Learn how to install Windows via BIOS in simple steps. Access the BIOS, change boot order, install Windows, and complete the installation process effortlessly.
Sooner or later, every PC or laptop user faces the need to reinstall Windows. To do this, you can contact specialists or do everything yourself using our guide.
How to Install Windows via BIOS
Before reinstallation
As you know, reinstalling the operating system leads to the complete deletion of all data from the disk. Therefore, before starting the procedure, you must copy all valuable files to a second hard drive, to cloud storage, or to a flash drive.
Preparing a bootable flash drive
For this procedure, you will need a special utility, such as Rufus . After installing the program, you need to do the following steps:
- Find and format a USB drive with at least 8 GB of storage space in advance;
- Download the ISO image with Windows to your computer;
- Launch Rufus and select the prepared flash drive;
- Click the “Select” button and specify the path to the ISO file with Windows, and in the “Image options” section, click “Standard Windows installation”.
After clicking “Start”, all you have to do is wait for the copying process to complete and the bootable flash drive will be ready.
BIOS setup
There are many versions of BIOS firmware, and their interface may differ depending on the device model. Because of this, some details in them may differ from each other, so we will describe only the general steps.
- Restart your computer and enter the BIOS when it turns on. To do this, press the button indicated on the screen several times, for example, Delete, F2 or F12;
- Go to the Boot or Boot Device Priority section;
- In the 1st Boot Device section, specify the bootable USB flash drive as the priority drive;
- Press F10 to save changes and exit BIOS.
Installing Windows
Once the computer has rebooted, it will automatically begin preparing to install the new operating system. In some cases, the message “Press any key” may appear and you must quickly press any key to continue.
After the installation window appears, you must perform the following steps:
- Specify the desired interface language, time format, keyboard layout and click “Next”;
- In the “Windows Activation” window, either enter the product key or click the “I don’t have a product key” button;
- Select the required version of the operating system and click “Next”;
- To boot a new system, select “Custom installation”;
- Specify the disk partition where Windows will be installed and confirm your choice by clicking “Next”. If necessary, you can create a new partition or completely format the disk;
- After this, the installation of files will begin, during which the computer will reboot one or more times;
- At the final stage, either leave the default settings or customize the operating system for yourself.
- If Windows asks you to enter the activation code again, enter it in the special field or click “Do it later”.
When you first start the updated system, you should install all the necessary drivers. To avoid messing around with this manually, you can use special software, such as DriverPack Solution, which will scan the device and install the necessary files.
Windows update via settings
If you don’t want to resort to radical methods and just update Windows without a bootable flash drive, you can use this option. In fact, everything will roll back to its initial state. To do this, you need to:
- From Start, open Settings and click on Recovery;
- Click first on “Reset this computer” and then on “Remove everything”;
- Specify where to get the new system image from and confirm your choice.
These manipulations will lead to a reboot of the computer and installation of a clean version of the operating system.