How To Install Windows On New Pc

Tips
1

I just built my first custom PC and I’m stuck on how to properly install Windows on it. I’m not sure what BIOS settings I should change, which drive to use, or how to create a bootable USB the right way. I want to avoid messing up partitions or wasting my Windows license. Can someone walk me through the steps for a clean Windows install on new hardware?

2

Short version so you do not brick stuff:

  1. Prep the USB on another PC
    • Go to Microsoft site, download “Media Creation Tool” for Windows 10 or 11
    • Run it, choose “Create installation media for another PC”
    • Pick your version, pick language, choose “USB flash drive”
    • Use at least 8 GB USB, it will wipe it

  2. Plug things on your new build
    • Monitor on GPU, not motherboard, if you have a discrete GPU
    • Keyboard on a USB 2.0 port if possible
    • Plug the Windows USB in a rear USB port

  3. First power on and BIOS basics
    Spam Delete or F2 during startup to enter BIOS.
    In BIOS, do this:

• Check your drives detected under “Storage” or “SATA/NVMe”

  • If you have an NVMe SSD, it should show in an NVMe list
    • Turn on XMP / DOCP for RAM, but if things act weird, leave this for later
    • For OS install, set:
  • Boot mode to “UEFI” only, not Legacy or CSM
  • SATA mode AHCI for SATA drives
    • In Boot menu, move your USB drive to the top of boot order
    Save and exit.
  1. Pick the right drive for Windows
    General rule:
    • Use NVMe SSD for Windows if you have one
    • Use SATA SSD if no NVMe
    • Use HDD only for storage, not the OS

If you have more than one drive, install to the fastest, smallest SSD and keep big HDD for games and files.

  1. Start Windows setup
    On boot, choose the USB as boot device if a boot menu pops (often F8, F11, F12, or F9).
    Windows logo loads, then you see language screen.

Steps:
• Choose language, keyboard, click Next
• Click “Install now”
• If you have a key, enter it. If not, click “I do not have a product key”
• Pick the edition that matches your key later (Home vs Pro)
• When it asks “Upgrade or Custom”, choose “Custom: Install Windows only”

Now drive screen:

• If this is a brand new SSD, you will see “Unallocated space”

  • Highlight that unallocated space on your target SSD
  • Click “New” then OK or simply “Next” and setup will make partitions
    • If you see old partitions and you are sure it is a blank build, you can delete them all on that drive then use the unallocated space
    Be careful here. Check drive size. Example: 500 GB SSD usually shows around 465 GB.

Click Next. Install runs. System will reboot several times. Do not press keys when it says “Press any key to boot from USB” after the first time.

  1. After first boot to Windows
    • Remove the USB once you are on desktop
    • Install chipset drivers from your motherboard vendor site
    • Install GPU drivers from Nvidia, AMD, or Intel
    • Run Windows Update until it stops finding stuff
    • In Windows, check:
  • Right click Start, Disk Management
  • Make sure your other drives show. If they are unallocated, create simple volumes and format as NTFS.

  1. A few common BIOS things that confuse new builders
    • If you use PCIe NVMe on modern boards, leave PCIe mode on “Auto”
    • Do not enable RAID unless you know why
    • If you see CSM, turn it off for a clean UEFI install, but only if your GPU supports UEFI (most do)
    • If your system keeps booting to BIOS, your boot order might still point to the USB or no OS got installed.

  2. Typical mistakes to avoid
    • Installing Windows on your HDD instead of SSD. Check drive size and “Type” in setup. NVMe often shown as “Drive 0 Unallocated Space” with big size. If in doubt, unplug the HDD, install only with the SSD connected, then plug HDD after.
    • Yanking power while Windows is installing
    • Plugging the USB in a dead front panel port. Use rear IO ports.

If you post your exact drive list from the install screen (sizes and names) people on the forum will tell you which one to pick so you do not nuke the wrong thing.

3

@sterrenkijker already gave you the “do this, then this” version. I’ll just fill in a few gaps and slightly disagree on a couple of points.

  1. Bootable USB, alternative method
    If the Media Creation Tool annoys you or errors out, you can:
  • Download the official Windows ISO from Microsoft
  • Use Rufus on another PC
    • Select the ISO
    • Partition scheme: GPT
    • Target system: UEFI (non CSM)
      This gives you more control and avoids some Media Creation Tool weirdness.
  1. BIOS settings that actually matter vs. “tweak bait”
    Change:
  • Boot mode: UEFI
  • SATA mode: AHCI
  • Make sure your NVMe drive shows up in the NVMe list

Ignore for now:

  • XMP / DOCP. I’d leave RAM at default until Windows is installed and stable. If something is off and RAM is at 6000+ MHz, troubleshooting becomes a mess. Turn XMP on after you confirm the system is posting and Windows is fine.
  1. Picking the drive without guessing
    If you’re not 100% sure which is which:
  • Unplug all drives except the one you want Windows on
  • Install Windows
  • After it boots fine, shut down and plug your storage drives back in

This avoids the classic “why is my OS on the 4 TB HDD” moment. I slightly disagree with relying only on sizes; under stress and first-build nerves, it’s easy to misclick.

  1. Partitioning: keep it simple
    On that target SSD:
  • Delete everything on it in the Windows installer
  • Highlight the single “Unallocated space” entry
  • Click Next, let Windows create all partitions automatically

Don’t manually make extra partitions unless you know why.

  1. When it keeps booting USB over and over
    One trick:
  • First time: boot from USB manually via boot menu key (F8/F11/F12, depends on board)
  • After Windows starts copying files and does first reboot, go into BIOS and put the internal drive as first boot, or just pull the USB out as soon as you see the first “Getting devices ready / Getting ready” type screen.
    This avoids that loop where you keep reinstalling by accident.
  1. Drivers: use vendors over Windows Update
    Windows Update drivers are “fine,” but:
  • Chipset / LAN / audio: grab from your motherboard support page
  • GPU: get latest from Nvidia / AMD / Intel
    Personally I install vendor drivers first, then let Windows Update do its thing.
  1. Quick sanity checks after install
    Once you reach desktop:
  • Device Manager: no yellow exclamation marks? You’re good.
  • Disk Management:
    • Your OS drive shows as C: with “Boot, Page File, Crash Dump” flags
    • Other drives: if they show as unallocated, right click, “New simple volume,” NTFS, give them a label like “Games” or “Storage”
  1. A couple of “don’t panic” moments that are normal
  • First boot after install can sit on the Windows logo for a while
  • Fans rev up and down, RGB may look wild, that’s fine
  • If you see “Press any key to boot from USB” again after install, just do nothing and let it time out

If you’re unsure at the drive selection screen, you can literally write down the sizes and types you see and post them; that’s the one place you really don’t want to guess.

4

Skip the theory and let’s hit what people usually miss when installing Windows on a brand‑new build.

  1. Double‑check your hardware before you even touch Windows
  • Reseat RAM and GPU, plug CPU power (8‑pin / 8+4‑pin) and 24‑pin firmly.
  • Plug your boot SSD into the fastest slot:
    • NVMe: use the top M.2 slot (closest to CPU) unless the manual says otherwise.
    • SATA SSD/HDD: for boards with labeled ports, use SATA_1 or SATA_0.
      Reason: avoids weird “drive not found” errors that look like install issues but are actually wiring.
  1. BIOS settings people often skip
    @sterrenkijker and the other reply already covered UEFI & AHCI. I’ll add a few more that actually help:
  • Disable CSM / Legacy boot entirely if your GPU supports UEFI (almost all modern ones).
    • This avoids Windows installing in legacy mode by accident.
  • Turn off “Fast Boot” in BIOS for the install.
    • Can hide USB devices and make boot-menu access annoying. Turn it back on later if you want.
  • Secure Boot:
    • I usually leave it OFF for the install, then enable AFTER Windows is installed and updated.
    • If left on and misconfigured, it can block the installer or unsigned drivers.
  1. When you have both NVMe and SATA drives
    Instead of only unplugging drives (good tip but not always convenient):
  • In BIOS, set the NVMe as the only bootable drive:
    • Some boards let you disable individual SATA ports or drives in the boot order.
  • During Windows install, look for:
    • Type: “Drive 0 Unallocated space” with size that matches your NVMe.
      If you are even 1% unsure, back out and verify. Accidentally nuking the wrong drive is worse than spending 2 extra minutes reading labels.
  1. Partitioning if you care about “cleanliness”
    Letting Windows auto‑partition is fine. If you want more control:
  • Decide: single big C: or split into C: (OS) and D: (games/data).
    • For a 1 TB SSD: 150–250 GB for C: is plenty for Windows plus apps.
  • In the installer:
    • Delete all partitions on the target drive.
    • Create 1 partition of your planned C: size.
    • Windows will automatically generate the tiny system / recovery partitions before or after it.
    • Leave the rest as unallocated. After install, format it in Disk Management as D:.

This makes future reinstalls easier since you can wipe C: without touching your data partition.

  1. Handling Windows 11 “requirements” on a custom build
    What trips a lot of first‑time builders is TPM / Secure Boot:
  • Modern boards:
    • TPM is usually called “fTPM” (AMD) or “PTT” (Intel). Enable that in BIOS if Windows 11 complains.
  • If you get blocked by the installer over TPM or CPU generation:
    • There are registry workarounds, but I would avoid that for your first build unless absolutely necessary.
    • Safer approach: install Windows 10, then upgrade to 11 later if supported.
  1. USB creation: one more angle
    Rufus and the Media Creation Tool both work. Personally, I disagree a little with relying only on “GPT + UEFI (non CSM)” presets without checking:
  • Match the USB to your BIOS settings:
    • If BIOS is UEFI only: GPT + UEFI is correct.
    • If you left CSM/Legacy enabled for some reason, mixed settings can cause “boot but can’t install” issues.
      In short: decide first that you are going all‑in on UEFI only, then build the USB for that.
  1. Network & Microsoft account shenanigans
    On first install, Windows tries very hard to force a Microsoft account:
  • If you want a local account:
    • During setup, when it asks for network: unplug Ethernet and skip Wi‑Fi.
    • Choose “I don’t have internet” or equivalent options.
    • You’ll get the local account path.
      You can add an MS account later in Settings if you change your mind.
  1. Drivers & order that minimizes pain
    I slightly invert the other advice:
  • Immediately after install, install:
    1. Chipset drivers (from your motherboard’s support page).
    2. GPU drivers (Nvidia / AMD / Intel).
    3. LAN / Wi‑Fi if Windows did not pick them up.
  • Then run Windows Update until it finds nothing more.
    Reason: proper chipset + GPU first avoids Windows Update dumping weird generic GPU drivers in the middle of everything.
  1. Post‑install stability checks
    Before you start loading all your games:
  • Run:
    • Windows Memory Diagnostic or MemTest86 for a quick RAM sanity check.
    • CrystalDiskInfo to confirm your SSD is healthy and recognized correctly.
  • Once stable, then enable XMP / DOCP in BIOS and test again.
    If it starts crashing only after enabling XMP, you immediately know where to look.
  1. About “How To Install Windows On New PC” type guides & tools
    You will find a lot of generic “How To Install Windows On New PC” walkthroughs and tools around this topic. Pros and cons in general:

Pros:

  • Centralize all the steps from USB creation to driver installation.
  • Good for beginners who want a single checklist.
  • Often include screenshots that match what you see.

Cons:

  • Many are outdated on things like TPM, Secure Boot and UEFI only setups.
  • Some push unnecessary utilities or registry hacks.
  • They can hide the “why” behind steps, which makes troubleshooting harder when something behaves differently.

Compare that with what @sterrenkijker posted: that style is very step‑wise and practical, great for “just do this.” The extra nuance above is more about preventing weird edge cases and making future maintenance easier.

If you get stuck at a specific screen (drive list, error message, BIOS page), snap a photo, note drive sizes and exact wording, and work from there. That one detail usually reveals the issue faster than reinstalling five times.