refurbished PC with no OS, how do i install windows?

I’m after a desktop PC and looking at refurbished ones. Theres one i’m interested in that says no operating system but Windows 8.1 pro key on bios.

How would i go about installing 8.1 pro on this machine. As there no OS i cant just go on the internet to download it, so do i have to make some kind of windows installation disk (dvd / USB stick?)

thanks

Yep, create a DVD or USB stick.

Go here for tools and image: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows8

Download the usb media creator and a Windows image from microsoft then boot from usb.

From another PC, go to the windows site and download an installation ‘disc’ and save it to a USB.

Go on ebay and buy an OEM windows 10 licence, you can get them for about £3, it’s strictly against the T&C’s to re-sell them, but there’s so many I doubt Microsoft care (they’ve already been paid for them after all).

thanks!

WIll the PC know it has a dvd drive  / USB ports on startup and automatically run from them, or will i end up with a command prompt and have to tell it to run a file?

Its command promps stuff that i never have a clue about! If it will just run the installation media automatically then i’ll be fine

– thisisnoaspoon

so if i want 10 not eight  then it will just ignore the bios key ad ask me for the key i get on ebay when it installs?

If it doesn’t pick up the USB/DVD on boot you want the BIOS will be delete/F2/F11 or something when it turns on and you are looking for boot order.

Windows 10 might work – you can install it and it will check licensing when it boots up.

WIll the PC know it has a dvd drive  / USB ports on startup and automatically run from them, or will i end up with a command prompt and have to tell it to run a file?

It should know and run them automatically.

If it doesn’t work then just check the BIOS menu for a “Boot Order” menu or “Boot From CD/USB” checkbox.

Shouldn’t need any more fiddling than that – no command prompt these days.

Don’t do any of that.

If it’s had Windows 8.1 on it, it should automatically be eligible for W10.  Go here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10

Create a USB image, boot from it, install.  If you’ve got 4GB of RAM or more you want the 64-bit version.

Well yeah there is that. Makes more sense to go straight to 10.

But I assumed the OP had a reason for wanting 8.1

dont mind what OS i use really, if i can install 10 on it and its only a few quid for a key off ebay i’ll do that

You don’t need a key.