You will now see two download buttons:
Which one should you choose?
Pro Tip: If you are unsure of your system type, right-click "This PC" on an existing Windows installation and select "Properties." Look for "System type." download windows 8.1 disc image -iso file- - microsoft
Click the appropriate button. The download of the disc image (ISO file) will begin immediately. Save it to an easy-to-find location (like your Desktop or Downloads folder). You will now see two download buttons:
Downloading the 8.1 ISO is also a lesson in the evolution of software licensing. Which one should you choose
Windows 8.1 sits in a messy middle ground. It was the last version of Windows where the "disc image" was treated truly like a physical disc—often locked to specific OEM keys or requiring complex workarounds to install without a key. For modern users trying to download this file, it serves as a frustrating reminder of how clunky software activation used to be before Microsoft streamlined it with Windows 10.
| Purpose | Action |
|---------|--------|
| Create a bootable USB | Use Rufus (free, open-source) or Microsoft’s Windows USB/DVD Download Tool |
| Burn to DVD | Right-click the ISO file → “Burn disc image” (Windows built-in) |
| Mount & upgrade | Double-click the ISO to mount it, then run setup.exe |
| Use in a VM | Select the ISO as the boot media in VMware, VirtualBox, or Hyper‑V |
Get-FileHash D:\Downloads\Win8.1_x64.iso -Algorithm SHA256