How to download Windows 7 and 8.1 ISO files

by Madalina Dinita
Madalina Dinita
Madalina Dinita
Windows & Software Expert
Madalina has been a Windows fan ever since she got her hands on her first Windows XP computer. She is interested in all things technology, especially emerging technologies... read more
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Microsoft launched the first Windows 10 OS version in 2015. Ever since that day, Windows 10 has become paramount for the big M.

So much so that the company did anything it could to convince users to upgrade to the new OS.

Microsoft wanted Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users to upgrade their computers so much that it even resorted to unfair practices such as forced upgrades.

These tactics only made users cling to their good ol’ Windows 7 even more.

It seems that Microsoft finally understood many users want to be able to use old OS versions as they like and changed its strategy.

It may sound too good to be true at first, but yes, the Redmond giant has made the official ISO downloads for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 available alongside Windows 10 ISO files.

As a quick reminder, you can copy ISO files to an external storage device such as a USB flash drive or DVD and then use them to install the OS on your computer.

Looking for the best Windows 7 ISO mounting tools? Here are our top picks.

How to download official Windows 7 ISO/ Windows 8.1 ISO files

All you need to do is go to Microsoft’s official software download website and hit the download button. It’s as simple as that:

Keep in mind that you need to first enter a valid 25-digit product key in order to get the ISO files.

Make sure you have sufficient data storage available on your computer, USB or external drive for the download to complete.  More specifically, you need a blank USB or DVD that has at least 4 GB of space.

After you download the desired ISO file, you need to create a bootable media and use it to boot your PC from it. If you’re planning to create a bootable DVD, you can use any ISO-burning software.

However, if you plan to use a flash drive, you’ll need to use a tool such as Rufus. This is a free and portable tool that will allow you to create a bootable flash drive from an ISO file. To create a bootable flash drive, just do the following:

  1. Connect your flash drive to the PC.
  2. Start Rufus.
  3. Make sure that your flash drive is selected.
  4. Set Create a bootable disk using to ISO Image.
  5. Click the disc icon next to it and choose your ISO file.
  6. Click Start and wait for the process to finish.

Once the process is completed, use the flash drive and boot from it to install the desired operating system.

Also, don’t forget to read the complete list of system requirements to make sure that your machine can properly run the OS.

This should not be a problem if you own a new computer. However, do make sure your computer meets the system requirements, especially if you’re planning the install the ISO files on an old computer.

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