With the software medium prepared, the physical installation begins. Safety is paramount; the user must ensure the computer is powered down and unplugged from the wall outlet. Grounding oneself to prevent electrostatic discharge (ESD) protects sensitive components from damage.
For most users, selecting the unallocated space and clicking "Next" allows Windows to automatically create the necessary partitions, including the system reserved partitions for booting and the primary partition for the operating system. However, if the drive was previously used, the user must use the "Format" or "Delete" options to clear old data, ensuring a clean slate. Once the partitions are set, the installation proceeds automatically. The system will copy files, install features, and restart several times. It is vital that the user does not interrupt this process. Following the file installation, the user is guided through the "Out of Box Experience" (OOBE), where regional settings, user accounts, and privacy preferences are configured.
A PC with the new hard drive physically installed.
A USB flash drive with at least 8 GB of capacity. Warning: This drive will be formatted, erasing all existing data on it.