There will be no ISO downloads of Windows 8.1 for the public.

Anonymous
2013-10-17T19:50:01+00:00

Microsoft has made it known there will be no .ISO file for Windows 8.1 available to the general public.

"Consumers" here really means any copies of Windows 8 that weren't purchased through Microsoft's Volume Licensing programs. So a small business with 20 PCs to upgrade, for example, will have to do them one at a time via the Windows Store – so that's 20 separate 3.5GB downloads.

The Windows Store is the only way for consumers (non-enterprise, non-IT Pro) to download and install Windows 8.1. No ISOs will be made available, so each device needs to be updated individually via the Windows Store.

UPDATE:

Since I started this discussion, Microsoft has introduced a Media Creation Tool that makes it easy to download a .ISO file and create bootable media:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media

The new downloader allows for selection of:

⦁ Language

⦁ Windows 8.1 Version

⦁ Architecture

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Install and upgrade

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-10-17T20:08:37+00:00

    How would you then transfer the Windows 8.1 O/S to another computer that does not have an O/S installed on it?

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-10-17T20:37:07+00:00

    Hi Andre,

    Yesterday I swiped my standard HDD for a SSD. So today I was planning on installing Windows 8.1, but without an ISO, how do I proceed? Should I just install Windows 8 Pro and then wait for the upgrade and do a refresh on my ultrabook?

    Please let me know

    Thanks

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-10-17T20:42:38+00:00

    How would you then transfer the Windows 8.1 O/S to another computer that does not have an O/S installed on it?

    Install Windows 8 or a qualifying version of Windows such as Windows 7, Vista or XP and use the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant.

    http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows-8/upgrade-product-key-only

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-10-17T20:42:48+00:00

    If we acquired installation media trough Dreamspark, can we perform "keep files only" Windows 8.1 installs with our Windows 8 product keys, or we must use the new new 8.1 keys for that? (I have a machine with Windows 8 preinstalled, but I want to do a clean 8.1 install.)

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  5. Anonymous
    2013-10-17T20:44:58+00:00

    How do you guys recommend downloading the update on separate computer (such as in a small office) that has a metered connection?  I can't just do the downloads onto all of the computers (3.5 *4 = 14.0 GB)... I have WSUS set up because of this, but that obviously will not work in the case of the Windows Store.

    Is there any way to get even an executable to do an upgrade?

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