[SOLVED] Installing Windows 10 on a USB flash drive

[LTL428]

So I've had an issue with Windows 7 (Not being able to access windows 7) which has forced me to reinstall it. But, I'm gonna instead install windows 10 because... why not? I guess, unfortunately, it's time to upgrade. Anyways, I don't have an actual copy of Windows 10, so I have to use an ISO file. I put the ISO file on one of my flash drives, plugged it in, and turned on the PC. Then I went to the BIOS and tried to find the setup file on it.... I found every other file on it, just not the Setup.exe file. Can someone please help me? I'm so tired of always posting and nobody replies, despite the hundreds of views my threads get. Please reply if you need more information.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

you can't just put an ISO file on a USB flash drive.
the installer needs to be created onto the drive or a DVD so that it can boot the system into the install process:

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[Lafong]

Typical method would be to go to Microsoft site and create a bootable USB drive installer. 8 gb or larger required. Boot from it, delete all partitions on the existing drive, and follow the prompts. With NO other drive connected.

 

[LTL428]

you can't just put an ISO file on a USB flash drive.
the installer needs to be created onto the drive or a DVD so that it can boot the system into the install process:

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

What does "Needs to be created onto the drive" even mean?? Do you mean download the creation tool? I'm confused.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

What does "Put the installer on the drive" even mean?

the installer needs to be created onto the drive

the ISO you download is only a disk image.
this data needs to be extracted and the Windows installer needs to be created as a boot drive so that it can do just that, boot and install.

using the Media Creation Tool is the easiest method for those that haven't worked much in this area.

if you follow the included tutorial step-by-step it will easily walk you through the entire process.

 

[Lafong]

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

start at the above link;

Poke "download tool now"

 

[LTL428]

you can't just put an ISO file on a USB flash drive.
the installer needs to be created onto the drive or a DVD so that it can boot the system into the install process:

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

start at the above link;

Poke "download tool now"

Sorry you're replying faster than I can lol.
The ISO that I downloaded already HAS a setup/installer. The one that I downloaded before I came here was from Microsoft.

 

[Lafong]

Sorry you're replying faster than I can lol.
The ISO that I downloaded already HAS a setup/installer. The one that I downloaded before I came here was from Microsoft.

Review the info next to the 2 plus signs immediately below "download tool now".

Those are 2 different sets of instructions. One of them should apply to you.

Follow it to the letter.

Advise where you go off the rails and into confusion.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

The ISO that I downloaded already HAS a setup/installer.

The one that I downloaded before I came here was from Microsoft, and in fact the exact one that you linked.

this would be for creating an installation DVD then.
if your system is designed to boot from DVD just burn the image onto disk, place it in a DVD drive tray, and restart the system.

MS updates their downloadable install images frequently, so any older version you have is not what is available now.
if you're using the Media Creation Tool method just follow the steps in the linked tutorial:

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[Alabalcho]

If you want to avoid re-downloading Windows 10 from Microsoft, you can create installation USB drive using tools like Rufus.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

you may want to change this thread's title to,
"Installing Windows 10 with a USB flash drive".

the current phrasing would mean installing the OS directly onto a USB flash drive.

 

[LTL428]

I've been having a problem where I can't get into windows. So, I want to reinstall it on a different device. It's complicated. Anyways, I don't have a compatible hard drive for it, but I do have a flash drive. So is it possible to install windows, not with, but on, ON, a USB flash drive?

 

[Alabalcho]

Short answer - No.

 

[johnbl]

How to install Windows 10 to a USB flash drive as portable Windows 10? (easyuefi.com)
google "windows 10 to go"
how useful it will be will depend on the type of flash drive and the usb port.
ie usb 2.2 or usb 3.x
usb 3.x will depend on the bios, and the cpu version. you would want usb 3 supported directly by the cpu rather than a external usb 3.x chipset.

I have use a sata to usb adapter and a old SATA ssd for the best effect.
usb flash drives have pretty high error rates and very limited write endurance.

regular usb flash drives are also very slow.
usb 3.x will be much faster than usb 2.x so check the ports on the machine.

 

[LTL428]

How to install Windows 10 to a USB flash drive as portable Windows 10? (easyuefi.com)
google "windows 10 to go"
how useful it will be will depend on the type of flash drive and the usb port.
ie usb 2.2 or usb 3.x
usb 3.x will depend on the bios, and the cpu version. you would want usb 3 supported directly by the cpu rather than a external usb 3.x chipset.

I have use a sata to usb adapter and a old SATA ssd for the best effect.
usb flash drives have pretty high error rates and very limited write endurance.

regular usb flash drives are also very slow.
usb 3.x will be much faster than usb 2.x so check the ports on the machine.

Thank you so much

 

[LTL428]

How to install Windows 10 to a USB flash drive as portable Windows 10? (easyuefi.com)
google "windows 10 to go"
how useful it will be will depend on the type of flash drive and the usb port.
ie usb 2.2 or usb 3.x
usb 3.x will depend on the bios, and the cpu version. you would want usb 3 supported directly by the cpu rather than a external usb 3.x chipset.

I have use a sata to usb adapter and a old SATA ssd for the best effect.
usb flash drives have pretty high error rates and very limited write endurance.

regular usb flash drives are also very slow.
usb 3.x will be much faster than usb 2.x so check the ports on the machine.

Hey, is there a way to do this without an operating system?

 

[USAFRet]

Possible?
Yes, sort of.

Recommended?
No, not without a REALLY good reason.


So....why?
Give the reasoning behind "its complicated".

 

[TerryLaze]

Hey, is there a way to do this without an operating system?

You can do this on any PC it doesn't need to be the one that has the problem.
The only thing a PC can do without an OS is to show you a blinking cursor after displaying the bios info.

 

[johnbl]

Hey, is there a way to do this without an operating system?

yes but it depends on the hardware in the machine and gets kind of involved and hard to explain. better to go to another machine and make a windows setup SSD, then move back to the bad machine and set the boot priority to boot from a USB via USB to SATA adapter then install from the sata back to the sata drive. you end up having the final install on the same SSD that the install image is on.
you can also install to a different USB port. (or at least you used to be able to do this)