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How To Create A Bootable Windows 10 USB Flash Drive.

Microsoft allows you to create your own Windows 10 bootable USB flash drive. It’s easy to do and you won’t need any special software since the Microsoft Media Creation Tool will handle everything for you.

What you’ll need is an empty USB drive with at least 8GB capacity.

Download The Windows 10 Media Creation Tool.

Before you start, plug in your USB flash drive, then close any windows that open. Once that’s done you’ll need to download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool.

For Windows 10 click this link https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10

When the web page loads, scroll down to the “Create Windows 10 Installation Media” section and click the Download Tool Now button.

It only takes a few seconds for the Media Creation tool to download. When it’s finished, launch it to begin creating your Windows 10 installation media.

Windows 10 media creation tool webpage. "Download tool now" button is indicated.
Create Windows 10 installation media. Click the Download Tool Now button.
Media creation tool is being opened in browser.
You can launch the Media Creation Tool from within your browser or from wherever you downloaded it to.

Creating Windows 10 Bootable Flash Drive.

When the Media Creation Tool opens you’ll see a couple of setup screens.

  1. Getting a few things ready.
  2. Accept the Terms and Conditions.
  3. Select “Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD or ISO file) for another PC” and click the Next button.

1

Windows setup screen. "Getting a few things ready".
Just wait while the tool sorts itself out.

2

The Accept button is marked.
Accept the Ts & Cs.

3

"Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD or ISO file) for another PC" is selected and the Next button is indicated.
Select “Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD or ISO file) for another PC” and click the Next button.

Select Your Windows 10 Language, Architecture And Edition.

The next screen you’ll see is the “Select language, architecture and edition” screen.

For most of us on our home computers, you can probably just leave this at the default setting and click the Next button.

But if you did want or need to change either the language or the architecture, then you’ll need to deselect “Use the recommended options for this PC”.

You can then use the drop down menus to make any changes that you want.

"Use the recommended options for this PC" is selected and highlighted. The Next button is also marked.
Generally, you can leave these settings as the defaults and just click the Next button.

Choose Which Media To Use.

This is where you get to choose which Windows 10 installation media you want to create. You can create a bootable USB flash drive or download the ISO file.

Select USB Flash Drive and click the Next button.

USB flash drive is selected and the Next button is marked.
Select USB flash drive and click the Next button.

Windows 10 ISO File.

If you wanted to create a Windows 10 virtual machine, then you’ll want to download the ISO file and save it to your PC. How To Install Windows As A Virtual Machine Using VMware Player.

  1. Select which USB flash drive to use. and click the Next button.
  2. Media Creation Toll will download Windows 10 to your PC.
  3. And then install it onto the USB flash drive that you selected earlier.

Once the creation process has finished, you’ll have a Windows 10 installation flash drive.

1

Flash drive selected and Next button marked.
Select which flash drive to use and click Next.

2

Download progress window.
Windows 10 is being downloaded.

3

Creating Windows 10 media progress screen.
Windows 10 bootable flash drive is being created.
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