How to Re-Download Windows 8 Setup Without Purchasing it Again Using Upgrade Assistant?

Recently we posted about solution of an annoying Windows 8 problem which occurs while downloading or purchasing Windows 8 online:

[Fix] Windows 8 Not Available for Download or Purchase in Your Country or Region

Today in this topic, we are going to cover another more annoying problem which is also related to Windows 8 purchase and download.

Advertisement

Many people who tried to download Windows 8 setup files after purchasing it using Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant, faced an irritatingĀ  problem. The download failed automatically in the middle. For a few people the download failed after reaching 100% status. Since the download failed, they were not able to install Windows 8 or creating an installation media to install it later. Some people also received an error message “Access is denied” during the download of setup files.

When users tried to re-run upgrade assistant to re-download Windows 8 setup files, it asked them to purchase Windows 8 again. This made the situation worst. Why should they pay again if they have already paid for it?

It seems the upgrade assistant program is a little bit buggy, that’s why it causes such kind of problems for some people.

Today in this article, we are going to tell you how to re-download Windows 8 setup files without purchasing it again? It’ll help you if you are also facing similar problem and not able to download Windows 8 after purchasing it from Microsoft.

This tutorial will also help if you have already downloaded Windows 8 successfully but didn’t create any installation media to have a backup of the setup files. You can take help of this tutorial to re-download Windows 8.

So without wasting time, lets start the tutorial:

METHOD 1: Download Windows 8 Again Using Windows Order Summary Page

When you purchase Windows 8, you receive an email containing information such as order number, billing address, Windows 8 product key, link to order Windows 8 backup DVD and a link to download Windows 8 installer.

Advertisement

You just need to click on the link “If you need to download Windows, write down your new product key and enter it here” and it’ll download Windows 8 installer on your system. Run the installer and you’ll be able to download Windows 8 setup again without having to buy another copy of Windows 8.

Redownload_Windows_8_Setup_Files.png

If you didn’t receive the email or deleted it, you can visit following link:

Windows 8 Order Summary Page: mswos.com

Enter your order number, last name which you entered in billing address, email ID, country, etc details and click on Submit button. It’ll show your order summary page containing your Windows 8 product key, billing address and a few other details related to purchase. At the bottom of the page, you’ll see following message:

Windows 8 Order Complete:

Your Windows 8 order has been completed. You can download and install Windows 8 if you have not already done so.

Click here to download Windows 8.

Just click on “Click here to download Windows 8” link and it’ll download Windows 8 installer.

METHOD 2: Fix Failed Download of Windows 8, Re-Download Windows 8 Again

If the above method doesn’t help you and you are still not able to download Windows 8 setup files again, you can take help of following steps to fix your problem.

This method will help people who are facing problems while downloading Windows 8 setup. If the download failed or you received error messages such as access is denied or internal error occurred, etc, you can follow these simple steps to solve the issue and re-download Windows 8 from Microsoft:

1. Upgrade assistant program or Windows 8 installer stores the temporary setup files in following directory:

User_folder\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WebSetup

You can access this folder by typing appdata in Start Menu search box or RUN dialog box and press Enter. Then go to “\Local\Microsoft\WebSetup” folder.

Windows_8_Download_Files.png

2. If these temporary files get corrupted or accidentally deleted by the installer, the download immediately failed. We’ll delete these temporary files to clear the installer cache and to force it to start the download again from scratch.

Just delete the whole “WebSetup” folder or rename it and run upgrade assistant or Windows 8 installer again. Now it’ll start downloading Windows 8 setup files again from beginning without asking you to purchase the license again.

PS: Once the download finishes, it stores Windows 8 setup files in following folder:

C:\ESD\Windows

Windows_8_Setup_Files.png

You can take a backup of this folder to keep Windows 8 setup files safe for future. The upgrade assistant also allows you to create setup DVD or bootable USB to install Windows 8 later.

Published in: Troubleshooting Guides, Windows 8

About the author: Vishal Gupta (also known as VG) has been awarded with Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award. He holds Masters degree in Computer Applications (MCA). He has written several tech articles for popular newspapers and magazines and has also appeared in tech shows on various TV channels.

Comments

NOTE: Older comments have been removed to reduce database overhead.

  1. What is the title of the email that you get from Microsoft once you purchase Window 8 Pro Upgrade? I took advantage of the $14.99 deal on a new PC and i can’t find the email for the life of me! Thanks everyone! Great article!

  2. What about windows 8.1 pro wmc for windows store, where is the temp location files?
    Please?
    thanks IA

  3. HI VG

    Windows 8.1 isn’t downloading properly when i click on this download in the site… its redirecting to the same windows store app and there is no progress in download over there šŸ™

    Can you get the url for 8.1 dump so that i can install separately…even i tried with order ID and there i tried windows 8.1 but when the app is launched its asking for key to enter and its ain’t accepting my win 8 key :/

  4. ^^ Windows 8.1 standalone ISO will not accept Windows 8 product key. You can install Windows 8.1 using a generic product key available on net and after installation, you can activate Windows using your genuine Windows 8 product key. Now it’ll work.

  5. My problem lies with a constant 4003 (0xFA3) Error on Windows 8. I do not have a nas drive here. But I am willing to add that later on. Rightnow everything is moved inside a partition and the backup crash. Is there a proper fix available.

  6. ^^ You can borrow Windows 8 CD from a friend or download from Internet and use your key while installing Windows in your system.

  7. I followed method 2 steps but I have no websetup folder after selecting the microsoft folder. I bought this computer with windows 8 installed on it. I am getting the access denied message when trying to sign in to the microsoft acct. on a local admin user.

  8. I tried to download windows 8, but I got a message at the end of the download that it could not complete because it already exists… but it doesn’t. I’m running windows 7 and this is the first time I’ve tried to download. What can I do?

  9. what if I need to reinstall windows8 pro because I reinstalled my laptop.
    I have the product code, but I no longer have the emal with the order ID ont it.

  10. Putting a virus USB I totally lost my Original OS. Tried to restore or backup but completely failed. Without hopes tried a unotheresied windows 8 OS temporarly. I wanna get my Original OS back. Is there any possibilities to get it back !! ?? How can i get it back ??

  11. This was ever so useful and saved me lots of unnecessary time worrying about how to solve my problem downloading Windows 8. Your instructions were extremely clear and easy to follow. Thank you so much. Mairead, Galway, Ireland

  12. I purchased a dell laptop with windows 8.1 pre installed. How do I get the product key….didn’t get any sticker with either the box or pasted below the machine….kindly help

  13. Just wondering, if you deleted the confirmation email how would you get the order number? I have run into that issue and can’t get my serial now that my hard drive crashed.

  14. I had a laptop (that died) that came with Windows 8 pre-installed. Since the above article assumes one had purchased Windows 8 from the Microsoft Store, I don’t think this will work for me. I have my Windows 8 product key and I need to download the ISO file so I can install Windows 8 in my current laptop and I don’t have an order confirmation. How can I do this?

  15. Hi Thanks for the above details. Just wanted to know that. I purchased a new laptop with the genuine windows 8.1 installed on it. However, I had t format my laptop due to the autorun.exe virus and after that a pirated windows was installed on it. SO my question is that can I install my genuine windows again on it?

  16. ^^ Yes. You can restore default Windows using the recovery disc provided by the laptop company.

  17. I purchased a Dell laptop three years ago which came with pre-installed Windows 8. However, after a year and a half, there was some glitch with the working of the laptop because of which I took it to the service center. After the repair, I have noticed that the original version of Windows 8 has been removed and an unauthorized version has been installed. Is it possible to get my original Windows 8 version installed again?

  18. My ASUS tablet-laptop is getting an error and asking for the installation CD. I do not have the product ID and since it crashed cannot retrieve it, and do not have a windows 8 cd, since it was reinstalled. Any suggestions, also I need to put the Windows 8 media on a USB drive to feed it to the ASUS.

  19. I tried both but when I plug the USB in and reboot, it does not do anything but go directly back to the error. I told it to boot from the USB, but it doesn’t do anything. Is there something I have to do or put onto the USB drive so it starts the load?

    The error tells me that I need the installation CD and to run repair.. And I was mistaken it had 8.1 loaded not 8.0.

  20. I recently bought a notebook hp stream Windows 8 I was trying to update my laptop in the middle of the update my laptop shut down and now I have no operating system on my laptop I was wondering if I can use this method on my laptop if there is no operating system on it I really can’t afford buying Windows 8 please help me thanks

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

NOTE: Your comment may not appear immediately. It'll become visible once we approve it.