How do I install Windows10 on a tablet when I dont have access to Win

Hi Everyone,
Does anyone know how to install Win10 on a tablet when it's already been formatted and doesnt have a Windows OS on it? Is that even possible? Problem is that when trying to install Win 10 from a USB key, it seems not to read any USB drives because there are no drivers installed on it.

Please help with this and let me know if you guys need more clarification.

Thanks

Well you may have to change the boot order to boot from USB (assuming it is bootable). To do that you probably need to connect a mouse and keyboard via the USB port. Use a USB hub to multiply the available USB ports, as I suspect you only have one. Now, for desktop computers, you can select the boot device with F8 at first boot screen, or ESC or other key depending on BIOS. For notebook it is usually F12 or ESC, you may have to experiment to find out or Google your model. Once you can select a boot device, make sure your USB flash is on the list and select it. If you manage to start Windows setup, proceed to delete any partitions and install Windows 10. To control the Setup process and select options you will need the mouse and keyboard, as the touchscreen has no drivers yet. Once in Windows 10, see if you can connect to the Internet. If you can, let Windows Update download any driver for your device. Then click on search icon and type Device. Click to open Device Manager (not sure if it is available for a tablet, but if you have keyboard and mouse connected maybe it is in desktop mode). See if any device needs drivers and visit your tablet's support site to download it. If all devices are OK, then you can check the touchscreen. If it works, then you are OK, disconnect the keyboard and mouse to switch to tablet mode.

Hi and thanks for your help.
The problem is that when I select the USB on boot, nothing happens. By the way, I use F10 to go into boot.

Check your USB medium then. It might not be bootable. Try that in another computer to see if you can boot from it. If not, you may have to create it again. You can find the Windows 10 ISO here and then use the USB/DVD Tool to extract it on your USB medium.

If you are installing Windows 7/8/10 from a USB flash drive in UEFI Boot Mode, then you need to have a UEFI Boot Mode compatible Windows 7/8/10 USB flash drive.

Here is more info: UEFI Boot Mode (installing using the GPT partition style) and Legacy BIOS Boot Mode (installing using the MBR partition style). -> link

genet said:

If you are installing Windows 7/8/10 from a USB flash drive in UEFI Boot Mode, then you need to have a UEFI Boot Mode compatible Windows 7/8/10 USB flash drive.

Here is more info: UEFI Boot Mode (installing using the GPT partition style) and Legacy BIOS Boot Mode (installing using the MBR partition style). -> link

Let not confuse him! Isn't the Windows ISO supposed to boot in both legacy and UEFI systems? So once he creates a bootable USB successfully it shouldn't make any difference if the tablet has legacy BIOS or UEFI.

spapakons said:

and then use the USB/DVD Tool to extract it on your USB medium.

https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Fo...msungpcgeneral

The "Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool" is a very useful tool in making bootable USB from ISO file, but it doesn't work under UEFI system since the USB is in NTFS and UEFI can only boot from FAT32.

Didn't know that detail, but again I insist! As far as I know a Windows 8 or 10 DVD-ROM can be used to install Windows in any system compatible, no matter if it has legacy BIOS or UEFI. There isn't a different version of it for UEFI! I am not sure if this applies to USB Flash drives as well. In worst case he must burn the ISO to DVD and then use an external USB DVD-RW drive to install Windows. But it is certainly possible to do so, regardless of the tablet having legacy BIOS or UEFI. Besides, downloading the ISO is free, the utility is free, so he has nothing to lose by creating a bootable USB and see if it works.

spapakons said:

Didn't know that detail, but again I insist! As far as I know a Windows 8 or 10 DVD-ROM can be used to install Windows in any system compatible, no matter if it has legacy BIOS or UEFI. There isn't a different version of it for UEFI! I am not sure if this applies to USB Flash drives as well. In worst case he must burn the ISO to DVD and then use an external USB DVD-RW drive to install Windows. But it is certainly possible to do so, regardless of the tablet having legacy BIOS or UEFI. Besides, downloading the ISO is free, the utility is free, so he has nothing to lose by creating a bootable USB and see if it works.

On the UEFI systems I've used, a USB flash drive has to be formatted FAT32 to permit a UEFI installation from it.

For the OP: you ought to be able to clean install Win 10 from a USB drive, as long as the drive is bootable. However, if you're using the free upgrade, it won't activate unless it is installed as an upgrade (over a qualifying OS: Win 7 or 8).

That is supposed to change with the Threshold 2 Win 10 release (November?), which may activate using a license key from the old OS. (I wonder whether that would include a key in the BIOS as commonly used with appliance PCs?)