Rufus will warn you that all data on the USB will be destroyed. Click . In 5–10 minutes, you will have a bootable Windows 8.1 installation USB.
: After making your selections, you will be required to enter your 25-character Windows 8 or 8.1 product key to prove you have a valid license. This step is essential for the download to be authorized.
However, Microsoft still provides direct access to the , which serve as the base for the 64-bit media creation process. How to Download Windows 8.1 64-bit Media
How to create usb bootable install media for Windows 8.1 in 2025 windows 8.1 download 64 bit media creation tool
Select your preferred language (e.g., English – United States) and click .
The user must then select the medium:
Once your bootable media is ready, you can proceed with the clean installation or repair process: Rufus will warn you that all data on
As emphasized at the beginning, using Windows 8.1 is no longer safe. The best use of your Windows 8.1 license is to upgrade it to Windows 10. The free upgrade offer officially ended years ago, but Microsoft has kept the activation servers running, meaning you can often still perform a clean install of Windows 10 and activate it using your valid Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 product key.
: This legacy tool from Microsoft can still be used if you can find a legitimate copy, though Rufus is generally more reliable for modern UEFI systems. Important Considerations for 2026
Even though mainstream support for Windows 8.1 ended in January 2023, Microsoft continues to provide critical security updates through January 10, 2023. Run Windows Update immediately after installation to ensure your system has all available security patches and updates. As of 2026, support has fully ended, but previously released updates remain available through Windows Update. : After making your selections, you will be
Open your web browser and go to the official . Scroll down to the Select edition dropdown menu.
Once you have successfully downloaded and launched the mediacreationtool.exe file, follow these steps to create your bootable USB drive.