Installing Windows from a USB Flash Drive

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.
 Destination PC - A PC that you'll install Windows on

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

1. Connect the USB flash drive to a PC.

2. Open Disk Management: Right-click on Start and choose Disk Management.
3. 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.
4. Set the partition as active: Right-click the USB drive partition and click Mark Partition
as Active.

Note

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

1. Use the necessary software tool to copy and paste the entire contents of the Windows
product DVD or ISO to the USB flash drive.
2. Optional: add an unattend file to automate the installation process.

Step 3 - Install Windows to the new PC

1. Connect the USB flash drive to a new PC.

2. 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.

3. Remove the USB flash drive.

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 Changing Your Computer's Boot Order

1.

Go to the computer on which you want to install Windows. If you're merely trying to install a
new version of Windows on your existing computer, skip this step.

2.

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 Plug in your USB flash drive. Insert the USB flash drive into a USB port on the
computer.

3.

Prompt the computer to restart. Click Start

, click Power

, and click Restart. Your computer will begin to restart.

o If the computer is off, press its power button to turn it on, then move to the next
step. If the computer turns on when you open its lid or move the mouse, you'll
still need to restart it before proceeding.
4.

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Rapidly press the computer's BIOS key. As soon as the computer's startup screen
appears (the screen right after the computer shuts down and is beginning to restart), begin
pressing the BIOS key. Your computer's BIOS key will vary depending on the
manufacturer, but it will usually be one of the function keys (e.g., F2 ), Esc , or Del .

o You can check your computer's BIOS key online or in the manual that came with
your computer.
o Many computers will flash a "Press [key] to enter setup" (or similar) message at
the bottom of the screen as your computer is starting up. This is the key that you
should press.
o If you miss your opportunity and the computer finishes the restart cycle, you'll
need to restart it and try again.
5.

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Find the "Boot Order" section. This section is usually in the Advanced or Advanced
Options tab, but each BIOS menu is different. The "Boot Order" section will have a list
of different startup locations, including your hard drive's name and your CD drive.

6.

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 Select your flash drive's name. Using the arrow keys, move the highlight bar down until
it's covering the flash drive's name.

o On some computers, you'll instead select Removable Storage or Removable

Drives (or something similarly titled).
7.

Move the flash drive to the top of the list. You'll usually do this by pressing the + key
until the flash drive is at the top, but check the legend at the bottom or on the side of the
BIOS screen to see if your controls are different.

8.

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Save your changes and exit the BIOS. There's usually a key that you can press to do
this, so check the legend to see what it is and then press it.

o You may have to press another key to confirm this decision.

9.

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 Restart your computer again if necessary. If your computer doesn't greet you with a
"Press any key" screen and instead finishes the restart cycle, restart it again to boot from
the flash drive. This will launch the Windows setup process.

Part 5
Installing Windows

1.

Press any key when prompted. When you see the "Press any key" line of text, press any
key on your computer's keyboard to proceed with the Windows installation.

2.

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Select a language and region. When the Windows installation window pops up, select a
language, region, and any other preferences listed there.

o You may also be prompted to select keyboard settings here.

o On Windows 7, you'll check the "I agree" box here instead, then skip ahead to the
"Select a partition" step.
3.

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Click Next. It's in the lower-right corner of the page.

4.

Enter your product key. When prompted, type in the product key that came with your
computer or installation disc, then click Next.

o On Windows 10, you must first click Install now. You can also skip the product
key entry for now by clicking the Skip option.
o On Windows 7, you won't be asked for your product key until after the
installation is complete.
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Agree to the terms of use. Check the "I agree" box, then click Next.

6.

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 Select a custom installation. Check the "Custom" box, then click Next

7.

Select an installation partition. Double-click the partition on which you want to install
Windows, then confirm your choice when prompted. You may also need to select the
empty partition and click Next to prompt the installation process to begin.

o On Windows 7, you'll select the partition that you want to use, click Delete,
confirm the decision when prompted, click the empty hard drive, and click Next
to begin the installation process.
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Wait for Windows to finish installing. Your computer may restart several times during
this process, and the installation may take several minutes to over an hour depending on
your computer's speed.

9.

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Follow any on-screen instructions. After Windows is installed on the computer, you'll
be asked to set up a few more preferences (e.g., your language, account name, email
address, etc.) before you can begin using Windows.

o On Windows 7, you'll be asked to enter your product key here.

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