In case you’re not the one who really needs to install Windows 10 on a UEFI-based computer, but you’re reading this article just for education, you may not be familiar with the term UEFI.
Well, UEFI is basically the replacement for BIOS, so that means it’s a new firmware that starts the computer and loads the operating system. And more and more new Windows PCs are coming with it.
How can I create Windows 10 USB installation media with UEFI?
1. Create a bootable USB media installation file using RUFUS
- Download and open Rufus.
- Select the USB flash drive you want to create an image on.
- Select the GPT partition scheme for UEFI (leave cluster size to default). Make sure you have the option Create a bootable disk using ISO Image selected from the dropdown menu.
- Add your Windows ISO file (you can download your Windows 10 ISO files from from Microsoft for free), and click Start.
- Wait until the process is finished, and voilà, you have completely legit USB flash drive with Windows 10 installation which supports UEFI-based computers.
- Now just restart your computer and install the system normally.
For this action you’ll need to download the Rufus USB image writer, we know you maybe don’t like the fact that you’ll have to use third-party software, but this one is very good, and it’s the fastest way.
Rufus USB is a standalone utility, so you don’t have to install it, just download and open it.
2. Use the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft
- Make sure you have an active Internet connection.
- Select Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC option and click Next.
- Select the language, architecture, and edition of Windows 10. It’s important to choose the correct architecture, 64-bit or 32-bit or you can simply select both.
- Select the USB flash drive option.
- Select the removable drive you want to use from the list.
- Wait until the download is over.
Besides Rufus, the most recommended tool to create a USB bootable Windows 10 system is the Media Creation Tool. Before you start, please download the update file from the Microsoft site.
After the Windows 10 installation files have been downloaded, your computer will create a bootable USB that will be compatible with devices that are using UEFI or BIOS.
We are certain that our solutions helped you create a Windows 10 UEFI bootable USB drive
If you have any other issues or questions, you can check our wide collection of guides on the Media Creation Tool.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in August 2015 and was revamped and updated in January 2021 for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.
This post was written by Ivan Jenic and was first posted to WindowsReport