Create Windows 8.1 ISO?

keogh · 2 Apr 2014 at 13:35

Hey Guys,

I've done this with Windows 7 and Windows 8, but I can't remember what tool I used to do it, cos the only one I can find after googling creates an invalid ISO.

I just bought a new copy of Windows 8.1 Pro x64 OEM from OcUK (turned up today) and the PC I am installing it on has no DVD drive, so I need to rip the CD to ISO using a PC that I have that does have a DVD drive.

I used the BurnAware Free tool (http://www.burnaware.com/download/) but nothing seems to recognise this as a bootable ISO. E.g. Windows 7 Download tool see it as invalid, and ISO to USB just throws an error at me. Looking inside the .iso it looks completely different to my Win7 and Win8 .iso files so leads me to believe its not doing it correctly.

I do recall having the same issue before and I used another tool in the end, but for the life of me I cannot find it.

So can someone point me in the right direction on how to burn my 8.1 DVD to a .iso that I can then move to a USB?

Thanks!

VaderDSL · 2 Apr 2014 at 13:36

Is this of any help?

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool

Actually, my link is just for making an .iso into bootable USB

MonsterMoshi · 2 Apr 2014 at 13:42

Take a look here
Loads of tutorials links from this page but it should contain all the info you need

marc2003 · 2 Apr 2014 at 13:53

use imgburn for saving disks to ISO.

http://www.imgburn.com/

also, i recommend rufus for creating the USB stick when you're done. it's a good bit faster than the official microsoft thingy.

http://rufus.akeo.ie/

keogh · 2 Apr 2014 at 14:02

Yeah im still having issues. ImgBurn creates the same .iso that BurnAware does (e.g the root of the .iso is wrong, contains a [BOOT] folder and a README.txt). The .iso should contain a setup.exe and several other folder and files.

I tried the MS tool, but when I enter my product key it tells me I cannot use that key with a retail version of Windows 8? I didn;t know retail/OEM versions existed anymore?

meandu229 · 2 Apr 2014 at 14:05

keogh said:
Yeah im still having issues. ImgBurn creates the same .iso that BurnAware does (e.g the root of the .iso is wrong, contains a [BOOT] folder and a README.txt). The .iso should contain a setup.exe and several other folder and files.

I tried the MS tool, but when I enter my product key it tells me I cannot use that key with a retail version of Windows 8? I didn;t know retail/OEM versions existed anymore?

There is a web based windows 8.1 and 8 installer which you should be able to use the 8.1 version of which will make a usb stick for you if you dont mind waiting for 3~gb to download.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-8/upgrade-product-key-only
Not that it wont let you use a win 8 key with 8.1 installer and vice versa

marc2003 · 2 Apr 2014 at 14:09

what do you see in the root of the DVD when you open it in windows explorer?

tom_e · 2 Apr 2014 at 14:16

keogh said:
I tried the MS tool, but when I enter my product key it tells me I cannot use that key with a retail version of Windows 8? I didn;t know retail/OEM versions existed anymore?

You need to use a place holder key to get it to install then activate it with your proper key.

keogh · 2 Apr 2014 at 14:25

I tried a placeholder key but get a We can't connect right now in the dialog... I think it may be blacklisted. You know of another one?

I've used 4 DVD to ISO tools now and they all create the same invalid ISO file, the contents of this iso are:

[BOOT]/
- Bootable_NoEmulation.img
README.txt

So as you can see this is invalid. I have seen this when I was doing this exact process with my Windows 8 CD but I got it working in the end, but not sure how. So I need to replicate that to get it to work with my Windows 8.1 DVD

keogh · 2 Apr 2014 at 14:28

marc2003 said:
what do you see in the root of the DVD when you open it in windows explorer?

Exactly what I should see, several folders and a setup.exe. This is what my .iso should look like once done but none of the tools will create the valid iso like this.

marc2003 · 2 Apr 2014 at 14:46

how strange?? :confused:

in that case, copy the files to a new folder on your pc. then follow this guide to make a bootable ISO.

http://forum.imgburn.com/index.php?...7-8-installation-disc-bootable-using-imgburn/

(at step 2, choose to create a image file from file/folders, not write to disc)

keogh · 2 Apr 2014 at 15:59

marc2003 said:
how strange??

in that case, copy the files to a new folder on your pc. then follow this guide to make a bootable ISO.

http://forum.imgburn.com/index.php?...7-8-installation-disc-bootable-using-imgburn/

(at step 2, choose to create a image file from file/folders, not write to disc)

Great minds think alike, already done that. I've made a bootable USB and all looks good, just need to test it works when I get round to installing Windows on the new machine. I'll update this thread if all goes well, mainly for future if anyone else has the same issue.

Odd thing is, as mentioned above, when I created my bootable ISO for Windows 8 I hit the same issue creating that funky .ISO. But I did something to get it working correctly, but I cannot remember what.

keogh · 2 Apr 2014 at 16:36

I can confirm my PC boots in to the USB drive no problems, if it installs fine is yet to be known, but I think it should all be ok.