Windows 8.1 Pro official ISO/USB for those who already have a valid key?

[RanceJustice]

Hello all. I'm considering taking the plunge and moving up to Windows 8.1 Pro as the Windows port of my Linux+Windows dual boot.. I'm lucky enough to have a couple of those old Windows 8 Pro keys that were sold for $15 way back when. I used one of them on my laptop some time ago, which gave me a Windows 8 Pro (plus a free media center upgrade) install, which I then updated to 8.1 using the Windows Update option after being offered the ability to do so, so I know the keys are valid for Win8 and 8.1 via update at least.

That was quite a long time ago, and I'd rather not have to go through installing 8, patching months of updates until I qualify for 8.1 again, patch 8.1, and then subsequent updates after that if not necessary. Thus, I hoped I could download the newer Windows Upgrade Assistant which, I was hoping would give me the chance to create a Windows 8.1 Pro x64 ISO or bootable USB, as it did during the old Win8 version. Now, this does seem plausible except with one problem - it expects me to actually BUY Win 8 Pro at $199 before I'm allowed to download it. There doesn't seem to be an option for "I already have a key and just need to make installation media". Thus, I was wondering if perhaps you ladies and gentlemen could assist me.

Could anyone point me towards an official way to create a bootable Windows 8.1 Pro x64 ISO or USB? Perhaps there is some other utility somewhere else? I know that MSDN has this sort of thing, but I am not a member so no luck there. It would be great if there an installer that would create a version that included all the current Windows Update major updates, patches, and Media Center as well, but I suppose that isn't necessary if I can at least get to Win 8.1 Pro x64. I've seen this sort of thing slipstreamed in via "questionable" installs so I know it is possible, but I wasn't going to look that direction since I have no need of a "KMS activated" variant...at least I don't think.

Would anyone happen to know if my old Windows 8 Pro keys would be sufficient for going "right to" 8.1 Pro? I've heard that the only thing I may have to add is Media Center as I (foolishly now) forgot to use all the keys, install Win8 and convert/add Media Center a long time back. However, I just want to make sure the base keys themselves are still sufficient. On a related note, I DO have one key that I used on a laptop, that was originally installed as Win8 but is updated to 8.1 Pro w/ Media Center 64. I no longer use that install on said laptop, so would I be able to successfully activate using that key?


Thank you all. I hope this will be a smooth process.

 

[devman]

Googling the Technet/MSDN published hash for the ISO you need will often yield places you can acquire it from.

However you get it, always make sure to validate the hash of the ISO against the published hash on MSDN after you download it.

 

[tporter]

I made mine by just using diskpart in windows to make my usb partition active and then just extracting the win 7/8 iso files onto the drive. I've done this MANY times. Works without issue. The updates can just be slipstreamed into the iso or usb. There are many tutorials out there for that portion...

 

[ir0nw0lf]

The Media Center keys you have, are any of them unused/unactivated? If so, you are SOL, I read that unless those keys had been used some time back, they went dead. Unless Microsoft was telling people that for some odd reason.

 

[RanceJustice]

I have one fully used/activated Win8.1 Pro w/Media Center key (or at least, it was Win 8 Pro, then installed Media Center, then updated to 8.1 when I could with no key change) that used to be on my laptop, and I used Speccy to draw out that product key awhile back. I also have a completely unused Win8 Pro key. I do remember something about the media center keys dying, but I activated one of them so hopefully that will still be good. Otherwise, if Win 8.1 Pro install media will at least take my unused 8 Pro key, then all I'd need to buy is the $10 media center upgrade if necessary, which isn't a big deal.

Looking around on MSDN and the like does show SHA1s, though only for "VL" which I am assuming means Volume License, versions of Win 8.1 Pro with Update x64 (from what I can see, the "Update" seems to be some sort of mini service pack.) Can any of these VL downloads be installed with a normal activation key, or only with the 180-day KMS reactivation style keys? I was hoping I'd be able to pull something direct from Microsoft, but if I have to go elsewhere I'll just have to do so.

Update: After a convoluted browsing of Microsoft's pages led to nothing , it took some DukGo'ing to find that, stupidly hidden, there does seem to be way to download if you already have your product key, found exclusively under support - http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/upgrade-product-key-only - Not sure why they couldn't have put it on the normal part of the site new the Downloads with a nice "I already have a key, take me to the ISO's etc." option. However, this link offers a very similar looking utility to the Windows Upgrade Assistant, but this one has a different installer filename (WindowsSetupBox.exe) and thankfully does not force you to pay before creating your own install media. They really could have saved a lot of time and energy by just having the single utility, but I digress. Anyway, it seems to have let me create a Win 8.1 installer. Sadly it doesn't tell me the actual version, but I am guessing that at very least it will be Win 8.1 Pro x64 (if it doesn't have the Update or Media Center, I'll just have to unlock them later).

Thanks for everyone's advice thus far. Hope this ends up working, lest I'll just take my chances with slipstreaming my own or finding another source for installer files, but I wanted to go direct if possible.

Oh, is it still accurate that Windows 8.1 (non-Enterprise, VL key etc..) requires you to have another version of windows already installed before you can install it? I've read this on a few MS FAQs but I hope that has been deprecated. Will Win8.1 install from downloaded ISO/USB on a brand new clean drive? I can understand needing to have Windows to run the upgrade assistant and buy the OS at upgrading pricing, but it astounds me if it won't install on a clean drive, as some of these FAQs seem to indicate.

Thanks!