How to install Windows 10 from USB with UEFI support

When installing a clean copy of Windows 10, usually you connect a USB media to the device to launch the "Windows Setup" wizard to continue with the installation process. However, if you have a computer with a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), instead of the legacy Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), it is crucial to use the appropriate media for the system firmware type.

On Windows 10, there are at least two methods to create a USB bootable media. You can use the Microsoft Media Creation Tool to download the files onto a removable storage with support for both firmware types (UEFI and legacy BIOS). Or you can use a third-party tool called "Rufus," which makes it easy to create a USB to install Windows with support for UEFI.

In this Windows 10 guide, we will walk you through the steps to create a USB flash drive that includes support for UEFI using the Microsoft Media Creation Tool and Rufus.

• How to create Windows 10 UEFI boot media with Media Creation Tool
• How to create Windows 10 UEFI boot media with Rufus

How to create Windows 10 UEFI boot media with Media Creation Tool

The best way to create a bootable USB media for an in-place upgrade or clean install of Windows 10 is to use the official Media Creation Tool available through the Microsoft support website.

To create a USB install media, connect a flash drive of at least 8GB of space, and then use these steps:

1. Open Windows 10 download page.

2. Under the "Create Windows 10 installation media" section, click the Download tool now button to save the file on the device.

   Source: Windows Central

3. Double-click the MediaCreationToolxxxx.exe file to relaunch the tool.
4. Click the Accept button to agree to the applicable license terms.

5. Select the Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC option.

   Source: Windows Central

6. Click the Next button.

7. (Optional) Clear the Use the recommended options for this PC option.

   Source: Windows Central

8. Select the correct language, architecture, and edition of Windows 10 (if applicable).

   Quick tip: If you plan to install Windows 10 on multiple computers running 32-bit and 64-bit architectures, use the "Architecture" drop-down menu and select the Both option.

9. Click the Next button.

10. Select the USB flash drive option.

    Source: Windows Central

11. Click the Next button

12. Select the flash drive from the list. (If the storage device is not available, click the Refresh drive list option.)

    Source: Windows Central

13. Click the Next button.
14. Click the Finish button.

Once you complete the steps, the Media Creation Tool will download the files and will create a bootable USB flash drive that you can use to install Windows 10 on devices with support for UEFI and BIOS.

How to create Windows 10 UEFI boot media with Rufus

Alternatively, you can use Rufus, a free third-party tool that allows you to create an installation media with support for UEFI devices. You can use the tool to create a bootable media using an existing ISO file, or you can use the option to download the files from the Microsoft servers and then create the installation media.

Create install flash drive with Windows 10 ISO

To create a bootable media using an existing Windows 10 ISO file, connect a flash drive of at least 8GB of space, and use these steps:

1. Open Rufus download page.

2. Under the "Download" section, click the latest release (first link) and save the file on the device.

   Source: Windows Central

3. Double-click the Rufus-x.xx.exe file to launch the tool.
4. Under the "Device" section, select the USB flash drive.
5. Under the "Boot selection" section, click the Select button on the right side.
6. Select the Windows 10 ISO file from the folder location.
7. Click the Open button.
8. Use the "Image option" drop-down menu and select the Standard Windows installation option.
9. Use the "Partition scheme" drop-down menu and select the GPT option.

10. Use the "Target system" drop-down menu and select the UEFI (non CSM) option.

    Source: Windows Central

11. Under the "Show Advanced drive properties" section do not change the default settings.

    Source: Windows Central

12. Under the "Volume label" field, confirm a name for the drive — for example, "win10_20h2_usb."

    Source: Windows Central

13. In the "File system" and "Cluster size" options do not change the default settings.
14. Click the Show advanced format options button.
15. Check the Quick format option.
16. Check the Create extended label and icon files option.
17. Click the Start button.
18. Click the OK button to confirm.
19. Click the Close button.

After you complete the steps, Rufus will create a USB flash drive to install Windows 10 on a device using UEFI with a locally available image.

Create boot flash drive downloading Windows 10 ISO

Rufus also includes an option to download the Windows 10 ISO file directly from the Microsoft servers, which you can then use with the tool to create a bootable USB flash drive.

To create an install media of Windows 10 with Rufus, connect a USB flash drive of at least 8GB of space, and then use these steps:

1. Open Rufus download page.

2. Under the "Download" section, click the latest release (first link) of the tool to save the file onto your computer.

   Source: Windows Central

3. Double-click the Rufus-x.xx.exe file to launch the tool.

4. Click the Settings button at the bottom of the page.

   Source: Windows Central

5. Under the "Settings" section, use the "Check for updates" drop-down menu and select the Daily option.

   Source: Windows Central

6. Click the Close button.
7. Close the Rufus tool.
8. Double-click the Rufus-x.xx.exe file to relaunch the tool.
9. Under the "Device" section, select the USB flash drive.

10. Under the "Boot selection" section, click the arrow button next to the "Select" option and choose the Download option.

    Source: Windows Central

11. Click the Download button.
12. Use the "Version" drop-down menu and select the Windows 10 option.
13. Click the Continue button.
14. Select the 20H2 (Build 19042.xxx - xxxx.xx) option to download the Windows 10 October 2020 Update.
15. Click the Continue button.
16. Use the "Edition" drop-down menu and select the Windows 10 Home/Pro option.
17. Click the Continue button.

18. Use the "Language" drop-down menu and select your installation language.

    Quick note: If you are in the United States, select the "English" option. Otherwise, select the "English International" option.

19. Click the Continue button.

20. Use the "Architecture" drop-down menu and select the 32-bit or 64-bit option (recommended).

    Quick tip: You can check the architecture of your device on Settings > System > About, under the Device specifications section.

21. Click the Download button.

    Source: Windows Central

22. Select a temporarily folder to location save the ISO file.
23. Click the Save button.
24. Use the "Image option" drop-down menu and select the Standard Windows installation option.
25. Use the "Partition scheme" drop-down menu and select the GPT option.

26. Use the "Target system" drop-down menu and select the UEFI (non CSM) option.

    Source: Windows Central

27. Under the "Show Advanced drive properties" section, do not change the default settings.
28. Under the "Volume label" field, confirm a name for the bootable drive — for example, "win10_20h2_usb."
29. Under the "File system" and "Cluster size" sections, do not change the default settings.
30. Click the Show advanced format options button.
31. Check the Quick format option.
32. Check the Create extended label and icon files option.
33. Click the Start button.
34. Click the OK button.
35. Click the Close button.

Once you complete the steps, the tool will run the script and download the Windows 10 ISO file. After the download, you can use that ISO file to create a bootable media to install Windows 10 on a UEFI device.

When you have the USB bootable media with support for UEFI systems, you can use it to start the "Windows Setup" wizard to perform a clean installation of Windows 10 or an in-place upgrade.

However, since the "UEFI:NTFS bootloader" does not include a digital signature for secure boot, you must temporarily disable secure boot on the motherboard firmware before you can boot into the setup wizard. Usually, you would complete this task from within the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface that you can access by hitting one of the function keys (F1, F2, F3, F10, or F12), the ESC, or Delete key as soon as you start the computer.

The only caveat is that these settings will be different per manufacturer and even by computer model. So make sure to check your device manufacturer's support website for more specific instructions. After the installation of Windows 10, you can enable the feature again.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central