How to install Windows 10 from a USB drive, DVD, or ISO

tutorial
How to install Windows 10 from a USB drive, DVD, or ISO
Windows 10 is used on over a billion computers and devices, and many users want to install it independently. One way is to use a USB memory stick with the Windows 10 setup, a disc (like a DVD or CD), or an ISO file with the installation. The installation process is the same regardless of the source you use. This guide shows you how to prepare your Windows 10 installer and then covers all the steps of installing Windows 10 using all the common types of media: DVD, USB memory stick, and ISO file. There are many steps, so let’s get started: NOTE: This guide is based on Windows 10 version 22H2, the most recent version of Windows 10 at the time of writing.

Windows 10 minimum requirements

Before installing Windows 10, read the Windows 10 Specifications on Microsoft’s website and review its system requirements. Windows 10 demands at least the following:
  • Processor or System on a Chip (SoC): 1 GHz or faster, compatible with Windows 10
  • RAM: minimum 1 gigabyte (GB) for the 32-bit version or 2 GB for the 64-bit version
  • Free hard drive space: 32 GB or more for both the 32-bit version and 64-bit version. For the best experience, using 60 GB or more is better.
  • Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 compatible graphics card
  • A display with a minimum resolution of 800 x 600 pixels

Windows 10 installation preparations

Before installing Windows 10 on your desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or 2-in-1 device, you should prepare a few things. Depending on what type of media you’re going to use, follow the steps in the chapters that apply to you:

How to prepare to install Windows 10 from a USB drive

In order to install Windows 10 from a USB memory stick, there are a couple of preparations you need to make:
  1. Ensure you have a USB drive with at least 8GB of storage capacity.
  2. Download Windows 10 and make your USB drive bootable with Microsoft’s official Media Creation Tool or the third-party Rufus application.
  3. Boot your computer using the USB flash drive containing the Windows 10 installation.
Creating a USB drive with the Windows 10 Setup
Creating a USB drive with the Windows 10 Setup Once you’ve got all this covered, read the additional notes in the last section of this chapter and then move on to the How to install Windows 10 chapter of this guide.

How to prepare to install Windows 10 from a DVD

If you still have a DVD writer on your computer or laptop, you may prefer using it to install Windows 10. In this case, too, there are a few preparation steps required to perform the installation process:
  1. Make sure you have readily available a blank Dual Layer (DL) DVD with 8GB of storage capacity.
  2. Download Windows 10 and burn it on the DVD using Microsoft’s official Media Creation Tool. Alternatively, you can also get the ISO with the third-party Rufus tool or by downloading it from a software library site like Softpedia. You can find more details about all these methods here: How to download Windows 10 for free.
  3. Boot your computer using the DVD with the Windows 10 installation files.
Burning the Windows 10 Setup on a DVD
Burning the Windows 10 Setup on a DVD Once you’ve covered all this, make sure you take into account the additional notes in this chapter’s last section. Then follow the steps in the next chapter of this tutorial - How to install Windows 10 - to install Windows 10 on your PC.

How to prepare to install Windows 10 from an ISO file

If you want to run Windows 10 on a virtual machine, you’ll need a Windows 10 ISO file. To prepare for that, make sure that:
  1. On the computer where you intend to install Windows 10 in a virtual machine (VM), you have a virtualization application that can run this operating system. Some of the best are VirtualBox, VMware Workstation (Player and Pro), and Hyper-V. VMware Workstation Player, Hyper-V, and VirtualBox are the free products on this list.
  2. Download the Windows 10 ISO file using Microsoft’s official Media Creation Tool. If you prefer, you can also use the third-party Rufus tool for this purpose or download Windows 10 from a website like Softpedia.
  3. Depending on what virtual machine tool you’ve chosen, check its documentation to see how to configure your new Windows 10 VM and make sure you set it to boot from the Windows 10 ISO file you’ve previously downloaded.
Download a Windows 10 ISO
Download a Windows 10 ISO Once you’ve covered all this, check the next additional notes below and then follow the steps in the next chapter of this tutorial to install Windows 10 on your PC.

Additional notes regarding the Windows 10 installation process

Regardless of whether you intend to install Windows 10 using a USB drive, a DVD, or an ISO file, you should have the Windows 10 product key, even though you can install it without one. However, you cannot fully use Windows 10 until you activate it and provide the product key. I also recommend using a working internet connection and a Microsoft account. In some situations, the Windows 10 installation process might not allow you to create a local (non-Microsoft) offline account. If you are uncomfortable sharing your data with Microsoft, avoid connecting your computer to the internet before the installation. This ensures you can finish the Windows 10 install process using a local account, without being forced to create a Microsoft account. With all that said and done, regardless of whether you’ve decided to install Windows 10 from a USB drive, DVD, or ISO file, the next steps are identical. So, without further ado, here’s…

How to install Windows 10

Once you’ve booted your computer from the Windows 10 installer USB drive, DVD, or ISO, wait a few seconds. Then, you’ll see a quick message on the screen stating that you must press any key to continue. Do what the message says, and the Windows 10 logo is shown while the installation wizard is loaded. The Windows 10 Setup first asks what language, time and currency format, and keyboard input method you want to use. Make the selections you prefer and press Next.
Windows 10 Setup - Choose the language, time, currency, and keyboard
Windows 10 Setup - Choose the language, time, currency, and keyboard Click or tap Install now to start the Windows 10 installation.
Press Install now
Press Install now The setup takes a couple of seconds to start and asks you to enter the product key for Windows 10. Type it and press Next. If you’re reinstalling Windows 10, click or tap that you do not have a product key, and your copy is automatically activated later. You can also “clean install” Windows 10 without providing the key if you click or tap “I don’t have a product key.”
Enter the Windows 10 activation key
Enter the Windows 10 activation key Choose which Windows 10 edition you want to install: from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Education, all the way to Windows 10 Pro. If you need to know more about this operating system’s different editions and versions, read: What is the latest version of Windows 10? Check the version you have.
Choose the Windows 10 edition you want to install
Choose the Windows 10 edition you want to install You are shown the Windows 10 license terms. Read them if you wish and have the time. Then, check the “I accept the license terms” box and press Next.
Accept the license terms
Accept the license terms You’re asked for the type of installation you want to perform. To make a clean install of Windows 10, click or tap “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced).” Otherwise, choose “Upgrade: Install Windows and keep files, settings, and applications.
Click or tap on Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)
Click or tap on Custom: Install Windows only (advanced) You’re asked to select where you want to install Windows. Choose the drive or partition that you want to use for Windows 10 and press Next. If you need to configure your partitions in a specific way, don’t hesitate to use the tools available for creating new partitions, deleting old ones, formatting, and so on before clicking Next.
Choose the partition where to install Windows 10
Choose the partition where to install Windows 10 TIP: Did you know that you can also install Windows 10 on a USB drive that you can carry around with you and use on any computer? It’s called Windows To Go and this guide explains all the steps required to make your own Windows 10 USB drive: How to install Windows 11 & Windows 10 on a USB drive (Windows To Go). The setup wizard takes some minutes to copy all the required files, and then it installs Windows 10. It also installs updates if it detects that it can connect to the internet. On a computer with a solid-state drive, this step is surprisingly quick.
Windows 10 is installing
Windows 10 is installing Once the installation is done, the Windows 10 setup automatically reboots at least once, to run the first-time configuration scripts. Wait for the process to finish. If you see the prompt below, you can skip the waiting by pressing Restart now.
Click Restart now to hurry the process a bit
Click Restart now to hurry the process a bit While you wait, Windows 10 shows you the status of its “Getting ready” activities.
Windows 10 is getting ready to finalized its installation
Windows 10 is getting ready to finalized its installation During this installation step, you may witness a couple of restarts. Don’t worry, it’s all part of the process.

How to customize your Windows 10 installation (setup steps)

After the reboots are finished, Windows 10 asks you to choose the region where you live. Select your country from the list, and then click or tap Yes.
Choose your country from the list
Choose your country from the list You’re asked to confirm the keyboard layout that you want to use. Choose the keyboard you prefer from the list, and press Yes.
Choose the keyboard layout you want to use
Choose the keyboard layout you want to use If you need to use a secondary keyboard layout, you can add a second one during the next step. Otherwise, choose Skip. You can also add new keyboards after installing Windows 10, using the instructions from this guide: How to change the keyboard language on Windows 10.
Choose whether to add a second keyboard layout
Choose whether to add a second keyboard layout If you have a working internet connection, Windows 10 checks if there are any updates available. If that’s the case, it downloads and installs them. You don’t need to do anything during this step. Just wait.
The setup checks for Windows 10 updates
The setup checks for Windows 10 updates You are asked to select how you want to set up Windows 10. If your computer belongs to an organization (for example, the company you work at), select “Set up for an organization” and use your business account to sign in and access your resources. Otherwise, choose “Set up for personal use” and press Next. Since this guide is for home users, this is also what I selected.
Choose the type of account you want to use
Choose the type of account you want to use Read the second page of this tutorial to see how to configure the user account as part of the Windows 10 install process. The second page is especially useful if you want to install Windows 10 and use a local account instead of a Microsoft account.

How to configure Windows 10 with a Microsoft account

You are asked to sign in with your Microsoft account. If you want to do so, enter your credentials and click or tap Next. Otherwise, if you’re going to use a local account on your Windows 10 PC, skip to the next section of this guide. If you have selected to set up the PC for an organization during the previous step, you are asked how you want to connect Windows 10 to your organization.
Enter the email for your Microsoft account
Enter the email for your Microsoft account If you have enabled two-step verification for your Microsoft account, you may see a number that you need to confirm in the specialized mobile app that you use for such purposes. Otherwise, you are asked to type the password of your Microsoft account. Do so, and press Next.
Authenticate with your Microsoft account
Authenticate with your Microsoft account NOTE: You may also be requested to confirm your identity with a sign-in request on your smartphone using the Microsoft Authenticator app. On the next step, the Windows 10 setup asks whether you want to create a PIN for faster access to your system. Press “Create PIN.”
Choose to Create PIN for fast access to Windows 10
Choose to Create PIN for fast access to Windows 10 Now enter a PIN code for quick access and confirm it. Press OK to continue.
Enter and confirm the PIN code
Enter and confirm the PIN code Then, Windows 10 asks you whether you agree to let Microsoft Edge always have access to your recent browsing data. If you do, Microsoft’s browser will be able to import your data from the other browser(s) you use. This includes things like your favorites, history, and cookies. If you agree, click Accept; otherwise, choose Not now.
Let Microsoft Edge access your recent browsing data
Let Microsoft Edge access your recent browsing data TIP: Microsoft Edge is installed by default in Windows 10. If you want to get rid of it, after you finish installing Windows 10, follow the steps in this guide: How to uninstall Microsoft Edge from Windows. On the “Choose privacy settings for your device” screen, select whether you want to enable or disable features like Location, Diagnostic data, Find my device, Online speech recognition, Inking & typing, Tailored experiences, or Advertising ID. I recommend that you carefully read what each option does and only turn on those you feel comfortable with. When you are finished changing settings, press Accept.
Customize your privacy settings
Customize your privacy settings You are asked to customize your Windows 10 PC or device by choosing the kind of activities you do on it: Gaming, School, Entertainment, Business, and so on. Depending on what activities you choose, Windows 10 will provide personalized tips and recommendations for features, products, and services relevant to you. When you are done selecting things, press Accept.
Select the types of activities you perform in Windows 10
Select the types of activities you perform in Windows 10 You are recommended to link your Android phone and PC to take calls from your computer, send text messages, or use your mobile apps. To continue, press “No, thanks” or “Remind me later.”
Windows 10 recommends to use your phone from your PC
Windows 10 recommends to use your phone from your PC Next, Microsoft might recommend you buy a month of Xbox Game Pass for PC. If you don’t want it, or you want to decide later, press “No thanks.”
Do you want to buy an Xbox Game Pass for PC?
Do you want to buy an Xbox Game Pass for PC? On the next screen, Windows 10 asks you if you want to get help from Cortana. This looks like a bug or an omission on Microsoft’s part, as the company deprecated Cortana as a standalone app in the fall of 2023. Thus, although you can choose to press Accept, I’d recommend clicking Not now, as these settings no longer seem relevant today.
Do you want to enable Cortana?
Do you want to enable Cortana? Windows 10 takes a while to prepare your computer or device, as well as its apps and settings. This process may take some time, so be patient.
Wait for Windows 10 to finish everything
Wait for Windows 10 to finish everything When it is done, you are logged in, and you can view the Windows 10 desktop. Congratulations, you have finished installing Windows 10 on your PC, all by yourself!

How to configure Windows 10 to use a local account

If you don’t want to use a Microsoft account, you can install Windows 10 without it. When the Windows 10 installation asks about adding an account, click or tap on the “Offline account” link.
Choose Offline account
Choose Offline account Microsoft tries to convince you that an online account is better. If you still want the offline account, click or tap Limited experience.
Choose Limited experience
Choose Limited experience I noticed that, on some Windows 10 PCs, the “Offline account” option highlighted earlier is missing. It seems random because I used the same Windows 10 setup disc on multiple PCs with different results. If you don’t see this option, you can create a local account during the Windows 10 setup only if you disconnect your PC from the internet before starting the installation process. Then, you are taken directly to a screen where you can choose a name for your local user account. Type your desired username and press Next.
Enter the name of your local account
Enter the name of your local account Enter the password that you want to use for your offline account and press Next. Confirm it, and press Next once more.
Enter and confirm the password for your local account
Enter and confirm the password for your local account For offline accounts, Windows 10 asks you to answer three security questions. Choose the questions you prefer, enter their answers, and press Next for each question.
Choose and answer the security questions
Choose and answer the security questions Then, the Windows 10 installer will show you a screen where you can choose to let Microsoft Edge always have access to your recent browsing data. If you accept, Edge will gain the ability to import your data from the other browser(s) you’re using. This includes your favorites, history, and cookies. If you don’t agree with that, click or tap Not now.
Let Microsoft Edge access your recent browsing data
Let Microsoft Edge access your recent browsing data Now you’re asked about choosing the privacy settings for your device. Select whether you want to enable or disable features like Location, Diagnostic data, Find my device, Tailored experiences, or Advertising ID. I recommend that you carefully read what every option does and only turn on those you feel comfortable with. Press Accept when you’re done.
Choose privacy settings for your device
Choose privacy settings for your device Next comes the “Let’s customize your experience” screen. On it, you can tell Microsoft what types of activities you intend on doing on your computer: Gaming, School, Entertainment, Creativity, etc. Windows 10 will give you personalized tips and recommendations for features, products, and services depending on what you choose on this screen. Select the activities you want and press Accept, or jump over this step completely by clicking the Skip button.
Customize your experience
Customize your experience TIP: Those tips and recommendations that Microsoft gives you in Windows 10 often look like ads. If you want to minimize their presence on your computer, check this guide: Windows 10 ads: How to turn them off from everywhere. Next, the Windows 10 installer asks you whether you want to use Cortana as your digital assistant. Considering the fact that Cortana as a standalone app has been deprecated by Microsoft since 2023, this step feels like a bug or an omission on Microsoft’s part. While you can press Accept, I’d recommend clicking Not now, as Cortana is no more.
Enabling Cortana
Enabling Cortana Windows 10 takes a while to prepare everything and be ready for use. Wait for a bit.
Wait a few moments before you can use Windows 10
Wait a few moments before you can use Windows 10 When it finishes, you are logged in, and you can view the desktop.

Did you encounter problems doing a clean Windows 10 install?

As you can see, the setup process for Windows 10 is lengthy. Furthermore, there are quite a few things you can configure about the way it works, even before you finish installing it. I hope that this tutorial was complete enough to guide you through all the steps. If you have any questions or problems, don’t hesitate to ask. Also, I’d like to hear what your first impressions of Windows 10 are. Are you enjoying this operating system, or are you contemplating installing Windows 11 instead?
Discover: Productivity Recommended System Tutorials Windows

Discussion (48)

  1. vlloyd
    vlloyd

    I have tried these steps several times, but when i get to the page about setting up the internet it hangs up. The only way forward is to click “I don’t have an internet connection”. I see that many others have had the same problem. So, after trying several”fixes” I still cannot go on-line.

    1. Ciprian Adrian Rusen
      Ciprian Adrian Rusen

      Windows 10 doesn’t have the drivers for your specific network card. Can you search for them online?

  2. Ken Hares
    Ken Hares

    First, I liked you article, it helped me very much, Thank you.
    I had an issue reinstalling Win 10.
    When it came to “Where do I want to install Windows?” (Which hard drive?)
    I was reinstalling with a Custom install. The drives, 3, were all ready partitioned, I assumed by Win 10 during the prior install so I thought win 10 might use them again, but no! A line of text told me I could not install to the drive I had checked, nor would it install to any other drive. I had been told I had wipe the drives clean to use them. So I formatted those partitions that allowed me to do so, and erased the partitions that allowed me to do so. I could not erase all of the partitions, but went ahead with the install. The install put C drive on my 10TB storage drive not my SSD. The other drives were not given a letter ID and had all the old partitions.
    How do I scratch all those partitions when the install program does not allow me to do so? And how do I get those drives ID’ed? I will re-install again.
    Some words on this stuff would be very help full.
    Thank you
    Ken Hares

    1. Codrut Neagu
      Codrut Neagu

      Hello!
      I’d say that the easiest way to make sure everything is OK would be to simply disconnect the other drives and leave only the one on which you want to install Windows.
      Otherwise, if you can’t remove the other drives, you might try to press Shift+F10 during Windows installation to open Command Prompt, and use diskpart to clean the system drive (in CMD enter DISKPART; then LIST DISK; identify the number of drive you need cleaned and run SELECT DISK DRIVE_NUMBER; run CLEAN). Afterwards, try installing Windows normally. Let us know if it worked. 🙂

  3. Jack W Moore
    Jack W Moore

    Really liked Windows 7 Ultimate but finally had to upgrade to Windows 10. Went smoothly and is running smoothly now. However, my Windows 7 product key would not activate Windows 10. I ordered Windows 10 pro on DVD.
    Is there any way I can activate Windows 10 pro with the new product key without having to do the installation again?

    1. Ciprian Adrian Rusen
      Ciprian Adrian Rusen

      Yes, activate Windows 10 with your key, from the Settings app.

  4. Frik Becker
    Frik Becker

    I tried the USB boot and install with the update but the steps you show above and the steps my laptop follows are not the same. It started a (fixing :(C:) :Stage 1:……. It got to stage 2 49%, then shut down. When I restarted it, it asked a quick message if it should check the disc’s or press any key to skip, I’m not sure what to do. Should I skip or not? So it decided to check it anyway. Now I am waiting and it’s at stage 2 again 22%… I did not see any of this in your steps?

    1. Frik Becker
      Frik Becker

      Should I enable or disable secure boot in uefi

      1. Ciprian Adrian Rusen
        Ciprian Adrian Rusen

        Secure boot should be enabled.

  5. Flemming
    Flemming

    Hi!
    Can you help my Windows 10 Pro clean installation from DVD crashes when I create PIN on user / account – the screen goes black and nothing happens anymore – PC still turned on.

    I can see on my Microsoft account that there is a hole through with a message if Windows is not updated – here tried with an offline user without codes and the same thing happens.

    Regards Flemming

  6. Dave
    Dave

    Hi.

    can Windows10 be installed from versions of Windows

    that are EARLIER than Windows7 ?

    ——————–

    For Example,

    can i Run the Windows10 Setup

    from Windows2000 or WindowsXP ?

    1. Codrut Neagu
      Codrut Neagu

      Hello. Unfortunately, no. You’ll have to wipe your system drive and do a clean install of Windows 10.

      1. Dave
        Dave

        Okay.

        if i am Running a Version of Windows that is

        EARLIER than Windows7,

        can i Open the Windows10 SETUP and do a CLEAN INSTALL

        of Windows10 to an EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE ?

        ———————————–

        For Example,

        can i Run the Windows10 Setup

        from Windows2000 or WindowsXP

        and do a CLEAN INSTALL of Windows10

        to an EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE ?

  7. Dave
    Dave

    Hi.

    if i Copy the Windows10 iso file to a Blank USB Flash Drive,

    will that USB Flash Drive become instantly Bootable ?

    in other words,

    will the ISO FILE on the usb flash drive be BOOTABLE ?

    1. Codrut Neagu
      Codrut Neagu

      Hello. The answer is no: you should use Media Creation Tool or other apps that can make your USB drive bootable, such as Rufus.

  8. Arturo
    Arturo

    All good so far… after wiping the disc etc as shown. Part way through the Windows 10 re-install I was asked to put in my email address and Microsoft password (As shown in your tutorial). Did this (no other option). Now on completion, before I sell my computer I want to get rid of this final piece of dater so that the buyer will be able to put his own name and email address into the computer.
    I hope I have made some sense with this.
    Thank you for your assistance in advance. Arturo.

  9. Andre kimamorin@gmail.com
    Andre [email protected]

    does clean install mean my files and previous files saved are deleted?

    1. Dave
      Dave

      Hi.

      can i Run the Windows 10 SETUP

      from Windows2000 or from WindowsXP

      and do a CLEAN INSTALL of Windows 10

      to an EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE ?

  10. David W.
    David W.

    This is a very informative tutorial, I just wanted to ask a question though, do you need to have ‘usb’ showing as the first option in the boot order menu ? I currently have mine set to cd rom option ?
    Thanks

  11. George Marshall
    George Marshall

    .Best way to find/gat the existing product key (Win 10).

  12. James
    James

    I do not like to have to use a pin number ,getting t old to remember all the pins and passwords. Don’t like to have to sign on at all with password or pin ,my computer never leaves my house or other users.

  13. Cordell
    Cordell

    After downloading windows and restarting it just goes back to step 1 what do I do?

  14. anonymous
    anonymous

    thanks for this information

  15. Adib
    Adib

    Dear,
    Non of the above worked on my PC.
    I do not know what to do?

  16. lgdoc
    lgdoc

    Very nice tutorial, but i’d like to find such a good tutorial about what to do (with dfferents steps) when upgrading from W10 1703 to W10 1709?
    Did you already write somewhere.If not where couls I find it?
    Thanks and congratulations!

  17. mark
    mark

    thanks so much very helpful

    1. Ciprian Adrian Rusen
      Ciprian Adrian Rusen

      Glad to help.

  18. Alice
    Alice

    I have 8.1 installed on my pc….can I buy a retail copy, and install 10 over 8.1, or must I wipe the hard drive clean?

  19. Lukasz
    Lukasz

    I got my Win7 Pro upgraded to Win10 but I’d rather install Win10 from the scratch. Can I do it with my Win7 key or do I need to purchase a key for Win10?

  20. tom cossari
    tom cossari

    I Downloaded my free windows 10 worked for A while but now i lost my start men u and corrina also doesent work.Also i think i removed windows eight.how can i get my stat menu and task bar back

  21. John Markham
    John Markham

    FOLLOW-UP: The answer to my question is Yes but Microsoft saved me the cost. Surprise!

    I live in San Diego, where we have a Microsoft Store. The tech burned me a Win-7 DVD which would load over the top of the existing Bit-locked partition. The load isn’t really a functional Win-7, as it has no notable drivers but it worked like a charm to format that troublesome Bit-locked partition.

    I have a second snag, which time will resolve. I need an original Lenovo 170W AC adapter. The 135W adapter triggers a warning that it’s not the right adapter, so I can’t do the (required) BIOS update. I ordered the adapter from Lenovo.

  22. John Markham
    John Markham

    My neighbor runs a commercial cleaning service and he gave me a nice Lenovo laptop from an abandoned office. One AC adapter later, I have a computer with Windows 7.

    But no: BITLOCKER!

    My Win10 updrade iso-file on DVD runs but gets to the point where I select a partition and chokes. One partition is far too small and the other is Bitlocker-protected.

    Will the retail edition install? (I recall the bad-old-days of FDISK and FORMAT. they might be salvation.)

  23. Pranav Patel
    Pranav Patel

    Do we need to have data backup for all the drives before installing windows 10 coz there is no information about the partition and formatting of windows 10?

  24. Cherry
    Cherry

    It is a good article for installing Windows 10. It’s good for me because I just want to upgrade my system, and after reading it, I’m planning to use the ISO image and download Windows 10 here. Yesterday, I download a backup software AOMEI Backupper, I intend to backup my old Windows 7 before I upgrading it to Windows 10. I was thinking that this software adjust to Windows 10 too, and I can use it to backup my computer after I installing Windows 10. And I suggest you guys before you upgrade your Windows, back it up first, it can save a lot of troubles. You can see how to backup computer using this software. https://www.backup-utility.com/features/disk-backup.html

  25. Raj Dev
    Raj Dev

    Sir, I am using Windows 7 Home Basic 64 bits. I downloaded “Media creation tool” but when I launched it, after a while, it showed an error (a msgbox) “Something Happened”. Can you please help me? 🙁

  26. Ken Durell
    Ken Durell

    Please explain:

    1. You state “have the product key available”. If doing an upgrade from Windows 7, where do we get the key when doing the upgrade from a download?

    2. Please explain the “Microsoft Account” sign in. I.e., I have Windows on my computer, but am unaware of a “Microsoft Account”.

    1. Codrut Neagu
      Codrut Neagu

      If you’re doing an upgrade you don’t need a product key. The product key is required only if you do a clean install, from scratch, using a DVD or a USB stick.
      If you’re doing an upgrade, Windows 10 migrates your Windows 7 (or 8.1) product key directly, so it won’t ask you for a new one. For upgrading, check this article: https://www.digitalcitizen.life/how-upgrade-your-windows-81-or-windows-7-pc-windows-10-right-now/
      A Microsoft account is an email and a password you use for any Microsoft services. If you have an Outlook.com email account, an Xbox account, a Windows Phone etc. then you already have a Microsoft account. There are details here: https://www.digitalcitizen.life/what-is-microsoft-account/

  27. John
    John

    Your instructions are excellent, thank you. A word of caution. I loaded W10 and automatically (within the first 10 minutes) got an update which followed with W10 locking up so that I could not reload windows. I had to copy all files to a backup drive using DOS commands and then re-install W8. I am not the only one to have this problem. W10 looks cute, but does little you cannot do for yourself. A lot of its supposed power is connecting you to the cloud for notes and calendars as well as reminders and then linking you to a bunch of FREE trials and pay for services. If you don’t want cloud services and don’t need radio, TV and Calendar at your finger tips stay with W8.1 at least it is stable and asks if you want an update. With W10 updates are forced on you… and if you crash Microsoft is not their to help pick up the pieces. Windows Edge does appear to be faster then Windows Explorer.

    At the least backup your system and set a restore point before venturing into W10. And then be ready to install W8.1 if it crashes. For me it was a costly experiment in time on a machine I use professionally.

  28. Uday
    Uday

    Hi,
    I have windows 8.1 which was pre-installed when i got my pc. And i don’t know key which is used on Windows 8.1. I have downloaded ISO file of windows 10, but then can i skip activation key and install like that. Will my windows 10 be a activated one if get connected to the internet??

  29. Robert D'Souza
    Robert D'Souza

    I have windows 10 on my usb drive and i want to install . Help please !

  30. David Brand
    David Brand

    Do you know if there is a way to get the new Windows 10 licence key or ‘approval’ before doing an upgrade? It looks from my research that you must do an in place upgrade first? I want to do a clean install without upgrading!

    1. Codrut Neagu
      Codrut Neagu

      Unfortunately, you must do the upgrade. There’s no way to get the license key before doing it.
      What I did, and I believe it’s the closest way to a clean install, was to:
      – clean install Windows 8.1
      – upgrade 8.1 to Windows 10 (with nothing kept)
      – activate Windows 10
      – used CleanDisk to get rid of the Windows.old folder and anything left.

  31. richard christensen
    richard christensen

    How does it work to reserve Windows 10 if you already have windows 10 technical preview installed on your PC? I do have windows 10 technical preview and I do not see the white flag on the taskbar you are supposed to click on in order to reserve the Windows 10 when it officially arrives.

    1. Codrut Neagu
      Codrut Neagu

      You don’t necessarily have to reserve Windows 10. After July 29, you can simply download an ISO and do a clean install. If you were to reserve your copy, than the update files would download over time, so on July 29 you would simply get a notification and start updating, without having to make the ISO download.

  32. Bob
    Bob

    The best, most detailed installation guide on the net. I reached a point in installation that had just one button; Install. However, up to that point I had not been asked where I wanted to install it – I had 2 internal disks (7 and XP) and added a clean 3rd specifically for 10, and so I aborted, and began searching. Finally found the answer here – choice comes later. Fine.
    Thanks very much. Clarity and detail are always appreciated.
    Good clear Captcha, too.

  33. EdaDorcey
    EdaDorcey

    Thank you for the detailed installation information.
    After install, the big problem is Blu-ray movie playback which already exists in both Windows 7 and Windows 8. The best solution I’ve tried is Macgo Blu-ray player. No Blu-ray menu and 3D effect support but perfect Blu-ray support. Works fine currently on the new Win 10.

    1. Ciprian Adrian Rusen
      Ciprian Adrian Rusen

      We’re glad we could help.