After the installation, your first priority should be running Windows Update. While Microsoft no longer issues new feature updates, many final security patches and driver updates remain available. You may also need to visit your hardware manufacturer’s website to manually download drivers for your chipset, graphics card, and network adapters, as Windows 8.1 may not recognize modern hardware automatically.
With your bootable USB ready, you can now install the OS. Insert the drive into the target computer and restart. You will need to enter the BIOS or Boot Menu (usually by tapping F2, F12, or Del during startup) and set the USB drive as the primary boot device. Follow the on-screen prompts to select your language and keyboard layout. When prompted, enter your product key. Choose the Custom: Install Windows only (advanced) option if you want a clean start, select your hard drive partition, and let the installer complete its work. mediacreationtool windows 8.1
Since the dedicated tool is retired, you must download the disk image (ISO) manually: After the installation, your first priority should be
If the official link is unavailable, advanced users often use tools like Rufus to download official ISOs directly within the app's interface. 2. Create a Bootable USB Drive With your bootable USB ready, you can now install the OS
In Rufus, click SELECT and choose the Windows 8.1 ISO file you just downloaded. Configure Partition Scheme: