Computer

How to Install Windows 10

How to Install Windows 10

This wikiHow teaches you how to install Windows 10 on your PC. To do this, you’ll need to hold down a key while Windows is starting up, which will launch a menu that lets you start the computer from either a USB drive or a CD/DVD with the Windows 10 installer on it.

Part1

Booting to the Windows 10 Installer

  1. Image titled Burn a DVD Step 10
    1

    Make sure your Windows 10 installation media is connected. In order for you to install Windows 10, your Windows 10 installation file must be loaded onto a disc or flash drive, and the disc or flash drive must be inserted into your computer.

  2. Image titled Install Windows 10 Step 2
    2

    Open the Start menu. Either click the Windows icon in the bottom-left corner of the screen, or press the  Win key.
  3. Image titled Install Windows 10 Step 3
    3

    Click the power icon. This is the circle with a line through its top that’s in the bottom-left corner of the Start window.
  4. Image titled Install Windows 10 Step 4
    4

    Click Restart. It’s in the pop-up menu above the power icon. Doing so will restart your computer.
  5. Image titled Install Windows 10 Step 5
    5

    Press and hold Del or F2 to enter setup. This key may also be a different key—most computers will display a message on startup that says “Press [key] to enter setup” or something similar, so look for this message when your computer restarts to confirm the key you should press to access the BIOS.

    • Consult your computer’s manual or online support page to confirm your computer’s BIOS key.
  6. Image titled Install Windows 10 Step 6
    6

    Navigate to the Boot tab. You’ll use the arrow keys to select it.

    • The Boot tab may instead say Boot Options, depending on your computer’s manufacturer.
  7. Image titled Install Windows 10 Step 7
    7

    Select a device from which to boot. You have a couple of options here:

    • For a USB flash drive, select the Removable Devices option.
    • For a disc installation, select the CD-ROM Drive option.
  8. Image titled Install Windows 10 Step 8
    8

    Press the + key until your boot option is first. Once either Removable Devices or CD-ROM Drive is at the top of the list, your computer will select your choice as its default boot option.

    • On some computers, you’ll instead press one of the function keys (e.g., F5) to navigate an option up to the top of the menu. The key will be listed on the right side of the screen.
  9. Image titled Install Windows 10 Step 9
    9

    Save your settings. You should see a key prompt (e.g., F10) at the bottom of the screen that correlates to “Save and Exit”; pressing it should save your settings and restart your computer.

    • You may have to press  Enter to confirm the changes.
  10. Image titled Windows 10 Stuck on Loading Screen
    10

    Wait for your computer to restart. Once your computer finishes restarting, you’ll see a window here with your geographical data. You’re now ready to begin setting up your Windows 10 installation.

Part2

Installing

  1. Image titled Install Windows 10 Step 11
    1

    Click Next when prompted. You can also change the options on this page (e.g., the setup language) before continuing if need be.
  2. Image titled Install Windows 10 Step 12
    2

    Click Install Now. It’s in the middle of the window.
  3. Image titled Install Windows 10 Step 13
    3

    Enter your Windows 10 key, then click Next. If you don’t have a Windows 10 key, instead click Skip in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
  4. Image titled Install Windows 10 Step 14
    4

    Click the “Accept” box and click Next. This will indicate that you accept the terms of use.
  5. Image titled Install Windows 10 Step 15
    5

    Click Upgrade. It’s at the top of the “Which type of installation do you want?” window. This option installs Windows 10 while preserving your files, apps, and settings.

    • You can click Custom instead to clean install Windows 10 on your computer. Doing so will prompt you to select a partition to format before continuing.
  6. Image titled Install Windows 10 Step 16
    6

    Wait for Windows 10 to install. This process may take anywhere from half an hour to several hours, depending on your computer’s previous operating system and processing speed.

    • If prompted to press a key in order to boot from a CD, do not press a key.
  7. 7

    Follow the on-screen setup instructions. Once Windows 10 has been installed on your computer, you’ll be able to customize its settings (e.g., your region, your preferred language, location settings, etc.). Once you finish this process, you will be taken to your computer’s desktop.

    • You can also click Express Settings to set up Windows 10 with the recommended settings.