downloading windows 10 from a disc How to Install Windows 10 on a New Hard Drive (with Pictures) [Partition Manager] Do you have any idea on how to install Windows 10? And how to install Windows 10 on SSD ? This post shows you the detailed steps along with the screenshots of the operation steps. In addition, some easier ways are explained. Quick Navigation : Undoubtedly, Windows 10 is gaining popularity these days. More and more users choose to install Windows 10 on SSD when they have got a PC to install. How to install Windows 10 on a new PC/hard drive? And how about reinstalling Windows 10? Here is the full guide along with pictures. How to Install Windows 10. Step 1: Buy Windows 10. *Do this on a normally running computer. Today you can no longer upgrade to 10 for free, so buying Windows 10 should be your first move. Please go to Microsoft Online Store to finish this process. In fact, what you are buying is a license key to activate Windows 10. Without a license key, anyone can download and use Windows 10 for 30 days. But for permanent access, a license is required. Step 2: Create Windows 10 Installation Media. *Do this on a normally running computer. Traditionally, users download the ISO files of Windows 10, burn them to DVD via third-party software, and then install Windows 10 from DVD. Now things get much easier, Microsoft offers a user-friendly Microsoft Media Creation Tool to help you get the installation media ready. 1. Click Here to download this tool and run it. When asked, accept Microsoft software license terms and then choose “Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC” before you click Next. 2. The wizard will ask you to select Language, Windows Edition and Architecture. You can accept the recommended options or make your own choice. Then click Next. 3. In this step, you need to choose either to create a Windows 10 install USB or to extract the ISO file (you will need to burn it to a DVD later by yourself). It’s up to you. Here take the former one for an example. Just prepare a USB drive that is large enough (at least 8GB) and click Next. 4. Select the removable drive from the list when asked, and make sure you've copied any files you want to keep off it because it will be formatted during the process of creating Windows installation media. Click Next to continue. 5. The tool will start downloading Windows 10 as well as any available updates to your USB drive and make it bootable, which allows you to install Windows 10 later. 6. When the process is successful, you'll see a message that reads "Your USB flash drive is ready". At this time, click Finish to exit. Step 3: Install Windows 10 on SSD/HDD. *Do this on the target computer. With Windows 10 installation media, how to install Windows 10 from USB? Please follow the detailed instructions below: 1. Insert the drive into the PC or laptop onto which you want to install Windows 10. Then turn on the computer and it should boot from the flash drive. If not, enter the BIOS and ensure the computer is set to boot from the USB drive (using the arrow keys to put it in the first place in the boot sequence). 2. When the computer does boot from the USB drive, you'll see a Windows logo, followed by a language selection. Confirm the language to install, time and currency format, and keyboard or input method. Then click Next. 3. Click Install now. 4. You will be asked to enter the license key, do as you are required. (You can also click “I don’t have a product key” to skip and choose the Windows 10 edition you want. By ignoring, you will be required to enter the license key later.) 5. Accept the license terms and click Next. 6. Here you need to make your own choice. We just take the latter one for example. [Upgrade: Install Windows and keep files, settings, and applications]: This option will keep all your files, settings and applications saved in the system partition there. However, note that it is only available when a supported version of Windows is already running on the computer. [Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)]: This will remove all your files, settings and applications and give you a clean install of Windows 10. Choose this option if you want to wipe your hard drive and make a fresh start, or you are installing Windows 10 on a new hard drive. We recommend backing up your files before you continue. 7. What you'll see in the next screen depends. But overall, you need to choose a location and click Next to install Windows 10. Situation A: If you only have a new drive connected, you will see a Drive 0 Unallocated Space listed there. To install Windows 10 on a new hard drive, just select it and click Next to install Windows 10 on new hard drive. Situation B: If you have got more than one hard drive connected to your PC, you'll be shown a screen with several drives called “Drive 0”, “Drive 1” and so on. And if a drive is already partitioned, you will see “Drive 0 Partition 1”, “Drive 0 Partition 2”, “Drive 0 Unallocated Space”, and so on. In Situation B, you have 2 options, that are to install Windows 10 on the original system partition or to delete all partitions (by selecting each one and clicking the Delete option) to go back to Situation A to install Windows 10. This will erase all data on the partitions, so double-check that you're deleting partitions from the correct drive and you're absolutely sure you've already backed up everything you need. 8. Windows will then start the installation process. Mostly, the installation is automatic, but keep an eye on it and answer any questions you're asked. Knowing how to install Windows 10 from USB, do you know how to install Windows 10 from CD/DVD? In fact, the process is just the same. Connect the CD/DVD to your PC and the computer should boot from it. The following operations are just the same. Step 4: Sign in Windows 10. *Do this on the target computer. Once the installer has done its job, Windows 10 will boot, get available updates, ask you a few questions, sign in with your Microsoft account, and get everything ready. It's well worth reading through the initial questions and options, since opting for the defaults means a fair amount of personal data will be sent to Microsoft's servers for convenience. For example, data is stored so Cortana knows about you and can be more helpful. This isn't sinister, but some people think different and they would refuse. When you finally get to the Windows 10 desktop, connect to the network and allow a bit of time for Windows 10 searching for drivers for your hardware. The screen resolution may be wrong but will be all right after drive update. And you will have to manually transfer your files and install the apps once Windows 10 is installed. 2nd Choice: Use Windows 10 Migration Tool. In addition to using Windows 10 installation disc, there is another way to install Windows 10 to another hard drive. By using a professional Windows 10 migration tool, you can easily migrate Windows 10 from one drive to another without having to reinstall. It’s better for you to choose this way if one of the situations is true: Your hard drive is failing and it’s urgent for you to replace the failing drive. Your hard drive is running out of disk space, and transferring all data to a larger one is what you prefer. You are intending to migrate Windows 10 to a speedy SSD. You have got another computer that has the same configuration to install. Here MiniTool Partition Wizard is strongly recommended for its user-friendly interface and outstanding performance. Get this partition magic and begin. (Works well on Windows 10/8/7 all editions.) Preparatory job: Boot a Windows 10 computer that you want to clone. Connect a hard drive that has the same sector size as the Windows 10 system disk to that PC (better via SATA) and make sure it is successfully recognized. Besides, ensure that the key files have been backed up and this drive can be overwritten. Install and launch MiniTool Partition Wizard on that PC and the run it to get the main interface. Option 1: Migrate Windows 10 to SSD. MiniTool Partition Wizard makes it easy to migrate OS to SSD/HD. This means you are able to copy Windows 10 to the new drive without having to do the installation. Here is how to install Windows 10 on new PC: 1. After doing the preparatory job mentioned above, select “Migrate OS to SSD/HD” from the action panel on MiniTool Partition Wizard. 2. On the next page, select option B – copy the system required partitions only and click Next. 3. Then, select the prepared disk as the destination disk and click Next to go on. You will receive a warning message saying all data on the target disk will be destroyed if it is not empty. Click Yes to confirm since you have finished the preparatory job. 4. Here you can customize the copy options and preview changes that will happen on the destination disk. When finished, click Next to continue. 5. Read the “how to boot from the new disk” message and click Finish. 6. Click Apply to carry out the pending operations. Allow restarting your PC to help Partition Wizard complete its job. When all is done, connect the target hard drive to your computer and set your computer to boot from the new Windows 10 installed hard drive. Option 2: Clone Windows 10 to New Drive. In addition to Windows 10 migration, MiniTool Partition Wizard also makes it possible to clone hard drive with Windows 10 installed. (Read New SSD, Clean Install or Clone Disk or Migrate Windows OS? to know their differences). Quick video guide: Here is the simple guide: Select the disk which needs copying and choose Copy Disk Wizard from the action panel. Skip the welcome page by click Next. Select the disk you just prepared as the target disk and click Next to continue. Confirm the copy options by clicking Next or change some copy options before that. Read the information showing on the next page and keep it in mind. Then click Finish. Finally, click Apply to start the Windows 10 cloning process. When you are prompted to restart your PC, do as you are told. Now It’s Your Turn. Reading here, you must know how to install Windows 10 to a new hard drive/used drive, and how to clone Windows 10 to another hard drive for instant usage. If you have any supplement, please leave your idea in the following comment section. If you have any question towards using MiniTool software, don’t hesitate to contact us via [email protected] . Facebook Twitter Linkedin Reddit. ABOUT THE AUTHOR. Position: Columnist. Rodin is an enthusiastic IT writer focusing on Windows trends, disk partition management and data recovery. She loves to write and share her idea about the useful tips and tricks on personal computers' maintenance. If you are looking for methods to improve your computer performance, manage hard drives and recover data from different devices, Rodin can provide reliable solutions for data management. How to create a Windows 10 installation disk. If your computer runs Windows 10, it's a good idea to have a bootable Windows installation disk, in case you ever want to reinstall Windows on your computer. If you don't have a Windows 10 disk, you can create one using the methods described below. Requirements. Before you create a bootable Windows 10 disk, make sure you have the following: A computer connected to the Internet, with a USB port or DVD burner. A USB flash drive with a capacity of at least 8 GB, which is either empty or ready to be completely erased; or a blank DVD-R disk. A valid Windows 10 license; either a numeric license key or a Microsoft account with a Windows 10 license that is associated with your computer. Method 1: Use the Media Creation Tool. The Media Creation Tool is a program provided by Microsoft that downloads all required files, and write them to your DVD or USB flash drive. Follow these instructions to download and use the Media Creation Tool. The following steps will completely overwrite the data on your USB flash drive. All existing data on the disk will be destroyed. Open a web browser and go to Microsoft's Windows 10 download page. Under Create Windows 10 installation media , click Download tool now . Run the installer. At the UAC prompt, click Yes . The installer gets things ready, then displays Notices and License terms. Read the terms and click Accept to proceed. At the screen What do you want to do? , select Create installation media for another PC , and click Next . At Select language, architecture, and edition , don't change anything if you're creating the installer for this computer. Make sure Use the recommended settings for this PC remains checked. (If you're creating a disk for another computer, uncheck this box and make changes now.) To continue, click Next . At the screen Choose which media to use , you can choose USB or DVD as the destination. In this example, we'll create a USB flash drive. Select USB flash drive , and click Next . You'll be asked to Select a USB flash drive . If your USB flash drive is not inserted, insert it now, wait a few moments and click Refresh drive list . Then, select your USB flash drive, and click Next . Windows 10 downloads the installer and write it to your USB flash drive. You can continue using your PC while it runs in the background. When it's finished, you'll see Your USB flash drive is ready . Click Finish . Setup will clean up its temporary files and exit automatically. You can now remove your USB flash drive from the computer. For information about how to use it, see how to boot with your installation disk, below. Method 2: Download ISO and create bootable USB. You also have the option to download the Windows 10 ISO image file to your computer, then create your bootable disk manually with another program. If you're using Windows, you must use the Media Creation Tool to download the ISO. If you're using another operating system, such as macOS or Linux, Microsoft offers a direct download. Windows: Download ISO with Media Creation Tool. If you're using Windows, follow these steps to download the Windows 10 ISO with the Media Creation Tool. (Steps 1–4 are the same as in method 1.) Open a web browser and go to Microsoft's Windows 10 download page. Click Download tool now . Run the installer. At the UAC prompt, click Yes . Read the license terms and click Accept . Select Create installation media for another PC , and click Next . At Select language, architecture, and edition , don't change anything if you're creating the installer for this computer. Click Next . At Choose which media to use , select ISO file , and click Next . Choose a location on your computer to download the ISO file, such as your Downloads folder. Make sure you have enough space to download the file (it's big - between 3 and 5 gigabytes, depending on the version). When the download is complete, Media Creation Tool offers to Burn the ISO to a DVD . It also displays the full path and file name of the ISO file on your computer. Optional: If you'd like to verify the location of the file, click the file name to open the folder where it was downloaded. Optional: If you'd like to burn a DVD of the ISO now, click Open DVD Burner to open the Windows Disk Image Burner. Insert a blank DVD-R disk into your DVD drive and follow the instructions. Click Finish to close the Media Creation Tool. You can now skip to the step create bootable USB with Rufus. macOS X, Linux: Download ISO directly. If you're using a non-Windows operating system, follow these instructions to download the Windows 10 ISO. Open a web browser and go to the Windows 10 ISO download site. Microsoft detects your operating system and reroute you to the direct download page. Under Select edition , select Windows 10 and click Confirm . Under Select the product language , select your language ( English , for example), and click Confirm . Under Downloads , you'll have the option to download the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows. If your computer has a 64-bit CPU, choose the 64-bit Download . If you're not sure, see: How to determine if you have a 32-bit or 64-bit CPU. The download begins in your browser. Make sure you have enough disk space to download the file (it's big - between 3 and 5 gigabytes, depending on the version). Create bootable USB with Rufus. Now that you've downloaded the ISO file, you need special software to create a bootable USB flash drive with it. Only copying the file to the USB will not work. There are various programs which you can use to create a bootable USB flash drive in Windows, such as UNetbootin. In these instructions, we'll use a free Windows program called Rufus . The following steps will completely overwrite the data on your USB flash drive. All existing data the USB flash drive will be destroyed. Open a web browser and go to the Rufus website. Scroll down to Download , and choose either Rufus or Rufus portable (either one works). When the download is complete, run the Rufus executable. You don't need to install it because the program runs without being installed. If your USB flash drive is not inserted, insert it now. It will be immediately recognized by Rufus. Click the disk icon. It looks like an optical drive and disk. Navigate to the Windows ISO you downloaded, select the ISO file, and click Open . The Rufus status line will say "READY." To write the ISO to your USB flash drive, click Start . Rufus warns you that all data on the USB will be destroyed. If you have any important files on the USB flash drive, this is your last chance to cancel, and back up your files. To proceed, click OK . The ISO is written to the USB flash drive. It should only take a few minutes. You'll know it's complete when the progress bar is fully green, and the status line says "READY" again. Click Close to exit Rufus. How to boot with your installation disk. To use your Windows 10 installation disk, follow these steps. Verify the computer's BIOS is configured to boot from a removable disk. To access your BIOS, you need to reboot the computer and press a specific key before boot sequence begins. For detailed instructions, see: How to enter the BIOS or CMOS setup. Then, if necessary, change your boot sequence so the DVD/USB drive is listed before your HDD or SSD in your boot order. (If you don't see your USB drive in the list, insert your installation USB flash drive before powering on the computer and try again.) If your BIOS is properly configured, power down the computer. Insert your installation disk. Power on the computer. Instead of loading the operating system from your HDD/SSD, your computer boots from your removable disk, and the Windows installation begins. How to install programs from a disc on Windows 10. If installation doesn't start automatically, browse the disc to find the program setup file, usually called Setup.exe or Install.exe. Open the file to start installation. Insert the disc into your PC, and then follow the instructions on your screen. You might be asked for an admin password. If install doesn't start automatically, check your AutoPlay settings. In the search box on the taskbar, type AutoPlay settings and select it from the results. Make sure AutoPlay is On . You can also choose AutoPlay defaults for removable drives and memory cards. Can I download and burn Windows 10 onto a disc? I have two laptops, one is Windows 8.1 and another which is Windows 7. Can I download the Windows 10 to a disc to then use to install on both, or download it twice with one burnt to disc to be installed on the other machine (and of course used as a handy backup if I need to re-install for some reason)? The reason I ask is that the Windows 7 machine caught a nasty cold a while back and all attempts to repair it were unsucccesful - despite it showing that all files, photos etc were still there. It just won't access any of it. Therefore would Windows 10 be downloadable to a disc to be installed on that machine? How to install Windows 10 via USB or DVD. If you’re having computer issues or need to upgrade and are trying to figure out how to create a Windows 10 bootable USB or DVD, you’ve come to the right place. Microsoft has brought out a lot of welcome refinements and improvements over the years with Windows 10. If you’re still working off an older OS, now is the perfect time to make the switch. Microsoft offers quite a few choices for installing Windows 10, whether you’re upgrading in Windows Update if you reserved a copy, to the included USB drive if you got yourself a retail copy. You should probably create a Windows 10 bootable USB stick or DVD as a backup (these are also known as a boot drive, boot disc or bootable disc), especially if you purchased your copy online or lost the original installation media. If you have a huge issue with your current install or are facing a new machine without an installed OS, having a bootable USB or DVD can be a lifesaver. Don’t worry, though; this isn't as complicated as it sounds, and we're going to give you a step-by-step guide to installing Windows 10 from your own USB stick or DVD. Here's how to find your Windows 10 product key and how to activate Windows 10 to get you started. Once Windows 10 is installed, make sure you check out our collection of how to guides to help you get the most out of the new operating system. What you'll need. Perhaps the easiest option for create a backup install drive is via USB. If you plan on going this route, you'll need a USB flash drive that is at least 4GB in size. Keep in mind that anything currently on the drive will be erased in the process, so it's advisable to backup anything you may have saved on your drive of choice before you get started. Alternatively, you can create a backup install disc with a DVD if your computer happens to have an optical drive on board. Either way you go, you'll need a third-party program to get the job done. We'd recommend Rufus for USB, or ImgBurn if you're using a DVD. Finally, you'll need your Windows 10 product key at the ready as well. You should be able to locate it in your confirmation email if you purchased online, in your Windows 10 box if you purchased at retail, or somewhere on your machine if you bought a PC with Windows 10 out of the box. Still can’t find it? We recommend downloading and running a tool called Belarc Advisor, which can show you your product key as well. Download the Windows 10 ISO file. The main file we're going to be working with here is the Windows 10 ISO . Without getting too technical, an ISO file is basically a snapshot of the Windows 10 install media as it would appear on a DVD or USB disk. There are a number of places where you can snag the ISO files online if you look hard enough, but we'd recommend sticking with an official download from Microsoft. If you’re downloading it from a Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 device, we recommend using Microsoft’s media creation tool . If you’re downloading from a device with an operating system that doesn’t support the Windows 10 media creation tool – like macOS, for example – you’ll need to visit the Download Windows 10 Disc Image page. From here, you will be given the option to select the edition you want, one with the latest May 2019 Update or one with the older October 2018 Update . Creating your install disk. After downloading your ISO file and either Rufus or ImgBurn, it's time to create your install disk. For USB, insert your flash drive into a port on your computer and simply load up Rufus. From the main screen, make sure that your flash drive is selected under "device." From there, click the disk icon next to "create a bootable disk using," select your ISO and click start. The process should take about 10 minutes or so. To create a DVD with ImgBurn, simply load up the program with your disc in the optical drive. From there, select "write image file to disc," then make sure your DVD drive is selected as the destination. Under the "source" header, select your ISO file and then click the start icon. Keep in mind that this process may take a while to complete. Down to the nitty gritty. From here, things are fairly straightforward if you've installed from USB or DVD in the past. The first thing you'll want to do is restart your computer with the USB drive or DVD inserted. When your manufacturer logo comes on the screen, press F12 or F2 (this varies by manufacturer) to jump into the boot menu. This is where you'll tell the computer to go ahead and boot from your install disk, rather than loading Windows as it normally does. When the boot menu pops up, simply select whether you'd like to boot from USB or DVD, then hit enter. From here, the Windows 10 installer should load up, and you'll be well on your way to that fresh install. Almost there! Now we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. But don’t celebrate just yet; there are still a few more important steps to go through. Once the Windows 10 installer loads up, select your language settings and click next. Then click "Install Now." After you agree to the licensing agreement, you'll be greeted with a screen where you can either upgrade or do a custom install. If you want to carry everything over from your current Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 install, click upgrade and follow the steps. If you're on a newly built computer or want a clean install, click custom. The next screen will show your partitions. If you're on a freshly built computer without an installed operating system, just click the "unallocated space" partition and click next. If you're just going for a clean install on your current computer, you'll want to delete your old partitions, click on "unallocated space" and then click next. The final stretch. From here forward, everything is gravy. Windows will begin copying files over, and may restart several times. You'll then be guided through several screens where you can customize your settings, set up an account, and sign in with your Microsoft Account. After being guided through the setup process and letting Windows do its thing, you should be taken right to your fresh and clean desktop. Keep in mind that you may be prompted to enter your product key to activate Windows after everything is set up, but you should be good to go otherwise.