows 8 with a product key, then click on the light blue 'Install Windows 8' button.
Step 2: Launch the setup file (Windows8-Setup.exe) and enter your Windows 8 product key when prompted. Continue the setup process until it begins downloading Windows 8.
Step 3: Close the Windows 8 setup window and confirm that you want to quit the setup.
Step 4: Back at the Microsoft upgrading to Windows 8 with a product key page, click on the light blue 'Install Windows 8.1' button this time.
The house of hades read online free. Step 5: Lhf encore font free download for windows 10. Launch the setup file (WindowsSetupBox.exe), which will begin downloading the Windows 8.1 ISO.
Step 6: Once the ISO finishes downloading, the installer will take several minutes to check the download and uncompress the install files. When you're prompted to choose an installation option, pick 'Install by creating media.'
Step 7: Decide whether you want the installer to create USB flash drive media, or save the ISO file.
If you choose ISO, the ISO file (Windows.iso) will be saved to your PC and you'll be given the option to burn it to DVD. Once completed, you can actually go back and create the USB flash drive media as well. Just click on the 'Install Windows' link on your Windows desktop. You'll be prompted to choose your installation option again. Pick 'Install by creating media' again, insert a 4GB or larger USB flash drive, then choose the USB flash drive option. If you have any problems creating the USB flash media, you can still use the Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool to create USB media with the Windows 8.1 ISO.
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In last week's post, Get the free 90-day evaluation of Windows 8 Enterprise, I showed you how to download the free 90-day evaluation copy of the final version of Windows 8 Enterprise and burn the ISO file to a bootable DVD using Windows 7's Windows Disc Image Burner tool. While installing from a DVD is suitable in most situations, you may want to be able to install Windows 8 from a USB flash drive. Fortunately, doing so is not as difficult as it once was. In fact, Microsoft has a utility called the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool that will allow you to convert the ISO image so that it can boot from a USB flash drive. (Keep in mind that while the tool has Windows 7 in its name, it will still work for Windows 8.)
In this article, I'll show you how to download, install and use the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool to transfer the Windows 8 Enterprise evaluation ISO to a bootable USB flash drive. Keep in mind that while I'll use the Windows 8 Enterprise evaluation ISO as my example, this procedure will work with any Windows 7 or Windows 8 ISO.
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Sign up today Sign up todayTo install the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool, you need at least a Pentium 233 MHz processor and 50MB of free hard disk space. You can install the tool in Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit). Your USB flash drive must be at least 4GB and it should not have any other files on it. In fact, I recommend that you perform a full format of your USB flash drive; just to be sure that it is error free.
If you are running Windows XP, you will need to download and install both Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 and Microsoft Image Mastering API v2 before you install the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool. Keep in mind that the most current version of the .NET Framework is 4.5, but if you only want to download 2.0, previous versions are available on the .NET site linked above.
For the best possible experience while you use the evaluation and for ease of disposal once the 90 days are up, I recommend that you install Windows 8 Enterprise to a VHD and use it in a dual-boot configuration as I showed you in the article titled Dual-boot Windows 7 and Windows 8 using a VHD.
Are you planning on installing Windows 8 from a bootable USB flash drive? Will you install it in a VHD dual-boot configuration? As always, if you have comments or information to share about this topic, please take a moment to drop by the TechRepublic Community Forums and let us hear from you.