So we know that the Windows 8.1 x64 RTM ISO can be used to isntall either: Windows 8.1 Core or Windows 8.1 Pro It all depends on the product key you enter during insallation, the respective edition will be installed. Now I used the Windows 8.1 Setup box to download the Windows 8.1 GA x64 ISO and I entered my Windows 8 Pro key so the question is: Did the Setup box download a Windows 8.1 Pro only or is it the same thing, as in, when I boot off the USB or DVD, it will install either Core or Pro (retail) depending on the key I enter?
so what about what Abbodi said? that's its locked to Pro since its a retail ISO downloaded with the Setup Box?
You can find out if the ISO has Pro/Core of one of the two with imagex or DISM. If the ISO has both indexes then you'll be able to use both, I doubt it can be LOCKED to one or the other.
The Setup downloader only downloads the image corresponding to the product key you entered when the downloader asked for it, so it's either Pro or Core, but not both. There is no need to check with dism, it's based on the product key. There is no big surprise here. The Setup downloader never did download the full contents of an MSDN ISO, it wasn't designed for it.
Not applicable: DISM works only with WIM files. E.G.: Dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:"G:\sources\install.wim" Dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:"G:\sources\install.wim" /index:1 Dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:"G:\sources\install.wim" /index:2 But downloaded ISO with "Setup Box" includes an "install.esd" file instead of "install.wim".