[SOLVED] How do I boot from USB drive?

Strayer_

Commendable
Dec 1, 2020
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1,530
Can someone simply explain to me what I need to put on a USB to boot my computer from it. I have a problem with my computer that won't let me get into it and someone recommended to boot from USB. The problem is I'm not the most tech advanced so I can't really understand some articles and I just need to know how and what to download onto my USB drive to boot into windows 10 simply.
 
Solution
No need for Rufus and such, if someone is not familiar with it it can be only trouble.
Microsoft provides foolproof way via Media Creation Tool that downloads and installs windows on a USB stick which is bootable for all modes, (UEFI/CSM/Legacy). It' also possible to download ISO, mount it and just copy contents to USB formatted to Fat32.
No need for Rufus and such, if someone is not familiar with it it can be only trouble.
Microsoft provides foolproof way via Media Creation Tool that downloads and installs windows on a USB stick which is bootable for all modes, (UEFI/CSM/Legacy). It' also possible to download ISO, mount it and just copy contents to USB formatted to Fat32.
 
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Solution
For your computer a usb is just another hard drive so you have to treat it like one, if you would want to do what microsofts tool does on your own you would use diskpart or fdisk or any other partitioning tool to put a primary and bootable partition onto your usb and that would be it.
If you tell your bios to boot from usb it would boot from it, if you copy everything from an windows installation .iso/dvd to that usb it will boot into the installation.
I just need to know how and what to download onto my USB drive to boot into windows 10 simply.
This is anything but simple, especially if your windows is broken how do you expect to boot into it.
You either try windows repair a lot of times and maybe it will work at some point or boot the system with a 'live linux usb' (google this term) to at least copy all your files to the usb before re installing.
 
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Strayer_

Commendable
Dec 1, 2020
26
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1,530
I have some stupid questions to ask. I had a big problem with my PC that I tried everything to fix but nothing would work, leaving me with a PC that didn't work. My final solution was to boot from USB drive which I did, downloading windows 10 on to a usb and booting my computer with it. Now that everything is set up is this a way to make this my new PC? Or will everything disappear once the USB drive is out and I'll be back to my old PC. I had nothing of importance on my old pc so I don't mind switching. If this is the case how to I clear my storage completely of all the old stuff to start new on this computer? I'm pretty new to all this stuff so if you have any questions about it I don't mind answering.
 

starspazattack

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Oct 6, 2015
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10,540
If you have only booted from the usb you will no longer be able to boot into windows if the drive is removed, if this is the case you will need to install windows onto an internal drive like a hard drive or solid state drive if it is available, there are loads of youtube tutorials about installing windows from a usb drive,
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9GnWYKyyYo

this video should tell you anything you need to know.