How to re-download the Windows 8 ISO
You may have a Windows 8 DVD at hand depending on how you have installed the operating system or upgraded an older system to the newer version.
If you have not, you may run into issues in the future when you need to re-install the operating system again on the same or another computer system. While it is recommended to create a system repair disc, the disc can only help you recover the operating system under certain circumstances. Sometimes, a new installation is the only viable course of action. This is for instance the case if you decide to build your own PC and want to move all your data from the old one to it.
The obvious problem here is that you can't install the operating system anew if you do not have the Windows 8 DVD, and since Microsoft is not making available a download copy of it for customers (unless you are a subscriber to Technet, MSDN or similar services) you may end up in a situation where you need to make another purchase, or get your hands on a Windows 8 ISO image in other ways.
Download Windows 8 from Microsoft
There is a semi-official way to download a Windows 8 ISO image from Microsoft. Note that you can only use this method if you are running a version of Windows that you can upgrade to Windows 8 (basically Windows XP SP3 to Windows Release Preview, but not Windows 8 final).
- Visit this Microsoft Windows website and click on the Install Windows 8 button there to download the file to your PC. You can change the language by editing the country code in the url.
- Run the program on your system afterwards. Note that it will trigger an UAC prompt.
- Enter the Windows 8 product key
No product key? Use generic ones
If you do not have your Windows 8 product key at hand either use a program like Nirsoft's ProduKey to display it on your Windows 8 installation, or use the generic key XKY4K-2NRWR-8F6P2-448RF-CRYQH for Windows 8.0 Professional or FB4WR-32NVD-4RW79-XQFWH-CYQG3for Windows 8.0 Home instead.
Windows 8.1 product keys are different. Use 334NH-RXG76-64THK-C7CKG-D3VPT if you are running Windows 8.1 Home, or XHQ8N-C3MCJ-RQXB6-WCHYG-C9WKB for Windows 8.1 Professional.
Note that the generic key will only work here, but that it won't activate the operating system. You need your own product key for that. If you do not have that key, contact the manufacturer of your PC for assistance, or use Microsoft Support for that instead.
The program verifies the product key on the fly, and you get to a page where you have the choice to install Windows 8 right away, or create a installation disc.
You can use the program to download and create a new Windows 8 installation disc to upgrade an older version of Windows or do a clean installation instead.
You may ask yourself why Microsoft is not offering Windows 8 downloads on its download center or the Windows website. I do not have an answer for that unfortunately, but if I had to guess, it probably had something to do with control. While that is an illusion considering that every P2P indexing site lists Windows 8 iso images for download, it is still the best explanation I have for that.
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277
I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
Tank you for your help