Where to Download Windows 10, 8.1, and 7 ISOs Legally. Walter Glenn @wjglenn Updated May 29. Download the Windows 7 SP1 ISO Directly From Microsoft’s Website. The best way is to use the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool to put that ISO file onto a USB drive.
Windows 10 is here! Well, almost -- the final version (make that versions, as we just learned) will arrive sometime this summer, though Microsoft still hasn't committed to a specific date.
In the meantime, you can download, install and test-drive the latest beta, otherwise known as the Windows 10 Technical Preview. In it you'll enjoy a taste of the new Spartan Web browser, Microsoft' new virtual assistant Cortana and the long-awaited return of the desktop as your primary interface.
Ready to take it for a spin? You have a couple options. If you're savvy with virtualization tools like VirtualBox and have sufficient space on your hard drive, you could install the OS on your current PC as a virtual machine.
If, on the other hand, you're more of a novice user and/or want something closer to a real-world Windows 10 experience, consider a full installation (with one important caveat -- you won't be able to revert to your previous version of Windows unless you have recovery media). Here's what you'll need:
- An old desktop or laptop, one you don't mind wiping to make way for Windows 10. The minimum system requirements include a 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM (or 2GB for the 64-bit version), and at least 16GB of storage.
- A 4GB flash drive, or 8GB for the 64-bit version.
- Rufus, a free utility for creating bootable USB drives.
Here's how to install the OS from a flash drive:
Step 1: Using your primary computer (not the one you're sacrificing to this project), download the Windows 10 Technical Preview. You'll need to click through the handful of 'Get Started' and 'Join Now' screens until you land at the download page, then scroll down and choose the appropriate language and version (32- or 64-bit).
Step 2: While that ISO file is downloading, grab the aforementioned Rufus utility. It's portable, meaning it doesn't require installation.
Step 3: Run Rufus, then insert your flash drive, making sure it doesn't contain any important data. (It's about to get wiped.) Rufus should automatically detect the drive and list it in the Device field. (If not, select the drive manually.)
Step 4: Notice the check box marked, 'Create a bootable disk using.' Click the drive icon at the far right, then navigate to wherever you saved the Windows 10 ISO file. Select it, and then click Start. (All the other default settings in Rufus should be fine.)
Step 5: This will take some time, perhaps as long as 20-30 minutes. Don't be alarmed (or confused) if an Explorer window appears for the flash drive; just leave it alone until Rufus reports 'DONE.' Then you can close the program and drive window and remove the drive.
Step 6: Now it's time for the old PC. Plug the flash drive into a USB port, then power up the system. Most likely, it won't be configured to boot from an external drive by default, so you may need to jump into a startup menu or the BIOS during the POST. Ultimately, you need to force the machine to boot from the flash drive. Once you've done that, reboot, then follow the Windows installation instructions.
And that's about it! Take Windows 10 for a test-drive, then hit the comments to share your thoughts on the new OS.
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Bootable Usb From Iso Windows 10
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-->Here's how to create a bootable Windows installation USB drive starting with a Windows .iso file or a Windows Setup DVD.
Note
For new Windows 10 installations, we've got a tool that does this for you. See Download Windows 10.
What you need
- Windows 10 install .iso or DVD
- USB flash drive with at least 5GB free space. This drive will be formatted, so make sure it doesn't have any important files on it.
- Technician PC - Windows PC that you'll use to format the USB flash drive
- Destination PC - A PC that you'll install Windows on
Step 1 - Format the drive and set the primary partition as active
Windows 10 Bootable Usb Download
Connect the USB flash drive to your technician PC.
Open Disk Management: Right-click on Start and choose Disk Management.
Format the partition: Right-click the USB drive partition and choose Format. Select the FAT32 file system to be able to boot either BIOS-based or UEFI-based PCs.
Set the partition as active: Right-click the USB drive partition and click Mark Partition as Active.
Note
If Mark Partition as Active isn't available, you can instead use diskpart to select the partition and mark it active.
Step 2 - Copy Windows Setup to the USB flash drive
Use File Explorer to copy and paste the entire contents of the Windows product DVD or ISO to the USB flash drive.
Optional: add an unattend file to automate the installation process. For more information, see Automate Windows Setup.
Step 3 - Install Windows to the new PC
Connect the USB flash drive to a new PC.
Turn on the PC and press the key that opens the boot-device selection menu for the computer, such as the Esc/F10/F12 keys. Select the option that boots the PC from the USB flash drive.
Windows Setup starts. Follow the instructions to install Windows.
Remove the USB flash drive.
Troubleshooting: file copy fails
This can happen when the Windows image file is over the FAT32 file size limit of 4GB. When this happens:
Copy everything except the Windows image file (sourcesinstall.wim) to the USB drive (either drag and drop, or use this command, where D: is the mounted ISO and E: is the USB flash drive.)
Split the Windows image file into smaller files, and put the smaller files onto the USB drive:
Note, Windows Setup automatically installs from this file, so long as you name it install.swm.