Buying windows 8.1

Hello everyone,

I need to partition my drive to use some windows software and while i still have a student email I'm looking to buy the windows 8.1 pro student edition. However on the Microsoft store it doesn't specify if its a disc or download.

Microsoft Windows Download - Microsoft Store UK

When i start bootcamp now, the only option is to install windows 7 so i take it i need to update my mac to yosemite etc. Will this give me the option to install windows 8?

Also ive read you need a usb stick before you start ? is this where you need to download windows to first and if so where will it download to on my mac when i buy it and how do windows to it when i purchase it.

Or am i going about this all wrong?

Thanks for any help!

Well it says download so that is what it must be.

The USB stick will not work if your Mac, whatever it is as you have not shared that with us, has an optical drive. Burn the .iso file to a DVD and boot from that.

Whoops, i just pasted the url and didn't realise it said stated download, my mistake.
Yes my macbook pro has a optical drive, well that seems like my best bet, thanks for the help, much appreciated.

However after i download it, where will i find this iso file ?

If your Mac is 64bit, make sure you get that download. Simply move the .iso file to Disk utility and use Burn. Here are the instructions:-


How to Burn an ISO Disc Image on Your Mac | Macinstruct