— Windows 10 Installation Guide — (Based on Windows 10 21H2 64-bit English Edition) Installation Image Information  Edition: Windows 10 Pro  Version: 21H2  Build: 19044.1288  Original Image File: Windows10_21H2_x64_EN.iso (official Microsoft release)  Checksum Values: ○ MD5: F232EFE115334866ADA6E92E7808FB04 ○ SHA1: 00C9D37AA392B406BEBF8215E2E80F658FC4819C ○ CRC32: B45C605C Preparing for Installation: Set USB as Boot Device To install Windows from a USB drive, the first step is to boot the computer from it. There are two common ways to do this:  Method 1: Use Boot Menu Key (Recommended) Press a specific hotkey during startup (e.g., F12, F8, Esc, etc.) to bring up the boot device selection menu and choose the USB drive. ○ This method does not change the BIOS boot order and only affects the current boot. ○ Recommended for being simple, safe, and requiring no BIOS changes—ideal for one-time installations.  Method 2: Change Boot Order in BIOS/UEFI Press Del, F2, Esc, or another key during startup to enter BIOS/UEFI and set the USB drive as the first boot option. ○ This permanently changes the boot order. ○ During installation, the computer restart automatically. If the boot order is not restored to its previous setting or the USB drive is not removed in time, it may boot from the USB again and start the installation process from the beginning. Recommendation: Windows only needs to boot from USB once during installation. After that, it should boot from the hard drive. Therefore, using the boot menu key is preferred—less hassle and fewer issues.  Why Use the Boot Menu Key Method?

While changing the boot order in BIOS also works, it has drawbacks:  When the system restarts during installation, it may still boot from the USB drive and start the installation process over.  You must manually restore the hard disk boot priority.  BIOS menus are often complex and prone to accidental misconfiguration. In contrast, using the boot menu key:  Affects only the current boot; subsequent startups will automatically boot from the hard drive.  Requires no changes to BIOS settings, making it simpler and safer.  Easy and user-friendly for the majority of users.  How to Access the Boot Menu or BIOS To access the boot menu or BIOS during startup, you usually need to press a specific key before the operating system loads. The key varies by manufacturer. Common options include Delete, F2, F10, F12, or Esc. Steps: 1. Plug in the USB boot drive. 2. Power on the computer and repeatedly press the designated key (pressing continuously is recommended to avoid missing the window). 3. The boot menu or BIOS setup screen will appear. 4. If you miss it, just restart and try again. Shortcut Key Table for Common PC Brands Brand / Motherboard BIOS Setup Key Boot Menu Key Acer F2 / Del F12 ASUS F2 / Del F8 Dell F2 / F12 F12 HP Esc / F10 F9 / Esc Lenovo F1 / F2 F12 MSI Del F8 Gigabyte / Legacy Board Delete F12 Samsung Laptop See manual F12 Sony / IBM / Toshiba Esc / F12 F12  Boot from USB Using Boot Menu (Step-by-Step)

1. Insert the installation USB drive. 2. Power on the PC and press the correct boot menu key to open the Boot Menu (i.e., Startup Device Menu). (Refer to the Shortcut Key Table above.) 3. In the boot menu, use the arrow keys to select the boot option for your USB device (e.g., Kingston DataTraveler 3.00000). At this point, you may see two options: ○ Legacy: Kingston DataTraveler 3.00000 ○ UEFI: Kingston DataTraveler 3.00000 Choose the option that matches your system’s boot mode. Press Enter to continue. Note: If the mode doesn’t match, the USB may not be recognized, or the system may fail to boot. For UEFI or Legacy selection, see the following section ” Choosing UEFI or Legacy Mode”. Choosing UEFI or Legacy Mode Most modern computers use UEFI mode by default, while still supporting the traditional Legacy (BIOS) mode. In this case, if you choose to boot from the USB drive in Legacy mode, you’ll need

to enable Compatibility Support Module (CSM) in the UEFI settings, which is relatively more complex. Note that if the operating system is installed under CSM (Legacy) mode and you later disable CSM to switch back to pure UEFI mode, compatibility issues may occur. Therefore, we recommend:  Newer computers (default to UEFI mode): Use UEFI mode directly.  Older computers (Legacy mode only): Use Legacy mode. How to check your computer’s boot mode: Refer to the previous section "How to Access the Boot Menu or BIOS" to enter the BIOS/UEFI settings. Then, look at the interface title:  If it says UEFI, then it’s UEFI mode.  If it says BIOS Setup or shows no UEFI indicators, it’s Legacy mode.  Set USB as First Boot Device in BIOS (Step-by-Step) (Based on a standard BIOS interface. The exact layout may vary between different motherboards, but the process is similar. Note: UEFI interfaces may look different.) 1. Insert the installation USB drive. 2. Power on the PC and press Del, F2, or Esc to access the BIOS setup screen. (Refer to the Shortcut Key Table in the previous section.)

5. Set the USB device (e.g., USB KEY 1: Kingston DataTraveler 3.00000) as the first boot device, as shown below.

Your PC will reboot automatically. Install Windows 10  Pre-Installation Setup After successfully booting from the USB drive, the system will load the installation program and display the following screen.

Choose the Windows edition to install. It is recommended to select “Windows 10 Pro” for its full features and suitability for most users. Click Next.

Select Custom: Install Windows only (advanced) to perform a clean installation. The installer will then show all existing partitions on the disk. Note: Do not choose “Upgrade: Install Windows and keep files, settings, and applications”, as it will not erase existing data and may cause problems.

 Partition Setup This section demonstrates the steps involved in a scenario where new partitions are created after deleting some existing ones, under the BIOS + MBR partitioning mode. For instructions on other scenarios, or to gain a deeper understanding of partition setup principles, see the “Tip: Overview of Partition Structure” at the end of this guide. Operations under UEFI + GPT mode are similar to those under BIOS + MBR mode and are not covered here. Select and delete the old partitions you no longer need to create Unallocated Space, as shown below.

By default, Unallocated Space is selected. Click New to manually create the system partition (and any additional partitions).

By default, the entire Unallocated Space will be used. You can also specify a custom size as needed. Then click Apply.

A prompt will appear, notifying you that Windows may create additional partitions for system files. Click OK to continue.

You will see that the installer has created: ○ a primary system partition (e.g., “Drive 0 Partition 2”) ○ a small system boot partition (about 50 MB, e.g., “Drive 0 Partition 1: System Reserved”) Click Next to continue.  File Copy and Core Installation Next comes the file copying and core installation stage, as shown in the images below.

After the system completes file copying and core installation, it will automatically restart after a 10-second countdown. This is the first reboot during the installation process and will lead into the initial system setup phase. Important: If you started the installation by setting the USB drive as the first boot device in the BIOS, Be sure to quickly press the appropriate shortcut key during this reboot to enter the BIOS and set the hard drive as the first (or default) boot device. Alternatively, you can remove the USB drive just before the system restarts (be careful not to remove it too early). Otherwise, the system may boot from the USB drive again and restart the installation process.  Initial System Setup (OOBE Phase) 1. After rebooting, the system will enter the following waiting screen.

11. Cortana setup: Click Not now; there's no need to enable the voice assistant.  System Preparation and Desktop Entry The system is completing the necessary configurations and preparations. This process may take a few minutes; please wait patiently.

With that, Windows 10 installation is complete.  Adding Common Desktop Icons (Optional Setting) By default, Windows 10 shows only the “Recycle Bin” and “Edge” icons on the desktop. For easier access, you can add icons such as “This PC,” “Network,” and “Control Panel” to the desktop. Steps: 1. Right-click on an empty area of the desktop and select Personalize.

4. In the pop-up window, check the icons you want to display (It is recommended to select all), then click OK.

After completing these steps, the selected common icons will appear on your desktop for easier use. Tip: Overview of Partition Structure To flexibly set up disk partitions based on the disk’s current condition and your installation needs, it's essential to understand the underlying principles. This section, as supplementary material, provides a brief introduction to the structure and logic of partitions involved in the Windows installation process, helping you better grasp the rationale behind partition setup. Here, we use the traditional BIOS + MBR partitioning scheme as an example; the logic of UEFI + GPT is similar and will not be covered in this article.  Partitioning Principles The following explanation is based on the operations within the system installer interface.

Basic Concepts After the system installer completes the pre-installation setup, it proceeds to the partition setup stage. The goal at this stage is to prepare disk partitions for installing the operating system, mainly by creating or selecting a target partition for storing the core system files. In other words, this means determining the system partition. As for the boot partition, the installer always uses the active partition for booting, so manual selection is not required. Operating system files can be categorized by function into two types:  Boot files: Responsible for booting the operating system.  Core system files: Constitute the main body of the OS, including the kernel, system components, drivers, and other core elements. Disk partitions can be categorized by function into:  Active partition: Used to load boot files and is essential for starting the system. It may also store system files or other data. A disk can have at most one active partition.  Regular partition: A non-active partition that can store system files or other data. A disk may contain multiple regular partitions. Partitions can also be categorized by their contents into:  Boot partition: Stores the system’s boot files. It must be an active partition; otherwise, the system will fail to start.  System partition: Stores the core system files. It is usually a non-active partition, but it can also be an active one. Partitioning Rules in the Installer  The installation interface can only create regular (non-active) partitions. It does not allow you to manually create an active partition or set an existing partition as active.  If there is no active partition on the disk, the installer will automatically create a small active partition (about 50–100 MB) when a regular partition is created. This partition is used solely for system boot purposes, which is why it is commonly referred to as the System Reserved partition. In this case, the terms boot partition, active partition, and System Reserved partition all refer to the same partition.  If there is already an active partition on the disk, the installer will not create an additional active partition when a regular partition is created.  If you skip manually creating partitions by clicking the New button, and instead click Next directly to begin installation, the installer will use all currently unallocated space by default and automatically create and format partitions.

 For both the system partition and the boot partition (System Reserved partition), if they are not yet formatted, the installer will automatically format them after you click Next to begin installation. Partitioning Logic and Strategies  To install an operating system, there must be an active partition on the disk.  Boot files can only be written to the active partition for the system to boot.  When there is no active partition on the disk, the only way to obtain one is by creating a regular partition, which causes the installer to automatically generate a small active partition (about 50–100 MB). This partition cannot be used for system installation and is intended solely for boot purposes; during installation, boot files will be written to it. At this point, the system partition can be either a newly created or an existing partition (regular).  When an active partition already exists on the disk, no new active partition will be created when creating regular partitions. During installation, boot files will be written to the existing active partition. At this point, the system partition can be either a newly created or an existing partition (regular), or even the active partition itself.  If you want to use the active partition for system installation as well, it will serve as both the boot partition and the system partition. The premise is that the disk must already have an active partition with sufficient space, because the installer cannot create one separately. Although an active partition can be automatically generated by creating a regular partition, it is too small for system installation. Notes on UEFI + GPT Mode If you are installing the system in UEFI + GPT partition mode, the installer does not create an active partition. Instead, it automatically creates a boot partition named EFI (ESP), usually about 100 MB in size, which is used to store the boot files required for system startup. Its function is similar to the System Reserved partition (boot partition) in BIOS + MBR mode, but the structure and format are different.  Common Partition Setup Scenarios Creating New Partitions for System Installation (no active partition present) This section discusses the case where there is no active partition on the current disk, or where the user chooses to delete the existing active partition.

If an active partition already exists and you wish to use it directly, please refer to the section below titled “Selecting an Existing Partition for System Installation (active partition present)”. When there is no active partition, creating a regular partition will cause the installer to automatically create a small active partition (also known as the System Reserved partition), about 50–100 MB in size. This partition is used solely for boot purposes. During installation, boot files will be written to it. After installation, this partition will be hidden by the system to protect the boot files. The system partition can be any regular partition. It is generally recommended to create a dedicated partition for system installation. Depending on the current state of the disk, the following scenarios may exist when creating the system partition: Scenario 1: Blank Disk (Not Yet Partitioned)  If you want to use all unallocated space solely for system installation, you can choose either of the following methods: ○ Manually create partitions: Click New, set the partition size to the entire unallocated space, then click Apply. The installer will create a regular partition and a small boot partition (active). Select any of the regular partitions (typically the newly created one) as the system partition, then click Next to start installation. During installation, both the system and boot partitions will be formatted automatically. ○ Automatically create partitions: Skip the New step and click Next directly to start installation. The installer will automatically use all unallocated space to create a system partition (regular) and a small boot partition (active). During installation, both the system and boot partitions will be formatted automatically.  If you want to allocate space separately for the system and personal data use the New button to manually create a system partition (regular) and any additional data partitions (regular). The installer will also automatically create a small boot partition (active). During installation, the system and boot partitions will be formatted automatically. Scenario 2: The Disk Already Contains Partitions  Clear the Entire Disk and Create New Partitions

Delete all existing partitions on the disk to leave only unallocated space. At this point, the disk can be treated as a blank disk and handled as described in Scenario 1.  Delete Some Old Partitions and Create New Ones Delete several contiguous partitions, typically from the front of the disk (including the active partition), to obtain unallocated space for system installation. You can then refer to the steps in Scenario 1 to create new partitions in the unallocated space. This type of “Creating New Partitions for System Installation ( no active partition present)” is the most common partition setup method used by users. Selecting an Existing Partition for System Installation (active partition present) This scenario applies when partitions already exist on the disk. If you wish to install the system directly onto an existing partition, you can proceed as follows: Prerequisite: There should already be an active partition on the disk to store the system boot files. If no active partition exists, please refer to the section above, “Creating New Partitions for System Installation (no active partition present)” for instructions.  Select an existing active partition as the system partition The installer will use this partition for both system and boot purposes. Both the operating system and boot files will be installed here. This partition is visible and typically appears as the C: drive. Note: The partition should have sufficient capacity to meet system installation requirements. The boot files are vulnerable to accidental deletion or virus infection, as they are stored in a visible partition. If the boot files become corrupted, the system will fail to boot.  Select an existing regular partition as the system partition The operating system will be installed on the selected regular partition, while the boot files will be written to the existing active partition. In this case, the active partition (boot partition) usually appears as the C: drive, whereas the system partition may be assigned a different drive letter such as D:. Note: In this scenario, the system drive and the C: drive may not be the same partition, which can cause confusion. In either case, be sure to click Format to format the selected partition to clear any residual data and ensure the partition format is correct before proceeding with installation.

Partition Planning – Additional Tips  A partitioning plan should be made in advance, as decisions made during installation are often rushed or imperfect, leading to results that may turn out to be unsatisfactory later on. Furthermore, such results are difficult to reverse once the system is installed.  The system partition (usually drive C) is recommended to have tens to several hundreds of gigabytes, depending on your installation needs, software size, and future usage.  The boot partition (System Reserved) typically requires only 50 to 100 MB and is automatically created and allocated by the installer, with no manual setup needed.  It is recommended to create only the system partition during installation. Other partitions for data storage can be created later using Disk Management after entering the system.  How to Avoid Additional Boot Partitions When installing the system, some users prefer to have system files and boot files located in the same partition, so as to avoid the operating system being installed across two partitions (system partition + system reserved partition). As mentioned earlier, the key to achieving this is to ensure that the installation target is a sufficiently large active partition, so that both boot files and system files can be installed in the same partition. Note: It is necessary that such a partition already exists on the disk. If there is no active partition on the current disk, or if the existing active partition does not have enough space, it is recommended to take one of the following approaches:  Use third-party tools (such as DiskGenius) to create or set a sufficiently large active partition as the installation target before system installation. Then start the system installer via the Windows installation USB.  In the partition setup interface, press F10 to open the command prompt, and use the diskpart tool to manually create or set a sufficiently large active partition as the target partition. After completion, close the command prompt and return to the installation interface to continue. (This method is suitable for users with some experience; beginners can skip this.) Summary

At this point, you’ve completed the entire process—from setting up USB boot to installing a full Windows 10 system and performing initial personalization. In the next guide, we’ll walk you through installing drivers to ensure stable and full hardware functionality.