How to Install Windows 10 from USB Easily

One of the things we do right after building a new PC or buying a new laptop is installing a fresh up-to-date Windows.

But most likely, you don’t have a DVD drive because it’s old fashioned now, so the easiest and most convenient option to install a fresh version of Windows 10 is to install Windows 10 from USB flash drive.

So here is everything you should know about how to install Windows 10 from a bootable USB flash drive.

Why should you install Window from USB?

Some PCs don’t have a DVD drive, meaning you can’t install the Windows using a CD, And that’s when you should install Windows 10 from USB as every PC and laptop has some USB ports.

Also, USB flash drives are portable, so they can be used to install Windows on multiple desktops and laptops easily. But, first, you must make sure that the USB flash drive is empty, and has at least 8 GB of space.

Before you install Windows 10 from USB, you first have to create a copy of Windows 10 inside the USB flash drive. And to do so, there are 2 ways, so let’s get into each way and show how it works.

Creating Windows 10 Installation on USB Flash Drive using Windows 10 Media Creation Tool

First, we have to create a copy of Windows 10 inside our bootable USB flash drive. In order to do this, you need to go to the Windows 10 Download page and click on the “Download tool now” button to download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool.

After you have downloaded the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool, launch it and wait until it finishes loading, then click Accept on the terms of usage screen, and wait again until it finishes loading. Once it finishes loading, you will be presented with two options, select Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC and then click Next.

Now select your preferred language, architecture, and edition but Make sure to disable the check box Use the recommended options for this PC to edit the options, and then click Next. After that, you will be presented with two options, select USB flash drive and click Next, then select the USB flash drive you want to create the Windows installation on from the list, and it will start downloading, with the waiting time depending on your Internet speed.

Creating Windows 10 Installation on USB Flash Drive using Rufus

Additionally, If you already have the Windows 10 installation ISO you don’t have to re-download the Windows 10 installation using Media Creation Tool, but in order for the bootable USB to work, you have to use a program called Rufus.

To download the program, open Rufus download page, and download it from the link.

Once you have downloaded Rufus, launch it. Select the USB drive, and make sure the settings are properly set like this:

1- Partition Scheme: GPT

2- Target System: UEFI (non CSM)

Now, check these checkboxes under Format Options: Quick format and Create extended label and icon files.

After that, click on Start and then Ok to confirm and the tool will start, you just need to wait a while.

Installing Windows 10 from USB flash drive

Now that we have created the Windows 10 Installation using the Media Creation Tool or Rufus, one last step remains to install Windows 10 from USB flash drive.

We need to boot up the device we want to install Windows on and select the bootable USB drive if it wasn’t detected from the BIOS/UEFI boot menu and proceed with the normal Windows installation.

How do I format and install Windows 10?