Windows 8 USB Installer Maker requires a connected flash drive that has at least 4GB of free space and the ISO image that contains the installation files for Windows 8. Make sure you don't have. Although all types of USB drives should work for creating portable Windows 8 version but you should always use a USB drive having 'Designed for Windows' logo on it. Regarding the host computer system which will run this portable Windows 8 version, it should pass the minimum system requirements to use Windows 7 or Windows 8 OS. One of the easiest ways to install Windows 8 is from a USB flash drive. It’s easier to carry a small thumb drive than mess around with a DVD. Here’s the easiest way to create a bootable USB. During the Windows 8.1 install, I get a list of drives, all with options 'Refresh, Delete, Format, New, Load Driver, and Extend'. If this is where I need to be, please help me decide which drive I need to do what to, because I don't want to format the wrong one. Here are the drives that show: Drive 0 Partition 1: Windows RE Tools.
Physical DVD drives are becoming a thing of the past as the size of our PCs continue shrink and new form factors are emerging. Microsoft distributes Windows Windows 8 on physical discs or images of DVDs called ISO files that are typically burned to physical media. This has become problem as a number of laptops and tablet PCs no longer ship with DVD drives. The best way to install Windows on these devices is to use a USB flash drive that contains the Windows installation files. As an extra benefit, modern USB flash drives are typically much faster than DVDs resulting in a quick install.
Windows 8 To Usb Rufus
Before we get started you will need:
- Windows 8 ISO file.
- 4 GB USB flash drive.
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. Don't worry that it says for Windows 7, it works fine for Windows 8 as well.
Download the Microsoft Store Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool, Alternate Link.
Once installed, launch the Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool from the start menu.
Hit Browse, select your ISO file and then click Next.
Plug in your USB flash drive.
On the Choose media type screen select USB device.
Select your USB drive from the list and click Begin Copying.
This process can take several minutes depending on the speed of your USB flash drive.
Usually, whenever a new OS or OS update release happens, Microsoft will allow users to download it from the installer or download it as ISO to install them whenever we want using DVD/USB media. When Windows 8.1 was released this week, Microsoft made it available through Windows Store. However, there are ways to download Windows 8.1 ISO from Microsoft. Neowin posted the below steps which you can follow to download the ISO and install it from USB stick.
Windows 8.1 Recovery Usb Download
- Head over to http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/upgrade-product-key-only
- Scroll down and click Install Windows 8 (This will trigger the installer assistant).
- Enter your Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro or Windows 8 Upgrade product key, confirm that you will be downloading the bits for the version you paid for.
- As soon as it starts downloading, close the installer assistant from the (X) in the top-right corner.
- Go back to the Microsoft Windows upgrade page, click Install Windows 8.1, and download the newer installer assistant.
- Run the newer install assistant.
- When the download is complete, you can choose to install the OS right-then, or you can choose the option: Install by creating media. This option will allow you to create a USB/DVD media.
- Select USB drive if you want to install the installation files to a USB stick or select the ISO option if you want to obtain the ISO.
Win 8 Boot To Usb
Enjoy the Windows 8.1 experience after installing from the downloaded ISO. Neowin has even got some screenshots of the process. Check them out from the link below.
Source: Neowin