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

So, is this how the microsoft support works??? I ask a question and get a response 4 months later. Wow, so if you cant give the windows cd to us when we purchase your computers, Tell us why? Why? I want to know why you wont give me the softare i purchased with my machine. Try not to take half a year to answer this one Micrsoft, More like microdicks.

Hi,

Download Windows 8.1 ISO Using your Windows 8.0 Key

http://mcakins.com/2013/10/19/download-windows-8-1-iso-using-you-windows-8-0-key/

Download Windows 8.1 iso

http://philipyip.wordpress.com/download-windows-8-1-iso/

Download the Windows 8.1 ISO using a Windows 8 key and some simple trickery

http://betanews.com/2013/10/21/download-the-windows-8-1-iso-using-a-windows-8-key-and-some-simple-trickery/

You can also make a Recovery USB drive.

How to Create a Recovery USB Flash Drive in Windows 8 and 8.1

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/5132-recovery-drive-create-usb-flash-drive-windows-8-a.html

On Nov. 15, 2013 Windows 8.1 Back-up Media will be available for purchase. Newegg and

others will be offering the disc,

Windows 8.1 'Back-up Media' disc available to buy soon

http://betanews.com/2013/11/05/windows-8-1-back-up-media-disc-available-to-buy-soon/

Hope this helps.

Rob Brown - Microsoft MVP <- profile - Windows Expert - Consumer : Bicycle <- Mark Twain said it right!

Manufacturers put a recovery partition on the hard drive for use when a Windows Installation fails. 

They found that many users lost the disks and then expected the manufacturer to procure a recovery disk set years after the model had been discontinued. It was a system that wasn't working very well.

You guys are a bunch of douche bags, and i should just switch to mac. If i buy a computer and I also have to pay for windows, Then I want the God damn Software on a cd or usb stick. Why is that so hard for you idiots to do that. Thats fine, keep this **** up and you **** with have no more business. One day, us people will see you for yourthievery.

I don't work for Microsoft or Dell and am as annoyed by this as you as anyone else.

I have wrote multiple workarounds which I had used and tested with my own installs due to the bad situation the Microsoft have enforced on OEMs.

I have been pushing actively within the Dell Community about this since 2011 when they stopped providing Windows Reinstallation DVDs with their systems.

Take for example:

http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/a-clean-install-of-windows/windows-7-vs-windows-8-1/

http://www.ideastorm.com/idea2ReadIdea?Id=087700000008YVXAA2

http://www.ideastorm.com/idea2ReadIdea?id=087700000008YhQAAU

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/software-os/f/4677/t/19476992.aspx

http://www.ideastorm.com/idea2ReadIdea?v=1393909976781&Id=087700000008rN3AAI

http://www.ideastorm.com/idea2ReadIdea?v=1371339015625&Id=087700000008mnRAAQ

http://www.ideastorm.com/idea2ReadIdea?v=1359724583158&Id=087700000008lKJAAY

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/t/19568041.aspx

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/software-os/f/3524/t/19564878.aspx

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/software-os/f/3524/t/19537443.aspx

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/p/19513853/20489016.aspx#20489016

Manufacturers put a recovery partition on the hard drive for use when a Windows Installation fails. 

They found that many users lost the disks and then expected the manufacturer to procure a recovery disk set years after the model had been discontinued. It was a system that wasn't working very well. 

OEMs only done this because Microsoft forced them to. Dell were quite happy sending out Windows Reinstallation DVDs with all their systems and Dell customers were quite happy that they could readily clean install with this media. They were then not allowed to include the Reinstallation DVD with the system. To market it as an improvement they stated it was green policies not to send out discs with the system. However still send out a Dell Drivers DVD for some time which of course was useless without the OS Reinstallation DVD. There are far more customers complaining that they did not get proper installation media with their system than customers complaining they got too many discs and that it wasn't "green" especially on the home consumer market.

A UK PC chain company who tried to help their customers got sued by Microsoft so it is Microsoft who are making life difficult and not the OEMs:

"We note that proceedings have been issued by Microsoft Corporation against Comet relating to the creation of recovery discs by Comet on behalf of its customers. 

"Comet has sought and received legal advice from leading counsel to support its view that the production of recovery discs did not infringe Microsoft’s intellectual property. 

"Comet firmly believes that it acted in the very best interests of its customers. It believes its customers had been adversely affected by the decision to stop supplying recovery discs with each new Microsoft Operating System based computer. Accordingly Comet is satisfied that it has a good defence to the claim and will defend its position vigorously."

"The discs were sold alongside new PCs. Each set of recovery discs were specific to the customer’s new laptop and were sent after purchase directly to each customer."

http://www.theverge.com/2012/1/4/2681319/microsoft-comet-counterfeit-windows-lawsuit

The current recovery method is even more inadequate as when the hard drive goes so does the OS recovery media. Also the programs to create recovery media often create faulty media.

Finally the install includes bloatware which limits system performance. This can be significantly worse when a Service Pack is released.

With Vista/7 we referred many customers to Digital River but Microsoft provided no installation media on Digital River for Windows 8. They also had the worst deployment of a Service Pack that I have seen with Windows 8.1.