Re-install downloaded windows

I am going to buy windows 8 upgrade from the Microsoft download store, if everything goes belly up, how do I re-install windows 8.

Just reinstall it...

Download as an ISO file and burn it to a DVD. Then you can reinstall if necessary. To be safe, keep a copy of the ISO file somewhere safe.

In reply to a post by AEP:

Download as an ISO file and burn it to a DVD. Then you can reinstall if necessary. To be safe, keep a copy of the ISO file somewhere safe.

Yep that is the best idea. I tried the update and I had to do a clean install to get windows 8 to work, which was flipping annoying as I got a lot of software to reinstall. I installed some, but not all as i don't think I will be keeping windows 8

I upgraded Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit to Windows 8 Pro 64 bit with no issues. I also downloaded Windows Media Center.

I also downloaded Windows Media Center

Given the price and the temporary free offer for WMC I tried this and found that as far a WMC is concerned 8 is so far away from being ready for prime time on an HTPC system that it isn't really a viable alternative to 7. Maybe this is a deliberate thing for MS since they have officially said the WMC is on its way out. Eitherway, it has me looking at a permanent move to Linux alternatives sooner rather than later.

Vista was a dog here too fan I reverted to XP. MS eventually ironed out Vista and WMC with a special pack that they bafflingly only made officially available to OEM system builders. Of course it leaked out, but the only functional improvement (other than basi stability and usability) in real terms in the UK was red button services being available. Hardly rocket science!

In 8 the only functional improvements I can see are that you can now get Dolby Digital on Freeview (nice to have, but not really a big deal for me). It also handles DVB-S2 (Freesat) properly (a solveable problem in 7 if you know how for your hardware). Bafflingly, they decided not to make it see the difference between DVB T and DVB T2 tuners making it very random when it comes to Freeview HD when you have mixed hardware - force it to setup more than once and I get anything from 1 to 4 available DVB T ot T2 tuners. There are in fact 5 digital terrestrial tuners (3 No. DVB T2 nd 2 No. DVB T) on the system and yes I know that unmodified WMC only accepts 4 tuners of any one type - a totally random number since I have had anything upto 7 recognised and fully functional DVB T/T2 tuners on a modded 7 system.

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

I upgraded Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit to Windows 8 Pro 64 bit with no issues. I also downloaded Windows Media Center.

Only used windows media centre a few times on XP when i connected my laptop to the TV, I had a look at it on windows 7, but never really used it. If I keep windows 8 I will download WMC if it is free, but will store it, it may come in useful one year.

I have nothing but praise for Windows 8. The start button is now the start screen, everything works faster and stability is excellent. I have had windows 7 pro for quite q while and this upgrade has just improved things. It only needs a slightly different way of using Windows, hardly beyond the capacities of most normal people.

Thanks all, I wasn't sure if you could save the install files as a iso, or if you could re download it if you had to reinstall. Have saved it to a flash drive for future reinstalls.

In reply to a post by cavillas:

I have nothing but praise for Windows 8. The start button is now the start screen, everything works faster and stability is excellent. I have had windows 7 pro for quite q while and this upgrade has just improved things. It only needs a slightly different way of using Windows, hardly beyond the capacities of most normal people.

I used windows 7 before it was even available for the public to use,, then once MS made it available as a Beta, developer preview or what ever they called it, i installed it on my main computer and stuck with windows 7 since.

It was the first windows since 98SE that I really liked and wanted to use as soon as possible.
95 was pushed onto me as it was the only Os I new about at the time for PC and it was the one that everyone had, coming from a Amiga it was different
98Se was good, really stable and fast for it's time, ME was useless.


When windows XP came out, it took me over 12 months to update, and only then because I built a new computer was was more powerful. i did not like XP at the start to be honest, but I got used to it. i think the problem was even with the new faster machine it still felt slow and unresponsive.

in the years that followed, my computer got updated , renewed with faster and faster hardware, more memory and Xp started to shine.

I used vista on my laptop and stuck it on my desktop for a while, but soon took it off, then windows 7 came.

It was fast, reliable and software that did crash did not take the computer with it, just the software. The UI looked good, the new taskbar was great, allow me to pin my icons to it, a great idea.

Now we got windows 8. Sure it is faster than windows 7, not sure about reliability at the moment, still got a few problems, but that could be compatibility with software, my Incredimail seems to freeze and I had problems with Dragon browser doing the same thing.

I must admit , I still don't like the start screen, it just don't work on a desktop, I even tried putting stuff into groups today, but still strange to use.

i got classic shell on, so I can now get a start menu and I can bypass the start screen.

Another problem I have is the desktop, it is flat and I find it difficult to make out the windows when they overlap and which one is active, the colours are drab and the desktop just looks drab.

i will see how it goes tomorrow when I got some video editing to do and if Vegas holds up on it and i will use it over the weekend and if I still think it is not for me, I will get a refund.

i also think that the only reason so many people have decided to upgrade is because of the price, if it was the same price as windows 7 was, then it would struggle.

Edited by zyborg47 (Wed 07-Nov-12 12:52:09)