How to Create Installation Media (USB or DVD) for Windows 8.1

If you have bought a brand new PC that came with Windows 8.1 pre-installed and you do not get the Windows installation DVD with it, then you have no choice but to resort to the Refresh function of Windows if you want to bring it back to the original factory state. Nevertheless, the importance of having some sort of Windows installation disk cannot be denied. And now even Microsoft is providing you easy means of downloading and creating legitimate copies of the Windows 8.1 installation media through their new Windows Media Creation Tool. Using this tool, you can create Windows 8.1 installation USB or DVD by downloading the installation files from the internet.

Here is how you can use the Microsoft Windows Media Creation Tool to create your own copy of the Windows 8.1 DVD or USB flash disk:

  1. Download the Microsoft Windows 8.1 Media Creation Tool from http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=510815.
  2. Launch the downloaded file mediacreationtool.exe by double-clicking on it. It will ask you about the type of installation file you want to create. You have to choose the language, edition (Windows 8.1, Windows 8.1 N, Windows 8.1 Pro, Windows 8.1 Pro N or Windows 8.1 Single Language), and the architecture (32-bit or 64-bit).Media Creation Tool for Windows 8.1
  3. In the next step, you have to choose the installation media type. You can choose from USB flash disk or a DVD. For the USB disk, you should have a 8 GB USB flash disk ready to be used. For the DVD, you should have a DVD writer drive in your computer and a standard 4.7 GB blank DVD disk ready for use.Media Creation Tool for Windows 8.1
  4. As you can guess, in the next step, you have to choose the selected media – whether it is the USB flash disk or the DVD disk drive. The files on the USB disk shall be deleted, so make sure you backup any files that already exist on the disk.Media Creation Tool for Windows 8.1
  5. As you click on the Next button, the downloading of the installation files from the Microsoft servers begins. The download may take more or less time depending on your internet connection. After the download is complete, the downloaded files shall be copied to the selected media type (USB flash disk or blank DVD disk).Media Creation Tool for Windows 8.1
  6. Once the copying of the files is finished, you will have your very own Windows 8.1 installation media that you can use to install or re-install Windows 8.1 on your PC.

Conclusion: Microsoft has made it very easy to create the Windows installation media for the people who buy computers that come with Windows 8.1 pre-installed but without any Windows DVD disk. Using the Windows Installation Media Creation Tool, you can create Windows 8.1 USB disk or DVD disk of your own.