Burnt w8.1 64 iso, wouldn't load

Okay, some progress on this. I read up on iso burning and it appears that I should be able to right click on the iso file and get an option to burn. On windows 8, tried this on what I thought was the 8.1 iso and didn't get the option. Tried to right click on other iso files that I knew were valid, and no option. So took the files the a w7 machine, right click on iso files and still no burn option. Selected open with and then I got a burn option. Did the burn of the 8.1 iso file on windows 7 using open with, and now on windows 8 it will boot of the 8.1 iso.

Still having problems because it says my product key is invalid. So called ms and got my 8.0 to pass validation. Still wouldn't accept product key in 8.1 update. I hadn't done any updates to 8.0, thought I would wait until 8.1 was installed. So now I'm doing the 750 MB updates to 8.0 overnight and will try to see if 8.1 iso will now accept my product key after this is done. Also, since my 8.0 was recently revalidated, there might be a timing issue before it flows through the system.

I was eventually able to boot from my 8.1 ISO DVD consistently. Not sure what the problems was but at one time I had a USB stick plugged in and possibly with no ISO on the stick, it didn’t produce the hit any key option. I also updated the drivers but I thought this would only change how the dvd was used with Windows, not bios.

On the invalid product key, I found that you first need to enter a generic product key to go from W8 to W8.1 and then later activate with your purchased key. My W8/64 Pro was purchased from MS when W8 was introduced. I downloaded and burnt my own ISO. Later I updated to W8.1 without any drama. Then my motherboard went out and I did a fresh install. Why MS now seems to have this insane policy, I don’t know. I’ve included a few links that helped me with this problem.

Don’t know if you need the generic keys for all flavors of W8. For me, I used
W8 Pro Generic
Professional=XHQ8N-C3MCJ-RQXB6-WCHYG-C9WKB


Complete List

[cmi]
namespace=urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend
ClientServerSplit=true
AnswerFileFormat=1
EmbeddedIndustryEEval=PPBKC-NQYJM-JJ8X6-26W42-VFQ4R
EnterpriseNEval=MNDGV-M6PKV-DV4DR-CYY8X-2YRXH
CoreARM=NK2V7-9DWXG-KMTWQ-K9H9M-6VHPJ
EmbeddedIndustryA=TP7MN-9H7FK-P4PJM-K6KJT-Y97RY
EmbeddedE=MNKW8-HYCCD-G88JY-283WV-W9FX9
CoreSingleLanguage=Y9NXP-XT8MV-PT9TG-97CT3-9D6TC
EmbeddedAutomotive=J2ND2-BCW98-8669Y-HPBF3-RDY99
Professional=XHQ8N-C3MCJ-RQXB6-WCHYG-C9WKB
EmbeddedIndustryEval=XDJ76-KNBM8-BB9BK-B4CHH-XD6VR
ServerStorageStandard=H2K4M-QNKQ2-64699-FYQHD-2WDYT
ServerStorageWorkgroup=8N7PM-D3C64-RQVYF-MX8T7-G6MB2
ServerStandardEval=CG9N3-WKB9P-FMQG6-J3D8C-TMRR2
ServerSolutionCore=326N4-6GMBX-PD2QT-M7HX4-TVHM8
Starter=D6RD9-D4N8T-RT9QX-YW6YT-FCWWJ
ServerStandardEvalCore=CG9N3-WKB9P-FMQG6-J3D8C-TMRR2
EmbeddedEEval=VKKC6-NQQQH-JW3QX-XRVKX-KJJK9
ServerStorageStandardEvalCore=27FBJ-8NMFM-PK3H8-4D7B4-HQVMV
ServerSolution=326N4-6GMBX-PD2QT-M7HX4-TVHM8
Embedded=6Q7P9-NFD2F-7JGQR-3X277-9BQMR
ServerDatacenterEval=VVWKN-DRYGT-GBG6F-YQ79J-29WGC
EmbeddedIndustry=GN7VX-YKPC2-XY98J-9RYKX-KP9HV
ServerStorageWorkgroupEvalCore=NDBQF-2F4M6-WG6VH-HPGK6-V6B78
Core=334NH-RXG76-64THK-C7CKG-D3VPT
Enterprise=FHQNR-XYXYC-8PMHT-TV4PH-DRQ3H
ServerStorageStandardCore=H2K4M-QNKQ2-64699-FYQHD-2WDYT
EnterpriseEval=7VY4Y-6N6R2-DGYC7-TTPQT-GMRXJ
ServerHyperCore=Q8R8C-T2W6H-7MGPB-4CQ9R-KR36H
ServerWinFoundation=7JGXN-BW8X3-DTJCK-WG7XB-YWP26
ServerCloudStorage=BFBN8-X8K7C-347CH-JG6KC-W2M6X
ServerCloudStorageCore=BFBN8-X8K7C-347CH-JG6KC-W2M6X
ServerStandard=NB4WH-BBBYV-3MPPC-9RCMV-46XCB
EmbeddedEval=VV6W8-NF7BJ-FKHGQ-P424D-FHC7K
CoreN=6NPQ8-PK64X-W4WMM-MF84V-RGB89
ServerDatacenterCore=BH9T4-4N7CW-67J3M-64J36-WW98Y
ServerWeb=3WN48-GVPXF-VHWK4-29Y8D-KKTD2
ServerStorageWorkgroupCore=8N7PM-D3C64-RQVYF-MX8T7-G6MB2
ServerWinFoundationCore=7JGXN-BW8X3-DTJCK-WG7XB-YWP26
ServerWebCore=3WN48-GVPXF-VHWK4-29Y8D-KKTD2
EmbeddedIndustryE=NDXXJ-YX29Q-JDY6B-C93G8-TQ6WH
ServerDatacenterEvalCore=VVWKN-DRYGT-GBG6F-YQ79J-29WGC
ProfessionalN=JRBBN-4Q997-H4RM2-H3B7W-Q68KC
StarterN=3NFXW-2T27M-2BDW6-4GHRV-68XRX
CoreCountrySpecific=TNH8J-KG84C-TRMG4-FFD7J-VH4WX
ServerStorageStandardEval=27FBJ-8NMFM-PK3H8-4D7B4-HQVMV
ProfessionalWMC=GBFNG-2X3TC-8R27F-RMKYB-JK7QT
ServerDatacenter=BH9T4-4N7CW-67J3M-64J36-WW98Y
ServerStorageWorkgroupEval=NDBQF-2F4M6-WG6VH-HPGK6-V6B78
ServerStandardCore=NB4WH-BBBYV-3MPPC-9RCMV-46XCB
EnterpriseN=NDRDJ-3YBP2-8WTKD-CK7VB-HT8KW
gvlkCoreARM=XYTND-K6QKT-K2MRH-66RTM-43JKP
gvlkServerStandard=D2N9P-3P6X9-2R39C-7RTCD-MDVJX
gvlkServerCloudStorageCore=3NPTF-33KPT-GGBPR-YX76B-39KDD
gvlkServerCloudStorage=3NPTF-33KPT-GGBPR-YX76B-39KDD
gvlkEmbeddedIndustryA=VHXM3-NR6FT-RY6RT-CK882-KW2CJ
gvlkCoreN=7B9N3-D94CG-YTVHR-QBPX3-RJP64
gvlkCoreSingleLanguage=BB6NG-PQ82V-VRDPW-8XVD2-V8P66
gvlkServerDatacenterCore=W3GGN-FT8W3-Y4M27-J84CP-Q3VJ9
gvlkProfessional=GCRJD-8NW9H-F2CDX-CCM8D-9D6T9
gvlkServerSolutionCore=KNC87-3J2TX-XB4WP-VCPJV-M4FWM
gvlkServerSolution=KNC87-3J2TX-XB4WP-VCPJV-M4FWM
gvlkEmbeddedIndustryE=FNFKF-PWTVT-9RC8H-32HB2-JB34X
gvlkProfessionalN=HMCNV-VVBFX-7HMBH-CTY9B-B4FXY
gvlkEmbeddedIndustry=NMMPB-38DD4-R2823-62W8D-VXKJB
gvlkCoreCountrySpecific=NCTT7-2RGK8-WMHRF-RY7YQ-JTXG3
gvlkProfessionalWMC=789NJ-TQK6T-6XTH8-J39CJ-J8D3P
gvlkServerDatacenter=W3GGN-FT8W3-Y4M27-J84CP-Q3VJ9
gvlkServerStandardCore=D2N9P-3P6X9-2R39C-7RTCD-MDVJX
gvlkEnterprise=MHF9N-XY6XB-WVXMC-BTDCT-MKKG7
gvlkCore=M9Q9P-WNJJT-6PXPY-DWX8H-6XWKK
gvlkEnterpriseN=TT4HM-HN7YT-62K67-RGRQJ-JFFXW

Some Useful Links
http://superuser.com/questions/661261/windows-8-1-fresh-install-with-windows-8-licence
http://forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/47480-windows-8-1-generic-keys