How To Install Windows 8.1 From USB Guide/Tutorial (Easiest Method)

This is a real quick guide on our preferred method of installing Windows 8.1 from a USB flash drive. There are lots of other ways, but this is the one that is consistently most reliable and super easy to boot!

What you need:
4GB+ Flash Drive

Links:

Buy Windows 8.1:

Join the conversation on our community:

Download our Mobile App:

[channeliaci]

who else came here to downgrade from 10 to 8.1.. or is that just me?

[Ghost-ali]

Better than 100% of all the other complicated videos. Thanks Linus

[SioTisfy]

The last episode was saying how Windows 8 was a huge failure and Windows 8 would become obsolete and then this video pops up after lol.

[VexVengeance]

Okay so I got a USB. I got a ISO copy of windows 8.1. Now all I need is a computer ..

[iluvarczombies]

The Video
10%: Tutorial on how to install it
90%: The history of Windows

[Brunoxid]

Thank you, man. Not only an easy guide, but also very fun to watch. Already installing W8.1 on my laptop. 

[larrylitmanen]

Why don't they just sell Windows on USB drive.

[jackt]

Straight to the point, no bs. Thank you sir. I appreciate people like you

[JasonSmith-ybci]

Best IT channel on YouTube!

Always spot on and my first place to check for "How to" guides.

Keep up the fantastic work, its appreciated a lot!

[onepunchman]

Back when Linus was still going through puberty 😂

[GotCritified]

Dear LINUS,

I would like to inform you that:
-You can boot windows 8 installation on uefi enabled pc from USB3. Ive tested that on mine and my friends mobo. As a matter of fact i was able to boot while having the flashdisk connected to the lg in-monitor usb 3 hub (21:9 ftw)

-You should NOT use windows 7 tool (and any other ones) for pendrives bigger than 16Gb and here is why:
That tool will try to force everything, even 256GB pendrives to FAT32 partition type. It will force-format it to Fat32 regardless of its size result being "strangly behaving" ~ 16GB drive with rest being unpartitioned space. . .that windows can not format. I am serious, if that happens standard format tool and windows disks management utility can not do anything to that drive, they could not even reformat back to standard size and partition type. This can potentially damage your pendrive.

-You should instead (and in case that ^ happens) run cmd in administrator privilages and use diskpart utilities to force-format it to ntfs, then manualy do the bootsect.exe /NT60 thing and manualy copy the data from iso to pendrive partition.
(alternatively you can use linux which can force more hardcore changes to the drive, and repair it)

-Yes, you can without ANY issues boot from NTFS based removable storages, as long as you have uefi and win7/8/.1 installer.


. . . Just saying.

[MrPivot]

Bought 4gb stick. Put in PC. It is actually 3.6GB. Windows is 3.63gb. Fuck.

[williamwoodhouse]

Word of advice- buy an 8gb usb, most 4gb USBs only contain 3.6 and won't work

[ibenzawla]

Just completed a fresh install using your instructions and it worked like a charm. Thank a million. My CD drive is broken and so my only other option to install was USB. I think the process of downloading the files and setting up the USB is slower than the actual install of Windows 8.1 on a fairly old PC.

[dash]

ive watched this like 5 times... linus PLEASE just come over to my house and install it for me ;-;

[Luieburger]

11 minutes to install the OS? My Linux install time scoffs at thee. <3

[mohanadbahshwan]

The best and easiest advice I found on the web. Very clear, very easy to follow. Thanks!

[tbnrspartan]

Ow wow i remember that time that linus did a guide on how to install windows of a usb. Wow that was sure helpfull what a great guy!!!

[nueltows]

What a great guy. Years later I remembered.

[skepticdreamer]

Thank you first person that explained how to boot from usb without having to buy a retail disc.