kate.pratt KA
@kate.pratt
Windows Oct 08, 2026

Using Rufus to make a Windows 10 USB, which settings?

Have the Windows 10 ISO downloaded and a 16GB stick ready. Rufus asks about partition scheme, GPT or MBR, target system and file system, and I don't want to make a stick that won't boot. Laptop is about six years old and was shipped with Windows 10. Which options should I pick?
rufus bootable usb
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alexs Nov 05, 2026
kate.pratt
Use an 8GB or bigger stick and copy anything on it off first, Rufus wipes the whole thing. To boot from it, use the one-time boot menu instead of changing the boot order in the BIOS. On a lot of machines it's F12, HP uses F9 and others vary, it flashes up on the screen for a second at startup. If the stick shows up twice, pick the entry marked UEFI.
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A
ajay87 Oct 13, 2026
kate.pratt
Anything made in the last ten years or so: Partition scheme GPT, Target system UEFI. Only pick MBR if it's an old machine that boots in legacy BIOS mode. Leave the file system and cluster size as Rufus sets them. The Windows 10 ISO has a file too big for FAT32, so it goes NTFS and handles the UEFI part itself. If Secure Boot complains when you boot from the stick, turn it off temporarily for the install. When you hit Start it may offer some Windows customisation options, all of those are optional for 10, you can untick everything.
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