Windows Unplugged

Summary:  How to create Windows 10 installation media using the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool

Comments:

• This article provides a text and graphical overview of the steps to create Windows 10 USB installation media using the available (free) Microsoft Windows 10 Media Creation Tool
• The information shown is for using the latest available Windows 10 Version 1607 Media Creation Tool
  • The digital signature of the latest version is ‎Thursday, ‎December ‎8, ‎2016 1:14:04 AM
• When creating Windows 10 Version 1607 media the following media capacities are required
  • USB Flash Drive – 8 GB
  • DVD disc – Dual Layer DVD – 8.5 GB
    • Note: When creating Windows 10 media containing both 32 bit (x86) and 64 bit (x64) architectures for both both Home and Pro editions you should use USB media with a 16 GB minimum size
• Windows 10 Version 1607 created media by design includes both Home and Pro editions
  • If desired, the option to create media for Windows 10 Home- Single Language is available, but only select this option is you are running Windows 10 Home Single Language
• Direct link to download the Media Creation Tool (MediaCreationTool.exe)
  • Media Creation Tool ===> http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=691209 

 

Media Creation Process:

1. Download and save the Media Creation Tool executable file (MediaCreationTool.exe)
2. Right click the Media Creation Tool executable file and select ‘Run as Administrator’
3. Connect a USB Flash Drive – As noted above an 8 GB size drive is required
4. Accept the License Terms
5. Choose ‘Create Installation media for another pc’; Click Next
6. Choose a language, edition, and architecture; Click Next
7. Select ‘USB Flash Drive’ on the ‘Choose which media to use’ page; Click Next
8. Select and verify the correct USB Flash Drive; Click Next
9. The tool will proceed to download, verify and create Windows 10 Version 1607 media
10. Once Complete, the final screen will inform that your ‘USB Flash Drive ‘is Ready’

 

Graphical Overview of the Media Creation Process:

 

Additional Information:

• Media Creation Tool – http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=691209

• How to Download Official Windows 10 ISO files Using Media Creation Tool

 

Revisions:

August 3, 2016: Initial Draft and Initial Publish Date

October 31, 2016:  Added more detail for clarification in the ‘Comments’ section

January 31, 2017: Added ‘Graphical Overview’ section

March 28, 2017: Rewrote entire article, added and updated information, deleted original from blog, republished

March 31, 2017:  Corrected  link about Downloading ISO file (Rhonda, Thanks for the ping)

April 6, 2017: Updated Publicize options