If you're planning to install a fresh copy of Windows 10, part of the process involves creating a USB media to boot your device into the setup wizard. However, if you have relatively new hardware, the chances are that you're using Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), instead of the legacy Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) firmware, in which case you also have to ensure that the bootable media supports the firmware that you're using before you can proceed with the Windows 10 installation from USB.

Luckily, when dealing with a computer using a UEFI firmware, there's more than one way to create a compatible USB bootable media. For example, you can use the Media Creation Tool, which is a Microsoft utility that makes it easy to copy the Windows 10 installation files onto a removable drive with support for both, BIOS and UEFI. Or you can use Rufus, a free third-party tool that lets you create an installation media specifically for devices using UEFI firmware.

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

How to create a Windows 10 bootable media using Media Creation Tool

If you're planning to upgrade or install a fresh copy of Windows 10 on a system using UEFI, you can use the Media Creation Tool to create a compatible bootable media. Just insert a USB flash drive with at least 4GB of storage to your computer, and then follow these steps:

  1. Open the official Download Windows 10 web page.

  2. Under "Create Windows 10 installation media," click the Download tool now button.

  3. Double-click the MediaCreationToolxxxx.exe file to launch the utility.
  4. Click the Accept button to agree to the Microsoft terms.
  5. Select the Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC option.

  6. Click the Next button.

  7. Select the correct language, architecture, and edition of Windows 10 if the default selection doesn't reflect the desired options.

    Quick Tip: Under "Architecture," you can select the Both option to create a bootable media that will work for devices using 64-bit and 32-bit processors.

  8. Click the Next button.

  9. Select the USB flash drive option. (If you don't see the drive, click the Refresh drive list option.)

  10. Click the Next button.

  11. Select the removable drive you want to use from the list.

  12. Click the Next button.

Once you complete these steps, the wizard will download the Windows 10 installation files, and it'll create the bootable media compatible with devices using UEFI as well as legacy BIOS.

How to create a Windows 10 bootable media using Rufus

Using the Media Creation Tool is the recommended method to create a USB bootable media. However, if the option isn't working, you can alternatively download the Windows 10 ISO file from a different source and use the Rufus tool to create an installation media with UEFI support. Simply connect a USB flash drive with at least 4GB of space, and then follow these steps:

  1. Open the official Rufus web page.

  2. Under "Download," click the latest release of the tool.

  3. Double-click the Rufus-x.x.exe file to launch the tool.
  4. Under "Device," select the USB drive with at least 4GB of space.

  5. Under "Boot selection," click the Select button on the right.

  6. Browse to the folder with the Windows 10 ISO file.
  7. Select the image.
  8. Click the Open button.
  9. Under "Image option," select the Standard Windows installation option.
  10. Under "Partition scheme and target system type," select the GPT option.
  11. Under "Target system," select the UEFI (non CSM) option.
  12. Under "Volume label," enter a descriptive name for the drive. For Example, "win10_boot_drive."
  13. Under "File system" and "Cluster size," leave the default settings.
  14. Click the Show advanced format options button, and make sure that "Quick format" and "Create extended label and icon files" options are selected.
  15. Click the Start button.
  16. Click the OK button to confirm that the USB flash drive will be wiped out.

After completing the steps, the Rufus tool will create a Windows 10 installation media with support for systems using UEFI.

Wrapping things up

Once the USB bootable with support for UEFI has been created, you can start your device with the installation media to perform an upgrade or clean installation of Windows 10.

More Windows 10 resources

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