How to download and install Windows 8.1 fo absolutely free

Windows 8.1 will be released on october 17 as a free update for Windows 8 users. On October 18, the rest of the world (Windows 7, XP, OS X, etc.) will be able to buy a boxed copy at great expense ($120 for the normal version, or $200 for Windows 8.1 Pro). To download Windows 8.1 today for free, follow one of the methods listed below.

 

How to download Windows 8.1 Free 

 

If you don’t want to wait for October 17 or 18, there are two options for downloading Windows 8.1: You can obtain a copy (and a license key) from a friend/colleague with an MSDN, TechNet, or DreamSpark (student) subscription, or you can download a Windows 8.1 RTM ISO from your favorite file-sharing website (The Pirate Bay, Mega, etc.)

 

How to install Windows 8.1 for free

 

Once you have the Windows 8.1 ISO on your hard drive, the installation process is painless. Before you begin, you should consider backing up your important files and documents, but it’s not really necessary. You should also ensure that you have plenty of free hard drive space (20GB+).

If you’re already running Windows 8 and you downloaded the RTM ISO from somewhere other than the Windows Store, you can install Windows 8.1 by mounting the downloaded ISO in Explorer by double-clicking it, and then running the installer. If you’re on Windows 7, XP, or (bless your soul) Vista, you’ll need to burn the ISO to a USB thumb drive or DVD, or mount the ISO using a third-party virtual drive tool, like Magic ISO.