Only try installing Windows in VHD mode if you have issues installing Legacy. If you can, pick Legacy mode that’s the simplest way to go. Select your language, click Next, and start the installation.Finally, you’ll be presented with Installation mode. Hammer on it to bring up the boot menu, and select your USB flash drive from the list to load the Windows installer tool. You should see a command for selecting the drive to boot from, like the Delete key. Plug the drive into a USB 3 port and restart your PC.

Now that your speedy flash drive is packed full of Win 10 goodness, it’s time for installation. Having all this at your fingertips during the initial install is one reason why it pays to prep beforehand. We recommend bundling them all up with Ninite (opens in new tab), which makes installing the basics on a new system incredibly convenient.Īs usual with Windows, there’ll soon be more space devoted to drivers, utilities and updates than to the operating system itself. Tools for the roadĬheck out our guide to the first programs you should install on your new PC (opens in new tab) for more suggestions, which you can download to your drive now or simply download when your OS is installed.

Keep your system lean and mean by avoiding software kruft and fluff. Many manufacturers include optional, bloated versions of their drivers, third-party utilities and other extras that aren’t required for operation and occasionally cause trouble. While you should install all the necessary drivers for your system, you don’t need to install all the software available for every component. Folders with names like APRP_Win7-8-8-1_V10028 aren’t very helpful. Since these are probably compressed, do your future-self a favor and decompress them now into logically named folders you’ll be able to read at a glance. Go to the manufacturer’s website and find the product support page for your hardware and operating system, then download all relevant files for your system. You might need to wait a few weeks for your hardware’s drivers to catch up with Microsoft’s release. Keep in mind the OS is only half the battle.

Download windows 10 onto usb