Choose a system architecture for your Windows 10 USB.

Click “Create installation media for another PC” and click “Next”. When the Media Creation Tool boots, it'll ask you to choose whether to create installation media this PC or another one.

Use the Windows 10 bootable USB tool to create media for another PC.

Click the relevant “Download tool now” button and open the file. Once there, decide if you want your Windows 10 boot stick to install a 32 or 64-bit version of the OS (64-bit is a safe bet for most people).

The Windows 10 Media Creation Tool can be grabbed from Microsoft's official site, and you shouldn't obtain it from anywhere else.

Download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool.

The Media Creation Tool cuts out some of the licensing annoyances in the setup process. This is the Microsoft-recommended route to put Windows 10 on a USB drive, and for good reason. How to Create a Windows 10 USB via the Media Creation Tool (UEFI or Legacy) Windows will list the type under ‘BIOS mode'. If you're unsure, take a look at your System Information app. You can read a full explanation on superuser here, but the general gist is that UEFI is supported on most modern PCs. We'll also be covering the creation of a boot stick from Windows 7, for the few of you still left on the outdated OS.įirst, though, it's worth noting that Windows machines generally have two BIOS types: Legacy or UEFI. One involves Microsoft's Media Creation Tool, which greatly simplifies the experience, while third-party tool Rufus is best used to create a bootable USB from an iso. Those wondering exactly how to make a bootable USB for Windows will be pleased to hear there are three generally accepted methods. Flash drives also don't get scratched, are faster to write to, and take up less space.

With disk drives more or less dead, it's often the only real choice on a completely new PC. These days, a Windows 10 USB is the preferred method to perform a clean install of Microsoft's operating system. It takes just a few minutes to create a bootable Windows 10 USB, but it can save countless hours if your OS breaks down and you don't have a spare PC to hand. No matter how technically-minded you are, it's always smart to have a Windows 10 boot stick to hand.

3 How to Create a Windows 10 Bootable USB fro ISO via the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool (Legacy).

2 How to Put Windows 10 on a USB Drive via ISO with Rufus (Legacy or UEFI).

1 How to Create a Windows 10 USB via the Media Creation Tool (UEFI or Legacy).

Win10 installation media