Many people think that installing Windows 10 is a bit like going to the dentist. In reality, things are different. In fact, not only is the installation of Windows 10 an operation within everyone’s reach, but it also brings various benefits. One for all? The certainty of having the most updated version of the Microsoft operating system , therefore more secure than the others still in use on many computers
In this article we will explain how to install Windows 10 in the simplest way possible, illustrating all the steps to follow for the different types of installation: free, from USB (on SSD ) and from scratch. Let’s get started right away.
Install Windows 10 for free with Media Creation Tool
Users who intend to upgrade from Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, or want to perform a second installation of Win10, can install Windows 10 for free thanks to the use of Media Creation Tool, the tool made available by Microsoft for users who use a device with a Windows operating system.
Before continuing, check that a regular use license is installed on your computer and write down the Product Key (the Windows license key, which you won’t need at 99%). Otherwise, the update to the latest version of the system will fail. Also, make sure you meet the system requirements for Windows 10: 1 GHz processor, 1 GB RAM for 32-bit architecture systems, and 2 GB RAM for 64-bit architecture systems, 16 free SSD or HDD space GB (32-bit systems) or 32 GB (64-bit systems), DirectX 9 (and higher) video card with WDDM 1.0 driver.
Here, then, are the steps to follow for downloading and installing Windows 10 with Media Creation Tool :
- Connect to this page using a Windows device
- Click on Download Media Creation Tool Download Tool Now
- Select Yes to start the tool
- Accept the license terms for the Microsoft Media Creation Tool software
- Choose between Update your PC now to install on your PC or Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD or ISO file) for another PC if you intend to install Windows 10 from USB or other media on a different computer
- Click on Next to continue
- Wait for Windows 10 to download (depending on the speed of the Internet connection it can take up to 30 minutes, in the meantime you can still continue to use your PC normally)
- At the end of the download, the automatic procedure will continue with the creation of the Windows 10 support (also in this case it is necessary to wait several minutes, less than the download phase)
- Wait now for the cleaning operation to complete (only takes a few seconds)
- Allow the Microsoft tool to search for any new updates available
- Accept the license terms of the Windows operating system you are going to install
- Choose the items to keep (files, folders, etc.)
- Wait for the Media Creation Tool to download the latest operating system update
- Click Install from the Ready to Install screen (do not click the Back button, otherwise the update download will resume from scratch)
- Wait for the installation of Windows 10 in progress (during the process, which took us 3 hours and 30 minutes, the PC will restart several times)
Instead, these are the steps for the first part of the Windows 10 setup :
- Select English on the Continue in the selected language screen?
- Click on the Yes button to continue
- Listen to Cortana’s welcome message
- Confirmation of Italy as a geographical area
- Confirm the keyboard layout on Italian
- Click Add Layout if you are used to typing with a second keyboard layout (optional choice)
- Select the Wi-Fi network to connect to to browse the Internet
- Click on Connect
- Type the password of the Wi-Fi network under the heading Enter the network security key
- Click Next to confirm the password entry and wait for the link
- Select Next to proceed
- Enter the Microsoft account to log in with (if you don’t have one you will need to create a new one)
- Type the password for the account
- Create a 4-digit PIN (to include letters and symbols add the check mark next to the option)
- Click on the OK button to confirm the PIN entry (to be used to access the initial desktop screen instead of the password)
- Choose whether or not to use online speech recognition
- Click on Accept to confirm your choice
Finally, here are the steps to follow to complete the Win10 configuration (Services area) :
- Or not allow Microsoft and apps to use your location to personalize your experience
- Select Yes on the Find My Device tab to make it easier for you to recover your device
- Choose whether or not to send diagnostic data to Microsoft
- Click Yes or No to allow Microsoft to improve auto-typing or not
- Select an answer between Yes and No to accept or decline the use of diagnostic data to receive advertisements related to your Internet activity
- Choose Yes or No to allow apps to use Ad ID to show personalized advertisements
- Select Yes to synchronize activities across multiple devices that use the Microsoft account chosen to use the Windows 10 PC on board
- Enter your mobile number to connect an iPhone to the computer and thus have access to photos, texts and notifications directly from the PC (useful function for connecting a non- Android smartphone to the PC)
- Click Next to back up your files with OneDrive (if you don’t want to back up, select the Save files to this PC only option)
- Select Try it for free if you want to try the one month free version of Microsoft Family 365
- Agree ( Accept ) or not ( Not Now ) the Cortana Assistant to offer you practical suggestions for your activities
Once this is done, the last phase of the installation will start automatically , during which you will no longer have to intervene in person. Please do not turn off your computer in these few minutes that remain before you can finally use your PC with the new operating system.
Note: the free upgrade offer to Windows 10 from previous versions of the operating system has theoretically expired on July 29, 2016, but this does not mean that it is still possible to use the Media Creation Tool on most PCs not sold by Microsoft ( on the net you can find new articles every month that confirm this). In this regard, it may be useful to know that for our guide we made use of an Acer notebook with 2.00 GHz Intel Core i7-3537U processor, 4 GB of RAM and a system with 64-bit architecture.
Important: to find out what type of architecture the PC system is based on, simply enter the “System Information” page via the Settings function. First click on Start, then open the Settings (gear icon) and select System. In the new screen that opens, scroll down and choose System Information (from the side menu on the left): you will find the type of architecture in use (32 bit or 64 bit) under the Device specifications heading, next to the Type item system.
Install Windows 10 from USB
The Media Creation Tool is also useful for installing Windows 10 from a USB key. This type of installation is ideal if, for example, you want to replace the hard disk with a new SSD to increase speed and generally improve PC performance. Windows 10 will then be installed on the same SSD with USB support. Before continuing, we encourage you to take a look at the latest offers on SSD drives for sale on Amazon .
Once you have replaced the hard drive with the solid state drive, follow the steps for creating the Windows 10 installation media from USB :
- Link to this page of the official Microsoft site
- Click Download Tool Now to start downloading the Media Creation Tool
- Select Yes to start the tool
- Accept the license conditions of the Media Creation Tool
- Choose the option Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD or ISO file) for another PC
- Click on Next to continue
- Select Language , Edition and System Architecture to install
- Click on Next to continue the procedure
- Choose the USB Flash Drive option
- Click on Next
- Select the USB drive with which to create the installation media
- Click on Next to start the process (wait until it is finished)
At this point, here are the steps to allow the PC to boot from USB:
- Click on Start
- Open Settings
- Go to Update and Security
- Select Start from the menu on the left
- Click Restart Now
- Go to Troubleshooting
- Choose Advanced Options
- Go to UEFI Firmware Settings
- Select Restart
After that, proceed to install Windows 10 on SSD:
- Go to Boot / Startup
- Choose the USB flash drive
- Wait for the PC to restart
- Select the SSD as the second boot drive
- Plug in the USB key you used earlier to create the installation media
- Save your settings
- Wait for the second computer restart after the previous one
- Crushing and on any key to restart to enable the ‘ Boot from USB
- Wait for the Windows 10 installation to start
- Follow the wizard until you get to the screen where you can select the Custom option : Install Windows only
- Select the SSD drive on which to install Windows 10
- Click on Next to confirm and restart your PC
- Complete the operating system installation by answering Cortana’s questions
Note: to make sure your PC boots with the Win10 operating system installed on the solid state drive, go back to the UEFI settings and choose the SSD disk as the default boot device.
Install Windows 10 from scratch
An alternative to the solutions proposed above, but valid only for users who already have Win10 on board, is to install Windows 10 from scratch. It is commonly known by the name of clean installation, because it installs the operating system free from software customizations made by the PC manufacturer . Then there is another benefit: at the end of the procedure, users will have the latest version of Windows 10 , the most stable and the most secure with respect to any hacker attacks.
In addition, the clean installation of Windows 10 can help you resolve any abnormal startup or running PC behavior, such as sudden reboots, black screens, or the device’s inability to respond to keyboard commands. As you can see, then, if you encounter PC problems and haven’t had the answers you expected from a program like CCleaner , this type of installation has all the credentials to solve previous difficulties.
Here’s how to install Windows 10 from scratch on your PC:
- Go to Start
- Select Settings (gear icon)
- Choose Update and Security
- Navigate to Windows Defender
- Click on Device performance and health
- Select Additional Information from Fresh Installation
- Go to Basic Information
- Click on Get started to start the installation wizard
Note : The above steps are valid if performed on PCs with a version earlier than 2004.
If you have a PC that already has version 2004 (or later) installed, to proceed with the clean installation of Windows 10 follow these steps:
- Go to Start
- Click on Settings (gear icon)
- Select Update and security
- Move to Recovery
- Choose the Reset your PC option
- Click Start to start the reset
- Select Keep my files
- Choose No under Restore pre-installed apps
Important: Before starting the Win10 installation from scratch, be sure to write down a copy of any digital licenses associated with previously purchased software. In fact, they will be lost once the procedure is completed.
Finally, if you intend to install Windows 10 a second time to fix some chronic computer problems (slowness in the execution of operations, sudden reboots, the infamous black screens, etc.), first try taking a look at our complete guide on ‘ Windows optimization 10.
