Gone are the days when you bought a PC that had a DVD writer installed. While others might look to retain their data by simply upgrading to Windows 10. Some people prefer to install Windows 10 from scratch. With Windows 7 reaching it’s end of support, a lot of Windows 7 users are now looking to upgrade to Windows 10. So in this post I will cover some free tools that will help you install Windows 10 using a USB flash drive. There are many tools available to create a USB bootable device but not all of them are free. To download Windows 10 installation media, see Recovery options in Windows.In this post I will cover different methods to create a Windows 10 USB bootable from a Windows 10 ISO file. It doesn't contain your personal files, settings, or programs. It's a good idea to Backup and Restore in Windows frequently because the recovery drive isn't a system image. If you ever need to use the recovery drive to reinstall Windows 10 on your PC, see Recovery options in Windows for further instructions.

You might be asked to enter an admin password or confirm your choice. In the search box next to the Start button, search for Create a recovery drive and then select it. To create a recovery drive in Windows 10: To download Windows 11 installation media, see Recovery options in Windows. Need more options for creating a recovery drive?įor Windows 7, see Create a system repair disc.įor Windows 8.1, see Create a USB recovery drive. If you ever need to use the recovery drive to reinstall Windows 11 on your PC, see Recovery options in Windows for further instructions. Many files need to be copied to the recovery drive, so this might take a while. When the tool opens, make sure Back up system files to the recovery drive is selected and then select Next.Ĭonnect a USB drive to your PC, select it, and then select Next.

In the search box on the taskbar, search for Create a recovery drive and then select it. To create a recovery drive in Windows 11: Warning: Use an empty USB drive because this process will erase any data that's already stored on the drive.

Microsoft win 10 bootable usb