Install Windows from a USB Flash Drive

Here’s how to create a bootable Windows installation USB drive starting with a Windows .iso file or a Windows Setup DVD.

If you’re looking for an easy way to create a bootable USB Windows installation drive, use the media creation tool.

What you need

• Windows 10 install .iso or DVD
• USB flash drive with at least 5GB free space. This drive will be formatted, so make sure it doesn’t have any important files on it.
• Technician PC — Windows PC that you’ll use to format the USB flash drive
• Destination PC — A PC that you’ll install Windows on

Step 1 — Format the drive and set the primary partition as active

Connect the USB flash drive to your technician PC.

Open Disk Management: Right-click on Start and choose Disk Management.

Format the partition: Right-click the USB drive partition and choose Format. Select the FAT32 file system to be able to boot either BIOS-based or UEFI-based PCs.

Set the partition as active: Right-click the USB drive partition and click Mark Partition as Active.

If Mark Partition as Active isn’t available, you can instead use diskpart to select the partition and mark it active.

Step 2 — Copy Windows Setup to the USB flash drive

Use File Explorer to copy and paste the entire contents of the Windows product DVD or ISO to the USB flash drive.

Optional: add an unattend file to automate the installation process. For more information, see Automate Windows Setup.

Step 3 — Install Windows to the new PC

Connect the USB flash drive to a new PC.

Turn on the PC and press the key that opens the boot-device selection menu for the computer, such as the Esc/F10/F12 keys. Select the option that boots the PC from the USB flash drive.

Windows Setup starts. Follow the instructions to install Windows.

Remove the USB flash drive.

If your Windows image is larger than 4GB

Windows USB install drives are formatted as FAT32, which has a 4GB filesize limit. If your image is larger than the filesize limit:

Copy everything except the Windows image file (sources\install.wim) to the USB drive (either drag and drop, or use this command, where D: is the mounted ISO and E: is the USB flash drive.)

Split the Windows image file into smaller files, and put the smaller files onto the USB drive:

Создание установочного носителя для Windows

Вы можете использовать установочный носитель (USB-устройство флэш-памяти или DVD-диск) для установки новой копии Windows, выполнения чистой установки или переустановки Windows 10.

Чтобы создать установочный носитель, перейдите на веб-сайт скачивания ПО, где вы найдете пошаговые инструкции. На этом веб-сайте вы можете выбрать версию Windows и создать собственный установочный носитель с помощью USB-устройства флэш-памяти или DVD-диска. Чтобы перейти непосредственно к одной из версий, выберите одну из следующих ссылок:

Windows 10 (Затем выберите Скачать средство сейчас.)

Важно: Создайте резервную копию файлов перед установкой и переустановкой Windows на компьютере. Узнайте, как это сделать для Windows 10 или для Windows 7 и Windows 8.1.

Чтобы создать установочный носитель, необходимо следующее:

Компьютер с надежным подключением к Интернету. Время скачивания зависит от скорости подключения к Интернету.

USB-устройство флэш-памяти или DVD-диск. Необходимо пустое USB-устройство флэш-памяти с 8 ГБ свободного места или пустой DVD-диск (и устройство записи DVD). Рекомендуем использовать чистый носитель, поскольку все его содержимое будет удалено. Если при записи DVD-диска из ISO-файла отображается сообщение о том, что файл образа диска слишком большой, необходимо использовать DVD-носитель с двумя слоями (DL).

Ключ продукта. 25-значный ключ продукта (не требуется для цифровых лицензий). Если вам требуется помощь, см. раздел Как найти ключ продукта Windows.

После создания установочного носителя вы можете сбросить или переустановить Windows. Дополнительные сведения см. в разделе Параметры восстановления в Windows 10.

Create installation media for Windows

You can use installation media (a USB flash drive or DVD) to install a new copy of Windows, perform a clean installation, or reinstall Windows 10.

To create installation media, go to the software download website, where you’ll find step-by-step instructions. On that website, you can select a version of Windows and create your own installation media using either a USB flash drive or a DVD. To go directly to one of the versions, select one of these links:

Windows 10 (Then select Download tool now.)

Important: Back up your files before you install or reinstall Windows on your PC. Learn how for Windows 10 or for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

To create the installation media, here’s what you’ll need:

A PC with a reliable internet connection. The download time will vary, depending on your internet connection.

A USB flash drive or DVD. A blank USB flash drive with at least 8 GB of space, or a blank DVD (and DVD burner). We recommend using a blank USB or blank DVD because any content on it will be deleted. When burning a DVD from an ISO file, if you’re told the disc image file is too large, you’ll need to use dual layer (DL) DVD media.

A product key. Your 25-character product key (not required for digital licenses). For help finding it, go to Find your Windows product key.

After you’ve created the installation media, you can reset or reinstall Windows. To learn more, go to Recovery options in Windows 10.

How to install Windows 10 from USB with UEFI support

Source: Windows Centtral

When installing a clean copy of Windows 10, usually you connect a USB media to the device to launch the «Windows Setup» wizard to continue with the installation process. However, if you have a computer with a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), instead of the legacy Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), it is crucial to use the appropriate media for the system firmware type.

On Windows 10, there are at least two methods to create a USB bootable media. You can use the Microsoft Media Creation Tool to download the files onto a removable storage with support for both firmware types (UEFI and legacy BIOS). Or you can use a third-party tool called «Rufus,» which makes it easy to create a USB to install Windows with support for UEFI.

In this Windows 10 guide, we will walk you through the steps to create a USB flash drive that includes support for UEFI using the Microsoft Media Creation Tool and Rufus.

How to create Windows 10 UEFI boot media with Media Creation Tool

The best way to create a bootable USB media for an in-place upgrade or clean install of Windows 10 is to use the official Media Creation Tool available through the Microsoft support website.

To create a USB install media, connect a flash drive of at least 8GB of space, and then use these steps:

Under the «Create Windows 10 installation media» section, click the Download tool now button to save the file on the device.

Source: Windows Central

Select the Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC option.

Source: Windows Central

(Optional) Clear the Use the recommended options for this PC option.

Source: Windows Central

Select the correct language, architecture, and edition of Windows 10 (if applicable).

Quick tip: If you plan to install Windows 10 on multiple computers running 32-bit and 64-bit architectures, use the «Architecture» drop-down menu and select the Both option.

Select the USB flash drive option.

Source: Windows Central

Select the flash drive from the list. (If the storage device is not available, click the Refresh drive list option.)

Source: Windows Central

Click the Next button.

Click the Finish button.

Once you complete the steps, the Media Creation Tool will download the files and will create a bootable USB flash drive that you can use to install Windows 10 on devices with support for UEFI and BIOS.

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How to create Windows 10 UEFI boot media with Rufus

Alternatively, you can use Rufus, a free third-party tool that allows you to create an installation media with support for UEFI devices. You can use the tool to create a bootable media using an existing ISO file, or you can use the option to download the files from the Microsoft servers and then create the installation media.

Create install flash drive with Windows 10 ISO

To create a bootable media using an existing Windows 10 ISO file, connect a flash drive of at least 8GB of space, and use these steps:

Under the «Download» section, click the latest release (first link) and save the file on the device.

Source: Windows Central

Use the «Target system» drop-down menu and select the UEFI (non CSM) option.

Source: Windows Central

Under the «Show Advanced drive properties» section do not change the default settings.

Source: Windows Central

Under the «Volume label» field, confirm a name for the drive — for example, «win10_20h2_usb.»

Source: Windows Central

In the «File system» and «Cluster size» options do not change the default settings.

Click the Show advanced format options button.

Check the Quick format option.

Check the Create extended label and icon files option.

Click the Start button.

Click the OK button to confirm.

Click the Close button.

After you complete the steps, Rufus will create a USB flash drive to install Windows 10 on a device using UEFI with a locally available image.

Create boot flash drive downloading Windows 10 ISO

Rufus also includes an option to download the Windows 10 ISO file directly from the Microsoft servers, which you can then use with the tool to create a bootable USB flash drive.

To create an install media of Windows 10 with Rufus, connect a USB flash drive of at least 8GB of space, and then use these steps:

Under the «Download» section, click the latest release (first link) of the tool to save the file onto your computer.

Source: Windows Central

Click the Settings button at the bottom of the page.

Source: Windows Central

Under the «Settings» section, use the «Check for updates» drop-down menu and select the Daily option.

Source: Windows Central

Under the «Boot selection» section, click the arrow button next to the «Select» option and choose the Download option.

Source: Windows Central

Use the «Language» drop-down menu and select your installation language.

Quick note: If you are in the United States, select the «English» option. Otherwise, select the «English International» option.

Use the «Architecture» drop-down menu and select the 32-bit or 64-bit option (recommended).

Quick tip: You can check the architecture of your device on Settings > System > About, under the Device specifications section.

Click the Download button.

Source: Windows Central

Use the «Target system» drop-down menu and select the UEFI (non CSM) option.

Source: Windows Central

Under the «Show Advanced drive properties» section, do not change the default settings.

Under the «Volume label» field, confirm a name for the bootable drive — for example, «win10_20h2_usb.»

Under the «File system» and «Cluster size» sections, do not change the default settings.

Click the Show advanced format options button.

Check the Quick format option.

Check the Create extended label and icon files option.

Click the Start button.

Click the OK button.

Click the Close button.

Once you complete the steps, the tool will run the script and download the Windows 10 ISO file. After the download, you can use that ISO file to create a bootable media to install Windows 10 on a UEFI device.

When you have the USB bootable media with support for UEFI systems, you can use it to start the «Windows Setup» wizard to perform a clean installation of Windows 10 or an in-place upgrade.

However, since the «UEFI:NTFS bootloader» does not include a digital signature for secure boot, you must temporarily disable secure boot on the motherboard firmware before you can boot into the setup wizard. Usually, you would complete this task from within the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface that you can access by hitting one of the function keys (F1, F2, F3, F10, or F12), the ESC, or Delete key as soon as you start the computer.

The only caveat is that these settings will be different per manufacturer and even by computer model. So make sure to check your device manufacturer’s support website for more specific instructions. After the installation of Windows 10, you can enable the feature again.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

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