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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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  • Duplicate: [Does a full, retail license of Windows 8 exist? (Not OEM, not upgrade)](http://superuser.com/questions/494782/does-a-full-retail-license-of-windows-8-exist-not-oem-not-upgrade) – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 May 26 '13 at 22:03
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    It's not a dup of that question. I'm not asking if the license exists, I'm asking where can I purchase and download it right now. – kbyrd May 26 '13 at 22:04
  • Read the answers. "No it doesn't exist. Only Upgrade and OEM versions" So there's no "Full version" for you to download. You can go to a computer store and buy an OEM copy though, or, from another windows computer, download the "upgrade" and then install it. See another possible duplicate: [Where can I download Windows 8 legally, from Microsoft?](http://superuser.com/questions/493766/where-can-i-download-windows-8-legally-from-microsoft?lq=1) which has answer that explains how to get your hands on an ISO, after purchase, to install from USB. – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 May 26 '13 at 22:09
  • Additionally, have you considered calling MS and asking them for some assistance? They WANT to sell it to you, I promise. ;) – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 May 26 '13 at 22:11
  • @techie007: The System Builder version with the Personal Use license is pretty much the equivalent of the full retail version where Win8 is concerned, and I don't believe MS sells it directly to end users. That said, kbyrd this site is not a download finder service. There are multiple sites that are selling the SB DVD right now (and perhaps won't in the future), so IMO this question is off topic. – Karan May 26 '13 at 22:17
  • Thanks for the answers everyone. I didn't think my question fell into the "download finder" type of question because it's an OS. I was asking what I thought was a sort of technical but for whatever reason not obvious to me question. We can either close this question or someone can give me the concise answer and I'll mark that as accepted. – kbyrd May 26 '13 at 22:22
  • @kbyrd: Doesn't matter really if it's an OS or not. Anyway, what I fail to understand is, any reason why you can't buy the SB disc, then take a minute on any Windows PC to transfer the setup to a USB stick? Or are you hoping that an ISO version, ***if one is even available*** (which I doubt, haven't seen it so far), will be cheaper? – Karan May 26 '13 at 22:47
  • @Karan: I'm trying to finish a project today. I assumed I could downloaded Win8 and not have to order or buy it from a retail store. That was my apparently my bad. I think I'll give up for the day and just try a retail store when I can. I asked about ISO because that's typically how I imagine most people would get it onto a new VM or PC. I'd really like the bootable USB version because the system I want to install on doesn't have a CD-ROM. "When you "on any Windows PC", I don't have one. This would be the first for me in many years. – kbyrd May 26 '13 at 22:55
  • "I don't have one. This would be the first for me in many years" - So no Win PC with DVD drive accessible *at all* anywhere that you can use for a few minutes? Anyway, shouldn't be a problem. There are ways to transfer Win Setup from DVD to USB on Linux, if that's what you use or have access to. – Karan May 27 '13 at 00:01
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    @kbyrd - There are no legal digital versions of the .ISO in question. The product only exists as a physical product. The only digital copy that exists is can be purchase through the Upgrade Assistance Tool which requires a `Upgrade` license to download. The `System Builder` license WILL NOT work I have tried it. – Ramhound May 27 '13 at 00:47
  • The way around this is to download Windows 7 (not buy, just download the ISO) and then install that without activating. Then upgrade from there (but purchase a full license to remain within the EULA, of course). – nhinkle May 27 '13 at 03:12

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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