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f you need to install or upgrade to Windows 10, Microsoft has released a very simple tool named Media Creation Tool to allow you to download Windows 10 to upgrade the current PC to Windows 10, or to download the Windows 10 ISO images, or to create Windows 10 DVD dic or Windows 10 USB flash media for clean installation or installing the new version of Windows on a different PC.- No product key is required to download the Windows 10 ISO images, or to create DVD or USB media trough the Media Creation Tool.
- No product key is required when upgrading Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 that is genuine and activated to Windows 10.
- No product key is required (by skipping the product key entering) when clean install Windows 10 from scratch on a device which has previously upgraded to Windows 10 and gets activated in the past (hence the HWID, the hardware ID, is recorded on Microsoft activation server). The free Windows 10 license with permanent activation also applies to computers upgraded to Windows 10 final RTM Build 10240 from Windows Insider Preview Builds and pirated copies of Windows managed to trick Microsoft into believing it’s genuine.
- A valid Windows product key is required when directly installing Windows 10 for the first time on a device.
Download and run the Academic Media Creation Tool. Accept the license terms, enter the product key, and then click Next. To have the Microsoft tool create your bootable flash drive, make sure your flash drive is plugged in, select USB flash drive, and click Next. To use Rufus, select ISO file and click Next. Jun 05, 2017 Yes, you just have to split up the process. Download the tool, but when running it, select the 'download ISO' option - don't look to create the bootable USB within the tool itself.
- This process uses a tool called “Windows installation Media Creation Tool” and will allow you to download and create a bootable Windows 8.1 USB or ISO file. You can later on burn that ISO file to a DVD if you wish.
- I am running Windows 7 SP1 64-Bit and my system is up to date. So I decided to head over to Microsoft.com and download the media creation tool (x64), and I ran it. Once it got to 99% of 'Downloading Windows 10', it said 'This tool cannot be run on this computer. I have no malware, viruses or anything of the sort, and am connected to the Internet.
- The first and most obvious choice for creating Windows 10 installation media is the Windows Media Creation Tool. This application allows you to get the Home or Pro versions of Windows 10, and you can pick from the 32-bit or 64-bit version What Is the Difference Between 32-bit & 64-bit Windows?
- Use the media creation tool to download Windows. This tool provides the best download experience for customers running Windows 7, 8.1 and 10. To learn how to use the tool, go to the Installing.
To use the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool, follow these steps (this tutorial focuses on downloading ISO and creating DVD or USB media for Windows 10):
- Download Windows 10 Media Creation Tool from microsoft.com, or via the following download links:
Media Creation Tool (Build 16299.15): MediaCreationTool.exe
Older version of Media Creation Tool
Media Creation Tool (Build 14393): MediaCreationTool.exe
Media Creation Tool (Build 10586): MediaCreationToolRetail.exe
32-bit Media Creation Tool (Build 10240): MediaCreationTool.exe
64-bit Media Creation Tool (Build 10240): MediaCreationToolx64.exeAll Media Creation Tools always download the latest RTM build of Windows 10 available, regardless of version. - Run the Media Creation Tool.
- In the “Windows 10 Setup” window, choose Upgrade this PC now if you want to upgrade Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 for free, and hit Next.
To get Windows 10 ISO images, or to create a Windows 10 DVD disc or USB flash drive, choose Create installation media for another PC, and hit Next.
- Choose the Language, Edition and Architecture of Windows 10 that you want to download. Refer to the table below to identify the appropriate Windows 10 edition that you should download, as part of Windows 10 upgrade path or to ensure selected if the one which corresponding to the license or product key you purchased. Click or tap on Next when selection is done.
Host operating system edition Windows 10 edition Windows 7 Starter
Windows 7 Home Basic
Windows 7 Home Premium
Windows 8/8.1
Windows 8.1 with Bing
Windows 10 HomeWindows 10 Home Windows 7 Professional
Windows 7 Ultimate
Windows 8 Pro
Windows 8.1 Pro
Windows 8/8.1 Professional with Media Center
Windows 10 ProWindows 10 Pro Windows 8/8.1 Single Language
Windows 8 Single Language with BingWindows 10 Home Single Language Windows 8/8.1 Chinese Language Edition
Windows 8 Chinese Language Edition with BingWindows 10 Home China - Select either to create a USB flash drive or ISO file as the media for Windows 10 OS downloaded. If you want to burn a DVD disc, choose ISO file. Hit Next when done.
- If you selected USB flash drive, choose the USB flash removable drive to be used as Windows 10 media. If the tool can’t find a USB flash drive, plug in a USB flash drive to computer, and click or tap on Refresh drive list.Windows 10 Media Creation Tool will format and write to USB flash drive without warning, so make sure you don’t have important files on the USB flash drive.
If you selected ISO file, choose a folder location to store the Windows 10 ISO image.
- Media Creation Tool starts to download and verify Windows 10 files with a progress status.
- After the download is complete, the ISO or USB flash drive media is created automatically. Select Finish to exit.
In Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, you can directly burn the ISO to DVD disc with Windows built-in DVD burner called Windows Disc Image Burner.
You can now locate the Windows 10 ISO or media at the location you specified in the wizard, and use it to install or upgrade any PC, such as using Windows 10 ISO to upgrade Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, by simply running the setup.exe. Do remember to check on Windows 10 system requirements to ensure that current system can run Windows 10 properly.
Microsoft Tech Bench Upgrade Program provides direct download links to Windows 7 (RTM & SP1), Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 ISO files, which hosted at one of the following URLs:http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10iso
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/techbench
The ISO images that are downloaded directly from Microsoft’s servers is completely the same and has identical file hashes with ISO images posted on MSDN and the leaked Windows 10 OEM ISO.
Note that the file hashes (CRC32, SHA1, MDA and etc.) for Windows 10 ISO images created by Media Creation Tool are unique as time stamps and other factors are different for each computers. However, all Windows 10 ISO downloaded is identical, all of which the final gold master RTM release with build version number of 10.0.10240.16384. Microsoft first released the Windows 10 RTM Build 10240 to Windows Insiders, properly to test the upgrade process.
Rufus
Update 2: Download Windows 10 v.1607 Anniversary Update (Build 14393) ISO Images
Update 1: Download Windows 10 v.1511 November Update (Build 10586) ISO Images
Microsoft Windows Media Creation Tool
- Windows 10 Fall Creators Update v.1709 (Build 16299)
- Windows 10 Creators Update v.1703 (Build 15063)
- Windows 10 Anniversary Update v.1607 (Build 14393)
- Windows 10 November 2015 Update v.1511 (Build 10586) | Download Windows 10 Version 1511 (Build 10586) ISO
- Download Official Windows 10 ISO | Upgrade to Windows 10
- Windows Insiders get free Windows 10 genuine license
- Windows 10 Upgrade is free for Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 systems until July 29th, 2016 (Reserve Windows 10 upgrade or Lock in the free Windows 10 Upgrade License)
- Trick to upgrade to Windows 10 for free after free upgrade offer perioed ended.
- Clean install and activate Windows 10 is allowed (No Windows 10 product key is issued for Windows 10 upgrade license acquired under the free upgrade program. However, Microsoft records the device’s hardware ID or HWID on its activation server when the device is first upgraded to Windows 10 and activated. On future reinstallation of Windows 10, the device will automatically be granted permanent activation status when the activation server detects its matching hardware ID).
- Windows 10 general avaiability release date is on July 29th, 2015
- Windows 10 RTM build version is 10240.16384.150709-1700.TH1. The GA build version (verison of Windows 10 after installing all zero day patch (ZDP) and Day One Patch as of official launch date) is, depending on where you look at it, either 10240.16393.th1_st1.150717-1719 (BuildLabEx in Registry), 10.0.10240.1639 (Hardware Adstraction Layer in MSInfo), or 10.0.10240.16405 / 10240.16405.150725-1815.th1 (Explorer.exe).
- Windows 10 Features
- Features depreciation in Windows 10 with alternative replacement
- Windows 10 editions (SKUs)
- Windows 10 editions features comparison chart
- Windows 10 upgrade path (upgrade matrix)
- Windows 10 roll out plan
- Windows 10 system requirements
- Windows 10 Prices: Retail Licenses | OEM Licenses