How to Create a Bootable Windows 10 USB Setup Disk

The Windows 10 USB setup disk is required for cleanly installing Windows on a new hard drive. It can also be used to perform a repair installation from Windows or to access the Windows Recovery Environment.

Let’s see how to create a Windows 10 USB setup disk.

Creating a Windows 10 USB Setup Disk

1. To create the Windows 10 USB setup disk, start by downloading the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool from Microsoft.
   • Windows 10 Media Creation Tool → https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=2265055
2. Run the MCT file MediaCreationToolxx.exe—e.g., for the 22H2 version of the software, it’s named MediaCreationTool22H2.exe. You need to be an administrator to run this tool.
3. If you agree to the license terms, select Accept.
4. On the “What do you want to do?” page, select Create installation media (USB drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC, then choose Next.

   

5. The “Use the recommended options for this PC” option is enabled by default. This means the tool will choose the proper ISO for that particular computer.

   

   However, if you need to download a different language Windows 10 USB setup disk to install it on another computer, uncheck “Use the recommended options for this PC” and select the language and architecture (64-bit or 32-bit) accordingly.

   Click Next.

6. Select “USB flash drive”, and click Next.

   

7. In the next screen, carefully select the USB drive if multiple USB drives are connected to the computer.
   

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   Important: The contents of the chosen USB drive will be erased. Be sure to back up any files in that USB drive before proceeding.

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   (If you’re unsure which disk to select, physically disconnect all other USB and removable drives except the one for creating the USB setup disk.)

   Click Next.

   

   

   The tool downloads the WIM or ESD image to C:\ESD\Download using BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service), and then extracts the image to “C:\$Windows.~WS\Sources\Windows” before writing them to the USB disk.

   

The Windows 10 ISO or USB setup disk downloaded using Microsoft is a multi-edition (or multi-index) ISO that contains many Editions in a single WIM/ESD image.