[Solved] How do you install Windows 8.1 from USB?

Discussion in 'Windows 8' started by DaGoz, May 5, 2018.

  1. DaGoz

    DaGoz MDL Junior Member

    Jul 12, 2016
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    #1 DaGoz, May 5, 2018
    Hey guys,

    I got a computer that came with Chinese Windows 10 Home, I'd like to change that to English Windows 10 Pro, and was advised the best way to do that would be to install Windows 8.1 Pro, activate via KMS, then upgrade to W10 Pro, let it activate digital license, then clean install. Ok, sounds good, but one problem:

    I can't get this computer to boot from a USB stick.

    I have an HP Spectre x360, I created a Windows 8.1 Pro bootable USB in Rufus, but no matter what I try, I haven't been able to get it to boot. I've tried disabling secure boot and also legacy mode (and of course, changed the boot order so USB is first), but it refuses to boot. Rufus created an NTFS filesystem, and I've read in some places that FAT32 works, but Rufus won't let me create a bootable Windows USB drive in FAT32.

    Any advice what to do?

    Thanks!
     
  2. kaljukass

    kaljukass MDL Guru

    Nov 26, 2012
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    #2 kaljukass, May 5, 2018
    Stop hovering to collapse... Click to collapse... Hover to expand... Click to expand...
  3. DaGoz

    DaGoz MDL Junior Member

    Jul 12, 2016
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    #3 DaGoz, May 5, 2018 (OP)
    I actually figured it out. In Rufus, you need to select GPT partition scheme. After that, everything works fine.

    Thanks!