

Windows 10 can detect and install most drivers automatically. If you have to set up an installation on a computer that never had an activated version of Windows 10, or you plan to upgrade from Windows 8.1 or Windows 7, you will have to purchase a valid license from the Microsoft Store (opens in new tab), Amazon, or another retailer. Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account: The installation has been activated, and the license is linked to your Microsoft account.Īfter you complete the steps, Windows 10 should automatically reactivate after the clean installation if your current setup is activated.Windows is activated with a digital license: The installation has been activated, but it isn't linked to your Microsoft account.If the computer has been properly activated, you'll see one of these messages: Under the "Windows" section, confirm the activation.To confirm whether Windows 10 is properly activated, use these steps: Once the new installation completes, the system will automatically reactivate when it connects to the internet. Get up to 18TB of storage and connect with USB-A 3.0 for fast file transfers.Īlthough after activating Windows 10, you no longer have to provide a product key for reinstallation on the same computer. You can try them if you have no user manual around.If you're in the market for an external drive to store file backups, look no further than the Western Digital Elements Desktop Hard Drive. The most common keys are F8 (ASUS), F11, and F12 (Acer) or Escape. Tip: Refer to your laptop or motherboard manual to learn which key you need to press if your motherboard firmware shows no hint. In the boot menu, select your USB drive and continue.If prompted, press a special key, e.g.In this case, the option you should choose in the UEFI BIOS screen should be the one to boot your PC from an external USB boot device. Note: If you don't have such an item on the Advanced Startup Options screen, this means it is not supported by your hardware, or you have the Fast/Ultra Fast boot option enabled in UEFI. The computer will restart and start from the selected USB device. Click on the USB drive that you want to use to boot from.Open the Advanced Startup Options screen.Plug your bootable USB drive to your computer.To boot from a USB drive in Windows 10, do the following. They provide a special option in advanced startup options instead. UEFI firmware environments with Fast and Ultra Fast boot options often do not allow selecting a boot device. Modern computers allows you to select a bootable device at the startup (BIOS stage).

They can vary depending on your hardware and software. There are a number of methods you can use in Windows 10 to start your PC from a USB drive.
