Use an external USB drive to install or reinstall Windows on supported devices, including systems that are unable to start normally.
Known limitations and constraints
Some hardware platforms impose limitations on the use of external installation media due to firmware age or vendor-specific restrictions. Devices manufactured before 2014–2015 may have incomplete UEFI implementations or limited support for modern boot methods, which can prevent the media from being detected or loaded correctly. In such cases, compatibility depends on legacy startup modes, which may not support newer installer layouts or security requirements.
See system requirementsThis tool supports creating installation media for the following Windows versions and editions. All listed versions can be used on compatible devices, depending on system requirements.
