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I have an .iso file I made of my Windows 8 CD for a backup if I lost the CD or it got damaged. A few months ago, I did lose it and just a few days ago my little brother put my Windows 8 machine into a bootloop. I think I need to reinstall Windows. I don't care about data recovery. I just need to install Windows with the .iso file. How do I go about doing this?

Nabeel Parkar
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  • You can download the installer for Windows 7, 8 and 10 directly from Microsoft and use the official Media Creator tool to make a bootable USB. Alternatively download the ISO file and burn it in a DVD but you can't use the ISO by itself and it's likely you can't use your ISO either way due to the new mastering process Microsoft is using. –  Nov 17 '18 at 12:49
  • Since you are running Windows 8, you can simply perform a Reset, which does not require a working ISO and the end result is identical that of installing Windows with an installation media. – Ramhound Nov 18 '18 at 04:31
  • Almost duplicate of installation - Install Windows 7 from ISO image - Super User – user202729 Aug 14 '19 at 16:39

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Unless you want to do something fancy, you first have to create a CD/DVD from the ISO file. As you're talking about Windows 8, I doubt a CD will be enough, the installation images have a size of several GB and therefor need a DVD.

To create that DVD, just right click on the ISO file and select to topmost entry to create the DVD. It should be called something like "burn ISO image" in English.

RalfFriedl
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  • I'm not sure a standard (single layer) DVD is enough. –  Nov 17 '18 at 12:45
  • @GabrielaGarcia Last time I looked, Windows 10 ISO was about 4GB. But if single layer is too small, then use double layer. – RalfFriedl Nov 17 '18 at 15:11
  • I have one Win10 single language that's 4,2GB. Regardless of the size, using a USB stick would have been a much better suggestion. The OP clearly doesn't know much about installing OSes so following the recommended Microsoft procedure is the easiest way. –  Nov 17 '18 at 15:20
  • @GabrielaGarcia OP asked about using his ISO. It may contain additional vendor drivers necessary for the device. Regardless, installing from USB is not easier than installing from DVD, as long as there is a DVD drive present. – RalfFriedl Nov 17 '18 at 15:25
  • I have an .iso file I made of my Windows 8 CD indicates a copy of the original DVD that's unlukely to contain vendor drivers. That has not been seen since the time of Win7. A bundled Win8 DVD is also weird though. Now, in 2018, it's way more likely users having a large enough USB stick (8GB) then a DVD-RW and blank media, but there's no point in discussing it, this isn't a forum and the purpose of answering is to help the OP and other users. –  Nov 17 '18 at 15:32
  • @GabrielaGarcia The quote indicates it is the CD/DVD that came with the machine. The question further states " need to install Windows with the .iso file". The answer explains how to do that. Your suggestion may or may not be better, but it doesn't make the answer wrong. – RalfFriedl Nov 18 '18 at 10:16