Windows 10 offers us new methods to install the operating system. Until some time ago, the only way we had to install a copy of Windows was through the use of a CD or DVD. Over time, this medium, instead of being useful to us, became a disadvantage.
Today we have more versatile alternatives that allow us to prepare a Windows 10 installation USB , which we can keep and always carry in our pocket with us. But what if we don’t have a USB storage device? Now we can comfortably install our copy of Windows 10 using an Android device.
Windows 10 on your smartphone
Luckily, times change, and we no longer depend on the old CD/DVD drives to be able to format the PC with a clean copy of the operating system. Installing Windows 10 from your Android smartphone is not the most common, but it is not an impossible or unreasonable task either. In fact, it is quite a convenient and easy way to use your Android device as a boot disk for Windows.
To do this, it will be necessary for you to rely on DriveDroid. It is an application that transforms the storage space of your Android device into a kind of virtual disk . With this function you can take the installation files of your operating system with you wherever you go.
Mounting the disk image on your mobile will require root access to your Android* phone . From there, we will tell you how to install and configure DriveDroid. This tool has a free version with ads, and another paid version for a cost of €2.42. You can download both directly from the Play Store (a little further down you will find the download link).
*Recommended reading guide: Guide to root Android: Huawei, Samsung, LG, Sony and Nexus | Guide to root Android: Xiaomi, Moto, HTC, One Plus | How to root any Android phone with Mediatek CPU | Top 5 Universal Apps to Root Any Android
Get your copy of Windows 10
First of all, let’s start by downloading the Windows 10 installation software. If you don’t know where to get an installation copy, here are two options.
- Microsoft’s website:Download the available 32 or 64 Bit Windows ISO version, as needed, from the official Microsoft website .
- Windows Media Creation Tool:Use the Windows Media Creation Tool to get a copy of the operating system you want to install. To do this do the following:
- Enter the official Windows 10 page on the Microsoft website. To download the media creation tool, click on “Download the tool now”.
- Open the media creation tool.
- Click Create installation media for another PC.
- Set up the Windows 10 ISO.
- Click Nextto start the download.
You can see a more detailed explanation on how to download in the post « How to download Windows for free and legally ».
With the Windows 10 ISO distribution at hand, transfer the file to your Android mobile. You will use it to assemble the image with DriveDroid. Create a folder for easy storage and access on your device, which you can refer to later from the DriveDroid image directory.
Take your installation disc on your mobile
Starting from the premise that you have privileged access to control your smartphone, that is, you have your phone rooted , you can go through the step-by-step installation and start-up of DriveDroid at once.
Downloading and installing DriveDroid
Now we are going with the step by step to launch the DriveDroid, which will allow us to mount the virtual disk image on the mobile phone. From your Android device do the following:
- Download DriveDroidfrom the PlayStore.
- Install and open the app. You will get a warning message about the uses of DriveDroid regarding phone control. Press the Setupoption . If your phone is rooted, click Proceed to continue with the installation process.
- Grant superuser permissionsto DriveDroid. Click Acquire root to grant the permissions.
- Connect your mobile to the computer via a USB cable. Wait for the device to be recognized, configuring itself as a bootable partitionor mass storage device .
- Wait for the DriveDroid mountable drive to appear enabled.
- Mount the Windows 10 ISO image. If the image does not appear in a certain way, open the Settings menu in DriveDroid and choose the Image Directory option (if it is in Spanish). Or click the + icon and then go to Add image from file… .
- Select the Windows 10 ISO from the file explorer. A thumbnail image iconwill appear confirming that the ISO image was successfully mounted and the virtual disk is ready to use.
Installing the copy of Windows 10 on your PC
Now that the virtual installation disk with DriveDroid is ready, connect your mobile via USB cable to the computer you want to format. Restart the PC, and from the boot menu choose the DriveDroid option that appears there. Press Enter and the Windows 10 installation interface will load immediately. Just follow the guided steps to install the clean copy of the operating system and enjoy your new Windows 10!