With its range of office and networking capabilities, Windows 10 has a lot of advantages for members of the legal profession in South Africa. When you’re putting together the ideal PC, either for personal use or for your firm, money is sometimes a consideration.
Because more and more people download crucial software from the Internet nowadays, the use of optical media is falling by the wayside. For these reasons, many people nowadays choose to omit optical drives when buying a new PC. While optical drives aren’t terribly expensive, the cost multiplied across every computer in an office can be significant. Even if you’re only buying a single machine, it makes no sense to spend extra money on something you don’t plan to use.
This leaves the new PC owner with the question, “how do I get Windows onto my computer?” Fortunately, Windows 10 can be safely and securely installed on a PC from a USB flash drive.
Preparation
You can use an existing PC to create an installable copy of Windows 10 on a USB flash drive (also known as a jump drive, inch drive or thumb drive). Before you start, ensure that both the PC you’ll be using for the download and the flash drive you’re using to create the Windows installation are free of malware. Even a new and apparently blank flash drive can contain malicious code. If you’re planning to use the new PC for sensitive work, such as processing clients’ details, there are major security and liability implications if you allow the computer system to be infected with malware.
Media Creation
Navigate to the Windows home page and choose the option to download the media creation tool (MediaCreationTool.exe). Run MediaCreationTool.exe and select the radio button for the “Create installation media for another PC” option.
Clicking “Next” will take you to the “Select language, architecture, and edition” menu. Make sure you uncheck the option to use the recommended options for your current PC, as these may clash with the new computer. Click “Next” again. Select “USB flash drive” when you’re prompted to choose which media you’ll be using. Wait for Windows 10 to download, then click “Finish”.
Installing Windows 10
Check the manual for your new PC to find out how to enter the Boot Menu. Plug your flash drive into the new PC, reboot it, and pull up the Boot Menu during startup. Select the option to boot from a USB drive. Now it’s simply a matter of following the prompts on the screen to complete your Windows 10 installation.
Good luck, and enjoy your new Windows 10 PC.
