Where can I download Windows 8 legally, from Microsoft?

My order confirmation says:

If you need to download Windows, write down your new product key and enter it here.

And it links to the Windows Setup.exe.

Additionally, there's this option:

  1. Go to https://www.mswos.com/

  2. Fill out the details of your order.

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  3. You'll find the download link at the bottom of the page.

    enter image description here


Normally you can download this from DreamSpark itself, not far from where you got the key from.

Alternatively, try this URL.


You can download Windows 8, and a Windows 8.1 upgrade for free, direct from Microsoft, provided you have a valid product key.

Both are on Microsoft's Windows 8 upgrade, product key only site.

Complete Windows 8 ISO:

Clicking the Install Windows 8 button will download an executable installer which will download the appropriate Windows 8 ISO, based on the product key you provide.

Windows 8.1 upgrade:

Clicking the Install Windows 8.1 button will download an executable that will provide you with a Windows 8.1 upgrade installer download.

Complete Windows 8.1 ISO:

If you want to download a complete Windows 8.1 ISO, you can do so as well, but there's a little bit of a trick to it.

  1. At the Microsoft Windows 8 upgrade, product key only site, click the Install Windows 8 button to download the executable installer.
  2. Run the executable installer, input your product key*, and download the appropriate Windows 8 ISO.
  3. Once the download starts, close the setup program.
  4. Return to Microsoft's Windows 8 upgrade, product key only site and this time, Click the Install Windows 8.1 button instead, this time, and it will begin to download your complete Windows 8.1 ISO.
  5. Success!

And no, no one seems to know why the the process for downloading the complete Windows 8.1 ISO is more convoluted than getting the complete Windows 8 ISO.

*As noted in the answer here, The Windows 8 downloader for the ISO will not accept Windows 8.1 product keys, so you will have to use a generic placeholder key (334NH-RXG76-64THK-C7CKG-D3VPT for Core, XHQ8N-C3MCJ-RQXB6-WCHYG-C9WKB for Professional) if you only have a Windows 8.1 license. This placeholder key will not let you activate Windows, so this is key will simply allow you pass the key check on the Windows 8 downloader, and allow to proceed to downloading the Windows 8.1 ISO.

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