Ok I have one answer so far. If you have purchase your computer and Windows 8 came pre-installed, or Windows 7 was pre-installed as part of the Downgrade Rights program, but are using a local account only, you can ask the computer manufacturer for a Windows 8.1 Recovery DVD. As I would expect anytime you go to an OEM to ask for recovery media, they usually charge for it.

I am still waiting to see what the case would be if the computer was purchased with the OEM System Builder Kit version of Windows 8 installed.

Ahh, that's something at least. I will pass the information along, thank you!

--JorgeA

For users seeking to upgrade Windows 8.0 to 8.1, rather than spend hours online connecting to the Microsoft Store to indivdually upgrade a Windows 8.0 machine to Windows 8.1, I finally downloaded Windows Pro 8.1 x64 from Microsoft, burned a DVD, launched setup from within all my existing Windows 8 machines, applied the appropriate KMS Client Setup Key to complete setup and upgraded all five of my Windows 8.0 PCs to Windows 8.1. After the install, I used the the slui.exe 3 command to change the temporary KMS keys to the valid original Windows 8.0 product activiation keys. Make sure your firewall is turned off as well as your anti-virus because there is a long list of mostly 3rd party security products that are modified or altered during the Windows 8.1 installation process that could interfere with activation. Also, most of the Windows 8.1 iso's floating around on Torrent sites are the "N" version that does not include Windows Media Player, so beware. See my post, here, about the other changes that Windows 8.1 makes to a Windows 8.0 installation.

I finally downloaded Windows Pro 8.1 x64 from Microsoft,

How?

Most sites with available direct links to rtm isos died the day after release.

Edited October 26, 201312 yr by ralcool

I got a student to download a VL copy for me from his school account. But if you go to this site, look for the SHA-1 hash of the September RTM VL (x86 or x64) version of Windows 8.1, you can probably find a torrent match. These are the versions released in September to the MSDN Subscriber network. They are perfectly fine but I think Microsoft has released two or three updates since September to bring them up to par with Windows 8.1 version release in October. You can also try upgrading with your Windows 8.0 product key here. That never worked for me, but Neowin claims to have a workaround. I hope that helps.

Edited October 26, 201312 yr by lurk&jerk

look for the SHA-1 hash of the September RTM VL (x86 or x64) version of Windows 8.1, you can probably find a torrent match.

Microsoft uses Torrents nowadays?

Microsoft uses Torrents nowadays?

More than that.

Do business users have friends with school accounts @ MS?

Will school principals be OK with this use of such school account and hardware/connection?

jaclaz

You do what you have to do to make the trains run on time

Follow these instructions: http://pureinfotech.com/2013/10/19/download-windows-81-iso-using-windows-8-product-key/

Problem Chief:

Note: Keep in mind that this workaround only works with retail versions of the OS

Cheers and Reagrds

You do what you have to do to make the trains run on time

Sure , only stating how it is not a "general solution" that *anyone* can use.

jaclaz