- Before you begin
Before you begin
To install Windows 10 Education Edition from IUware, or if you have a Windows 8.x or 7 installation disk but do not have an optical (CD/DVD) drive on your computer, you can create a bootable flash drive for the installation.
On a Windows computer, you can use either a tool from Microsoft, or the Rufus software; using the Microsoft tool is generally simpler, while Rufus has some additional features.
What you'll need
To complete the process, you'll need:
How to set up Boot Camp and install Windows 10 on a Mac. Before continuing with the next steps, save anything you're working on, complete a backup of your Mac, and quit all running apps. Windows 10 October 2018 Update now available. Follow these steps to create installation media (USB flash drive or DVD) you can use to install a new copy of Windows 10, perform a clean installation, or reinstall Windows 10. If you downloaded an ISO file for Windows 10, the file is saved locally at the location you selected.
- A Windows or macOS computer connected to the internet.On a Windows computer, you must have administrator privileges.
- A flash drive with at least 8 GB of space for Windows 10 and 8.1, or at least 4 GB of space for Windows 7The process described below will delete any data currently on your flash drive. Make sure to back up your flash drive's data to another storage location before proceeding.
- A valid product key that came with your Windows software. For Windows 10, this will be available on IUware. For Windows 8.x or 7, this will be with the disc you purchased.
Insert your flash drive before beginning.
Create a bootable installation flash drive forWindows 10 Education Edition
This process will delete anything saved on your flash drive. Save anything you want to keep before following these steps.
- Go to Windows 10 Education on IUware, and select either the 32-bit or the 64-bit version. Review and accept the terms, and then click Get product key. Copy the product key to use later.
- Download and run the Academic Media Creation Tool. Accept the license terms, select Create installation (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC, and click Next.
- On the 'Select language, architecture, and edition' prompt, leave the default selections.
- To have the Microsoft tool create your bootable flash drive, make sure your flash drive is plugged in, select USB flash drive, and click Next.If you plan to use Rufus instead, select ISO file and click Next. This will save the
.iso
file to your computer; then, to use Rufus and your.iso
file to create a bootable installation flash drive, follow the directions below.
Create a bootable installation flash drive forWindows 8.1
See Recommended Windows operating systems at IU.
Download Windows 8.1
- Go to Download Windows 8.1 Disc Image (ISO File).
- From the Select edition drop-down menu, select Windows 8.1, and click Confirm.
- Select the desired language and click Confirm.
- Select the 32-bit Download or the 64-bit Download (recommended, unless the machine you're installing on doesn't support it), and download the disk image.
You can now use the
.iso
file to create a Windows 8.1 bootable installation flash drive using either a Windows tool or Rufus.Create a bootable drive using the Windows USB/DVD Download tool
This process will delete anything saved on your flash drive. Save anything you want to keep before following these steps.
This method formats the flash drive using the NTFS file system, which is incompatible with UEFI (secure boot). You will have to disable secure boot, if enabled, in order to boot from a USB drive made using this tool.
To create a bootable installation flash drive using the Windows tool:
- Download and install the Windows USB/DVD Download tool. The final four letters of each file (before
.exe
) represent the language and region of the installer. Download the one for your desired language/location. - Open the Windows USB/DVD Download tool. The tool refers to itself as an older version tool, but works for Windows 8.1 media creation.
- When prompted, browse to your
.iso
file, select it, and click Next. - When asked to select the media type for your backup, make sure your flash drive is plugged in, and then choose USB device.You may be prompted to insert the USB device even if the flash drive is already inserted. Ignore this, and choose the USB device you'll be writing to.
- Click Begin Copying. If prompted, confirm that you wish to erase the flash disk.
- The
.iso
files will start copying to the flash drive; the process can take several minutes. When it's finished, close the wizard and eject and remove the flash drive.
Create a bootable drive using Rufus
To use Rufus to create a bootable drive that is compatible with UEFI, follow the instructions below.
Create a bootable installation flash drive for Windows 7
At IU, you have two options for creating a bootable installation flash drive for Windows 7:
- The Support Center will create a bootable installation flash drive for you at the IU Bloomington Support Center walk-in location; bring a blank flash drive with at least 4 GB of storage.
- If you are unable to visit a walk-in location or would prefer towork with the
.iso
file yourself, download the Windows 7.iso
from Microsoft's Download Windows 7 Disc Images (ISO Files) page.
You can now use the
.iso
file to create a Windows 7 bootable installation flash drive using either a Windows tool or Rufus.Create a bootable drive using the Windows USB/DVD Download tool
This process will delete anything saved on your flash drive. Save anything you want to keep before following these steps.
This method formats the flash drive using the NTFS file system, which is incompatible with UEFI (secure boot) You will have to disable secure boot, if enabled, in order to boot from a USB drive made using this tool.
To create a bootable installation flash drive using the Windows tool:
- Download and install the Windows USB/DVD Download tool. The final four letters of each file (before
.exe
) represent the language and region of the installer. Download the one for your desired language/location. - Open the Windows USB/DVD Download tool.
- When prompted, browse to your
.iso
file, select it, and click Next. - When asked to select the media type for your backup, make sure your flash drive is plugged in, and then choose USB device.You may be prompted to insert the USB device even if the flash drive is already inserted. Ignore this, and choose the USB device you'll be writing to.
- Click Begin Copying. If prompted, confirm that you wish to erase the flash disk.
- The
.iso
files will start copying to the flash drive; the process can take several minutes. When it's finished, close the wizard and eject and remove the flash drive.
Create a bootable drive using Rufus
To use Rufus to create a bootable drive that is compatible with UEFI, follow the instructions below.
Use Rufus to write an .iso
file
- Download Rufus. Rufus is a standalone program and does not require installation.
- Open the Rufus program from where you downloaded it to run it.
- From the Device drop-down menu, select your USB drive, if it isn't automatically selected.
- Under 'Boot selection', select Disk or ISO image (Please select), if it isn't already chosen, and then click SELECT to choose the
.iso
file you downloaded. - Leave 'Image option' set to Standard Windows installation.
- Leave 'Partition scheme' set to GPT.
- For 'Target system', select UEFI (non CSM).
- Under 'Format Options', to ensure the flash drive is compatible with UEFI, select FAT32 for 'File System'.
- To create the flash drive with the 'Press any key to boot from USB' prompt at startup, under the 'Advanced format' options, select Create extended label and icon files.
- When you are finished selecting options, click Start. When prompted, confirm that you want to erase the flash disk.
- The
.iso
files will start copying to the flash drive; the process can take several minutes. When Rufus is done, close the program and eject and remove the flash drive.
Create a bootable installation flash drive on a macOS computer
In macOS, the option to create a Windows flash drive appears only when the computer does not have an optical drive. If your Mac has an optical drive, the option will be either missing or grayed out.
- From the Finder, open the Applications folder, and then Utilities.
- Open the Boot Camp Assistant, and then click Continue. The next screen should give you a list of options.
- UITS recommends making the USB drive installer first. You don't need to install Windows or download the support software at this time, as it will be easier to do both later. To proceed:
- Verify that the USB drive you will be writing to is plugged in.
- Uncheck the Install Windows 7 or later version and Download the latest Windows support software from Apple options.
- Check Create a Windows 7 or later install disk and click Continue.
- Your USB drive should be listed in the 'Destination disk' area. Use choose to browse to your
.iso
file; after selecting it, click Continue. - If prompted, confirm your action and/or provide an administrator password. The process of writing the
.iso
file to the USB drive can take 20 minutes or longer.
Other resources
Website | Article |
---|---|
Windows 10 Forums | How to create a bootable USB flash drive to install Windows 10 |
Windows Eight Forums | How to create a bootable UEFI USB flash drive for installing Windows 8.x |
How-To Geek | How to create bootable USB drives and SD cards for every operating system |
Follow these steps to create installation media (USB flash drive or DVD) you can use to install a new copy of Windows 10, perform a clean installation, or reinstall Windows 10.
Before you download the tool make sure you have:
- An internet connection (internet service provider fees may apply).
- Sufficient data storage available on a computer, USB or external drive for the download.
- A blank USB flash drive with at least 8GB of space or blank DVD (and DVD burner) if you want to create media. We recommend using a blank USB or blank DVD, because any content on it will be deleted.
- When burning a DVD from an ISO file, if you are told the disc image file is too large you will need to use Dual Layer (DL) DVD Media.
Check a few things on the PC where you want to install Windows 10:
- 64-bit or 32-bit processor (CPU). You’ll create either a 64-bit or 32-bit version of Windows 10. To check this on your PC, go to PC info in PC settings or System in Control Panel, and look for System type.
- System requirements. Make sure the PC meets the system requirements for Windows 10. We also recommend going to the PC manufacturer's website for additional info about updated drivers and hardware compatibility.
- Language in Windows. You'll need to choose the same language when you install Windows 10. To see what language you're currently using, go to Time and language in PC settings or Region in Control Panel.
- Edition of Windows. You should also choose the same edition of Windows. To check what edition you're currently running, go to PC info in PC settings or System in Control Panel, and look for Windows edition. Windows 10 Enterprise isn’t available in the media creation tool. For more info, go to the Volume Licensing Service Center.
- Microsoft Office products. If you just purchased a new device that includes Office 365, we recommend redeeming (installing) Office before upgrading to Windows 10. To redeem your copy of Office, please see Download and install Office 365 Home, Personal, or University on your PC. For more information, check How to upgrade to Windows 10 on new devices that include Office 365.
If you have Office 2010 or earlier and choose to perform a clean install of Windows 10, you will need to locate your Office product key. For tips on locating your product key, check Find your Office 2010 product key or Enter the product key for your Office 2007 program.
Using the tool to create installation media:
- Select Download tool now, and select Run. You need to be an administrator to run this tool.
- If you agree to the license terms, select Accept.
- On the What do you want to do? page, select Create installation media for another PC, and then select Next.
- Select the language, edition, and architecture (64-bit or 32-bit) for Windows 10. This table will help you decide which edition of Windows 10 you’ll choose:
Your current edition of Windows Windows 10 edition Windows 7 Starter
Windows 7 Home Basic
Windows 7 Home Premium
Windows 7 Professional
Windows 7 Ultimate
Windows 8/8.1
Windows 8.1 with Bing
Windows 8 Pro
Windows 8.1 Pro
Windows 8/8.1 Professional with Media Center
Windows 8/8.1 Single Language
Windows 8 Single Language with Bing
Windows 10 Home
Windows 10 ProWindows 10 Windows 8/8.1 Chinese Language Edition
Windows 8 Chinese Language Edition with BingWindows 10 Home China - Select which media you want to use:
- USB flash drive. Attach a blank USB flash drive with at least 8GB of space. Any content on the flash drive will be deleted.
- ISO file. Save an ISO file to your PC, which you can use to create a DVD. After the file is downloaded, you can go to location where the file is saved, or select Open DVD burner, and follow the instructions to burn the file to a DVD. For more info about using an ISO file, see Additional methods for using the ISO file to install Windows 10 section below.
- After the installation media is created, follow the steps below to use it.
- After completing the steps to install Windows 10, please check that you have all the necessary device drivers installed. To check for updates now, select the Start button, and then go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, and select Check for updates. You may also wish to visit your device manufacturer’s support site for any additional drivers that may be needed.Note: Drivers for Surface devices may be found on the Download drivers and firmware for Surface page.