Windows 10 Repair USB For Another PC Computer or Laptop

If you own a Windows 10 PC, it is a good idea to create a bootable USB drive of your OS (operating system). This way, you can install or reinstall Windows 10 to repair a PC that won’t turn on or connect to the internet. Here’s how to create a Windows 10 bootable USB.

Before you start the process, make sure you have the following:

• A reliable internet connection
• A USB drive with at least 8 GB of free space
• Your 25-character product key (you don’t need this for digital purchases).

How to Create Windows 10 Bootable USB Using Media Creation Tool

To create a Windows 10 bootable USB, download the Media Creation Tool. Then run the tool and select Create installation for another PC. Finally, select USB flash drive and wait for the installer to finish.

1. Connect a USB to your Windows 10 PC. You might need to format your USB drive to exFAT. If you want to know how to format a hard drive for Windows 10, check out our guide here.
2. Then go to Microsoft’s website to download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool. Click on the Download tool now button, which you will see under Create Windows 10 installation media.
3. Double-click the file called MediaCreationToolxxxx.exe file to launch it. This file should be in your Downloads folder or wherever you set downloads to go. The last four digits of the file name indicate the version of Windows 10.
4. Then click Accept in the pop-up window.
5. Select the Create installation media option and click Next.
6. Select the language, architecture, and edition that you want to use to create the bootable USB. You can check the Use the recommended options for this PC box to use the same language, edition, and architecture you are using now. You can also use the drop-down options to change the options. If you’re not sure about whether you need a 64-bit or a 32-bit architecture, select Both from the Architecture drop-down menu.
7. Next, choose USB flash drive and click Next.
8. Select the removable drive you want to use and click Next. If you have more than one device connected to your computer and you’re unsure which one to use, disconnect the other drives. If you don’t see the drive you want to use, click Refresh drive list.
   

   The Media Creation Tool will then start to download the latest Windows 10 installation files on your computer. This process can take around 30 minutes.

9. Finally, click Finish.

If you want to make sure that you created a bootable USB drive with the Windows 10 installer on it, go to File Explorer and check your drives in This PC. Your drive should be renamed something like USB-ESD (Electronic Software Delivery). When you open the drive, you should see boot files and a setup.exe file.

Now, if you need to install or reinstall Windows, you can connect the drive to your computer and reboot it. Your PC should then give you the option to install Windows. If not, double-click the setup.exe in the drive to start the installation process.

Note: Before you install Windows 10, check to make sure your PC or laptop meets the system requirements for Windows 10. If you want to know how to check your computer specs, check out our guide here.

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Table of Contents:

1. Back up your files with File History
2. Perform a System Restore in Windows 10
3. Refresh your copy of Windows 10 without losing your data
4. Reset Windows 10 using Push-Button Reset
5. Reinstall Windows 10 to the Dell factory image using the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)
6. Reinstall Windows 10 to the Dell factory image using recovery media
7. Install or update Windows 10 drivers for your Dell computer
8. Additional information and useful links

This article covers several different types of restoration, reset, and reinstallation of Windows 10. Refer to the following table and select the scenario that most closely resembles your own:

Back up your files with File History

Before you attempt a refresh or reset of your operating system, Dell recommends that you back up your data using File History.

Learn more about File History at Microsoft's Back up your files page.

Perform a System Restore in Windows 10

To perform a System Restore, follow these steps:

1. Click Start , then type Control Panel.
   
2. Search Control Panel for Recovery.
   
3. Select Recovery > Open System Restore > Next.
   
4. Choose the restore point that is related to the problematic app, driver, or update, and then select Next > Finish.
   

Refresh your copy of Windows 10 without losing your data

Windows 10 can reset all its system files without affecting your personal data. Refresh does the following:

• Reinstalls Windows 10 and keeps your personal files.
• Removes apps and drivers you installed.
• Removes changes that you made to settings.
• Removes any apps your PC manufacturer installed. (If your PC came with Windows 10, apps from your PC manufacturer will be reinstalled.)

To get started with a refresh of your system files, follow these steps:

1. Click Start , then type "reset."
   
2. Select Reset this PC (System Setting).
   
3. Under Reset this PC, select Get Started.
   
4. Select the option to Keep my files.
   
5. Note any apps or drivers that will need to be reinstalled after the refresh has completed.
   
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the refresh process. This takes some time and your computer will restart.

Restore your Dell computer using Windows Push-Button Reset

If you would like to reset your computer to a clean Windows 10 version and remove all your files, follow these steps:

1. Click Start , then type "reset."
   
2. Select Reset this PC (System Setting).
   
3. Under Reset this PC, select Get Started.
   
4. Select the option to Remove everything.
   
5. If you are keeping this computer, select Just remove my files. If you are recycling the computer, select Remove files and clean the drive.
   
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the reset process. This takes some time and your computer will restart.

Reinstall Windows 10 to the Dell factory image using the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

To reset your computer to the Dell factory image as it was originally shipped, including Dell factory-installed apps and software, follow these steps:

1. Click Start , then type "reset."
   
2. Select Reset this PC (System Setting).
   
3. Under Advanced Startup, select Restart now.
   
4. At the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot.
   
5. Select Factory Image Restore.
   
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the reset process. This takes some time and your computer will restart.

From outside Windows

After the third attempt to boot, the computer will automatically enter the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). Follow these steps to restore your operating system.

1. At the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot.


2. At the Troubleshoot screen, select Factory Image Restore.


3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the reset process. This takes some time and your computer will restart.

Reinstall Windows 10 to the Dell factory image using recovery media

1. Insert the recovery media into a USB port or a DVD drive, depending on the format you used to create the recovery media.
   
2. Power the computer off.
   
3. Power the computer on. At the Dell logo screen, tap the F12 key several times until you see Preparing one time boot menu in the top right corner of the screen.
   
4. At the boot menu, select the device under UEFI BOOT that matches your media type (USB or DVD).
   
5. Select your keyboard language.
   
6. At the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot.
   
7. Select Recover from a drive.
   
8. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the reset process. This takes some time and your computer will restart.

Install or update Windows 10 drivers for your Dell computer

Dell updates drivers, applications, and firmware to meet the demands of new software and hardware. Learn more about installing and updating drivers in the correct order by visiting the Drivers and Downloads FAQ page.

Videos

Additional information and useful links

Below are some additional links that may be useful for customers wanting to reinstall their operating system:

Windows 10 is an effective operating system. Nevertheless, it can happen sometimes that the system crashes or it becomes corrupted, is not as fast before and so on. The first likely move, in this case, is to opt for the Windows Startup Repair option or using the Windows Restore option.

If none of those options work, do not worry: it is probably the time to repair the operating system, through another computer. This article explores this possibility, explaining the steps you should follow to repair your computer.

How can I fix Windows 10?

If the damage is complete and the PC is not starting, using another PC to fix Windows 10 is a concrete and easy procedure. You should just need some minutes at your disposal and focus on the matter.

The option to reset the PC may still work, but this time it is necessary to use the installation disk, using another computer. Therefore, you need to download Windows 10 to burn the installation files to a DVD or put it on a USB stick. The following steps are the ones to take.

STEP 1 –Go to the Microsoft download center and type “Windows 10“.

STEP 2 – Select the version you want and click on “Download tool”.

STEP 3 – Click accept and, then, accept again.

STEP 4 – Choose to create an installation disk for another computer and click next.

STEP 5 – Choose the language, version and architecture of the processor (Choose the recommended options) and click next.

STEP 6 – Now you choose between two ways to download Windows 10: creating the USB stick (with at least 8 GB of space and completely empty since all the previous material will be erased in the procedure) or opting for the direct link of the ISO file to burn then on a DVD, using tools like Rufus. In this way, if the PC does not restart because full of errors, you can proceed with the repair options of the installation disk.

STEP 7 – If you have chosen the ISO you will see a window which unable you to save the file and to watch the download.

STEP 8 – Click finish to end up the procedure.

STEP 9 – Now you can open the PC with issues, using the DVD with Windows 10 you have previously written.

STEP 10 – Open the file Windows and select the setup button in the window open.

STEP 11 – A blue window will open, and you can push next.

STEP 12 – Click Accept.

STEP 13 – Click Install and then wait for the new installation of Windows 10. It might take minutes but, at the end, you should have solved your Windows 10 issues.

— RELATED: Compilation of the best software to fix Windows 10 problems

If the DVD is not read by your computer

In case the procedure to restore Windows 10 from USB or DVD does not start automatically and, in turn, the computer you want to fix starts with the copy of the operating system previously installed on the PC, you should enter into the Basic Input-Output System (BIOS) and change the boot order by setting as the first device USB port or DVD support.

The BIOS is a set of software instructions stored on a non-volatile memory that is inside the computer. It provides all the basic information to make hardware and software interact properly and get the operating system started.

This is a more advanced procedure that, if done without attention, could compromise the computer functioning; that is why you should consider the BIOS procedure only as a last resort operation if the computer does not read the USB or DVD with the proper Windows 10 version.

Suggestion: Prevention is better than cure

In order to be prepared in case Windows 10 errors and problems occur on boot up, it is worth creating a recovery disk in advance, to use it with the second option of advanced settings. To find this function, you need to write on the search bar “Create recovery unit”. You will have to use a USB stick with at least 4 GB of space or 8 GB for 64-bit systems.

Needless to say, in the Windows 10 settings, in the Update and Security section, it is very important to activate the automatic backup function on a secondary disk.

Finally, if a USB stick or a disk are not available, it is possible to take advantage of free online programs to create a backup of Windows 10, of files and programs on a disk partition, on an unallocated space of at least 30 GB.

However, you will lose this backup, if the disk, where Windows is found, is broken. For this reason, we always suggest the choice of a USB disk or pen for a backup.

Conclusion

Having a corrupted, malfunctioning or slow Windows 10 OS can be a real issue for users. In this article, we have provided you with a solution that should solve this problem. If this article helped you, comment below.

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