Most Windows users upgraded to Windows 10 automatically through Windows 10 upgrade option. However, sometimes you may feel the need to clean install Windows 10 through USB device. If you plan to do the same you will need a Windows 10 ISO file to create a Windows 10 USB installation media.

Here are the steps to follow.

Step One – Download the right ISO file from Microsoft website

Microsoft offers different editions of Windows 10 such as Home, Pro, Education, Pro Education, and Enterprise. When downloading the Windows 10 ISO file, you need to ensure your system meets the minimum Windows 10 requirements. Here is the list

• 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor
• 1 GB RAM for 32-bit or 2 GB RAM for 64-bit.
• 16 GB Hard drive space for 32-bit OS and 20 GB Hard Drive space for 64-bit OS.
• Graphics card supporting DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver.
• 800×600 resolution display

If your PC fulfills minimum hardware requirements, you can go ahead and download the ISO file. Here are the steps to follow.

• Open Internet browser and go to Microsoft Windows 10 download page
• Click on Download tool now

• When you click the option, a file name MediaCreationTool.exe is downloaded to your PC
• Double-click on MediaCreationTool.exe to run the file
• When prompted for permission to allow changes, click Yes
• In the next window, you will see the Windows 10 licensing terms, click Next to accept and continue
• In the next window, select Create installation media for another PC.

• Select your desired Language, Architecture(32-bit or 64-bit), Edition and click Next
• In the next window, click ISO file option and then click Next
• In Select a Path, you need to choose the location to save the ISO file. Browse to the directory where you want to save the file.

• The default file name of the ISO file is “Windows”. Change the file name as per your preference for easy identification. For example, Windows 10 32-bit or anything you like.
• The process of downloading file begins. You need to have patience as it may take some time to complete the download. The download speed depends on various factors such as speed of your Internet connection. Wait for the download to complete
• When the ISO file download is completed, you will see a screen like the one below, click Finish.

After you have downloaded the ISO file, the next step is burning the ISO file to USB drive. In simple words, you would be creating a Windows 10 USB installation media using the ISO file. Move to Step 2 for Windows 10 ISO to USB.

Step 2 – Create Windows 10 USB Installation Media

Microsoft offers a Windows USB/DVD Download Tool that is needed to create Windows 10 USB installation media from ISO file. Here are the steps to follow.

(Note- you will need an empty USB drive to create USB installation media. If you are burning a Windows 10 32-bit ISO on USB, you need at least 4GB USB drive. For 64-bit, you need a larger USB drive like 8GB USB drive. When you burn the Windows 10 ISO file to USB, the existing content on USB drive will get deleted and overwritten.)

• Open Internet browser and go to Microsoft Download Center to download the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool
• Click Download
• Wait for the Download to complete
• Double-click on the downloaded file(MediaCreationTool1809.exe)
• Follow on-screen instruction to install the Media Creation Tool
• Once the Media Creation tool is installed, double-click on the program icon to run it
• In the first step, you need to click Browse to navigate to the location where the Windows 10 ISO file is downloaded and select the file.

• After selecting the ISO file, click Next
• In the next window, click USB device

• Select the USB drive from the list and click Begin Copying
• In the next window, Windows will prompt you to erase the contents of USB, click Erase USB device
• In the next window, Windows will prompt for confirmation of erasing of USB drive content, click Yes

• The process of creating Windows 10 USB installation media from ISO file will take some time. Be patient and wait till the process completes successfully.
• When the Windows 10 ISO to USB process is completed, you will see a message window like the one below.

The Windows 10 USB installation drive is now ready and you can use it to clean install Windows 10.