Even with the rise of cloud storage, the USB flash drive is still vital for cases where the Internet won’t cut it, especially as CDs and DVDs die off. Not only are USB drives typically higher in capacity than disc media, they are faster for copying data such as setup files, and have much quicker access times as well. In short, installing software as large as Windows 10 from a USB drive is simply much faster than from a DVD (and of course the only viable option for PCs without an optical drive).
Unlike with previous Windows releases, Microsoft sells Windows 10 on USB drives. If you’d rather make your own, however, this guide will show you two different ways to create a USB flash drive that works just like a Windows 10 DVD.
To be clear, both these approaches will only show you how to put Windows 10 on a USB flash drive. If you want to actually install Windows 10, you’ll still have to use the USB drive, Windows Update, or the manual method.
Windows 10 Media Creation Tool
You’ll need a USB flash drive (at least 4GB, though a bigger one will let you use it to store other files), anywhere between 6GB to 12GB of free space on your hard drive (depending on the options you pick), and an Internet connection.
If you’re running a 32-bit copy of Windows, download the tool from here. If you’re running a 64-bit copy of Windows, download the tool from here. If you’re not sure, hold the Windows key and press the pause/break button. See what it says under “System type.”
You should see the following after downloading and launching the tool:
Choose “Create installation media for another PC” and hit the Next button
Pick your language and one of the following editions: Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Home N, Windows Home Single Language, Windows 10 Pro, or Windows 10 Pro N. The N variants only differ in the fact they don’t include Windows Media Player.
If you’re upgrading from an older version of Windows as opposed to doing a clean install, you’ll want to pick the equivalent edition for the upgrade to work. As for Architecture, pick either 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) just like before — you can also choose “Both” but I typically just end up going with 64-bit since almost every computer nowadays is 64-bit. Hit Next.
The tool will now check that you have enough space on your hard drive, based on previous choices. If you don’t, you’ll have to start the process again.
Keep the first option and insert your USB drive now. Hit Next.
Pick your USB drive from the list. Remember, this process will overwrite everything on the drive. If you have data on the device, first move it to your computer, another USB device, or somewhere else, and then resume when you’re done. Hit Next.
Windows 10 will start to download, which may take a while if you’re on a slow connection
You’re done. You can now install Windows 10 from your USB drive, either by booting from it or from within a current installation of Windows.
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