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I'm looking to buy and download the "full" version of Windows 8. That is what is called Windows 8 System Builder Personal Use License. I would like to avoid having to purchase a physical copy and wait for it to arrive.

I want an ISO and a single product key for personal use to install either in a VM or a home-built PC (i.e. without any OS installed already). I thought I would get this done today and went looking for a place to buy and download this from Microsoft, but I couldn't find anything obvious. I do not have a copy of any version of Windows at home anywhere. To make things even harder, the little system I want to install Windows 8 on doesn't have a DVD drive, so I would need a way to make whatever I download into a bootable USB stick.

Is there a way to buy and download a "full" Windows 8 non-upgrade license for personal use?

UPDATE: I thought hard about buying Windows 7 Pro, but Windows 8 is cheaper. Also, sorry if this seems like a duplicate, but I haven't seen this question actually answered anywhere. Versions of it have been asked, but I haven't found a straightforward "no" or "here's where to buy this" for the home user starting from a blank hard-drive who wants to pay for and download it right now.

nhinkle
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kbyrd
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1 Answers1

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Windows 8 System Builder is not available as a download-only purchase. You will need to purchase a physical copy from a reseller like Newegg or Amazon.

Once you have purchased the physical copy, you can get Windows 8 installed before the package arrives using a few tricks.

  1. On another computer, download the Windows 8 Upgrade Installer
  2. Run the downloaded program
  3. When it prompts you for a product key, use the generic install key 
    XKY4K-2NRWR-8F6P2-448RF-CRYQH
    (This will unlock the installer, but will not activate Windows.)
  4. You will now be prompted to install now, or create installation media. Choose to create media, then choose USB Flash Drive

  5. Once the flash drive has been created, go into <flash drive>:\sources and create a blank text file called ei.cfg. In it, put the following: 

    [EditionID]
[Channel]
Retail
[VL]
0
  6. Save the file

The USB drive should now be able to install any version of Windows 8 onto your computer. You will need to wait until your packaged physical copy arrives before you can fully activate Windows 8, but the initial installation should work.

Note: since you have no Windows computer available at all to complete the above steps, then you might try installing Windows 7 on the new computer (without activating it), then downloading the Windows 8 ISO from there. Windows 7 ISOs are available for direct download, and you can install it from USB, too.

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nhinkle
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