You can create a Windows 10 USB installation media with multiple tools, and in this guide, weāll show you how. When a new version of Windows 10 becomes available, not everyone gets the latest release the same day. Instead, Microsoft upgrades computers gradually, and it takes some time until the new version reaches every device.
However, if you do not want to wait for the automatic upgrade, the company lets you download the Windows 10 installation files using the Media Creation Tool. The tool helps perform an in-place upgrade or create an installation media using a USB flash drive to perform a clean install. Furthermore, you can even use third-party tools like Rufus to download and create a bootable media to install Windows 10 from USB.
This guide will teach youĀ how to create a USB flash drive to upgrade or reinstall Windows 10 on different devices using the Media Creation Tools and Rufus.
- Create Windows 10 bootable USB using Media Creation Tool
- Create Windows 10 bootable USB using Rufus
Create Windows 10 bootable USB using Media Creation Tool
To create a Windows 10 USB installation media with the Media Creation Tool, use these steps:
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Open Microsoft support website.
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Under the āCreate Windows 10 installation mediaā section, click the Download tool now button.
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Double-click the MediaCrationToolxxxx.exeĀ file to launch the tool.
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Click the Accept button.
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Select the Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC option.
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Click the Next button.
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Click the Next button again.
Quick note: if you are about to create a Windows 10 USB for another device, you can also clear the āUse the recommended options for this PCā option to select the correct language, architecture, and edition.
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Select theĀ USB flash driveĀ option.
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Click the Next button.
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Select the USB flash drive from the list, but make sure that it doesnāt have any important files as this process will erase everything on it.
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Click the Next button.
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Click the Finish button.
After completing the steps, you can start your computer using UEFI or BIOS with the USB drive to install Windows 10.
Create Windows 10 bootable USB using Rufus
To create a bootable media to install Windows 10 from USB using Rufus on UEFI or BIOS devices, use these steps:
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Open Rufusā website.
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Under the āDownloadā section, click the link to download the latest version.
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Double-click the executable to launch the tool.
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Click theĀ Settings button (third button from the left) a the bottom of the page.
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Under the āSettingsā section, use the āCheck for updatesā drop-down menu and select the DailyĀ option.
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Click theĀ CloseĀ button.
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Click theĀ Close button again to close the app.
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Reopen the Rufus tool.
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Under the āDeviceā section, use the drop-down menu, and select the USB flash drive to create the bootable media.
Quick tip: You will need to connect a USB flash drive of at least 8GB of storage. If you do not see the device on the list, you may need to restart the tool.
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Under the āBoot selectionā section, use the drop-down menu and select the Disk or ISO image option.
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Click the down arrow button on the right side and select the Download option.
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Click the Download button.
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Select the Windows 10 option.
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Click the Continue button.
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Under the āReleaseā section, select the version of Windows 10 to download.
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Click the Continue button.
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Select the edition, including Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro, or Windows 10 Education.
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Click the Continue button.
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Select the language for the installation.
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Click the Continue button.
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Select the operating system architecture (x64 or x86). (If itās a newer device, you may want to select the x64 option.)
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Click the Download button.
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Select the location to save the Windows 10 ISO automatically.
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Continue with the default settings after the download.
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Click the Start button.
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Click the OK button to confirm the deletion of the USB flash drive data.
Once you complete the steps, you can boot and install Windows 10 on computers running on UEFI or BIOS, depending on your firmware.
If Windows 10 is not activated after the upgrade, on Settings > Update & security > Activation, click the Troubleshoot button to start the Activation troubleshooterĀ utility.
Update March 17, 2022: This guide was initially published in August 2015, and itās now been revised and updated to reflect the new changes.