PC Flipper Guide on how to install an OS
Hello, in this guide you will learn the best ways to install an operating system for your customers, with the least amount of hassle and certified stability. This will take a few tries to get it going, so bare with me.
What is an operating system?
The OS acts as an intermediary between users and the computer hardware. It interprets inputs from the keyboard, mouse, and other input devices and sends instructions to the hardware to execute tasks.
Which one should I choose?
For PCs in general, you should go with Windows 10 or Windows 11. Here is my recommendation:
- Windows 10 for computers that have processor below Intel 10th Generation/AMD Ryzen 3000 series.
- Windows 11 for anything newer than that.
If you want to sell a very old computer, I recommend you install Linux on it, it will provide more performance than Windows.
Arch Linux - Fedora Linux - Debian Linux
Prerequisites
- Update the BIOS of the computer to ensure full compability. When the update is done, go to the "Save and Exit" tab of your BIOS and select Load Optimized Defaults.
- Have a USB drive 8GB or greater that is in healthy form and does not corrupt data.
- Have another computer that does not have malware on it to prepare the USB.
Windows 10
Download the Windows 10 ISO image from MSDL (Microsoft Software Download Listing), it's called Windows 10 22H2 v1
. If the website doesn't work, go to the Windows 10 Download Page.
- Select your language/country.
- Keep Windows 10 x64.
- If using the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool, select download ISO image.
Now that you have downloaded the Windows 10 ISO, write it to a USB drive using Rufus.
- Download the portable x64 version and launch it.
- Plug in a USB drive 8GB or greater.
Inside Rufus
- Under Boot Selection, select ISO image and select the Windows 10 ISO you downloaded.
- Under Partition Scheme, select GPT, it will automatically switch the target system to UEFI Non CSM.
- Press Start and let it create the Bootable USB, when done it will say "Ready!". If it shows a red bar and an error, it means either your ISO wasn't properly downloaded, or your USB stick/slot is faulty.
Now, turn off the main computer and plug in the USB stick. Restart it and wait until the Installation Wizard loads up.
- If the PC has more than 1 drive, unplug any secondary drive and only keep the one you want to install the operating system on.
You will be prompted to select a time/date format and a keyboard layout. Keep the default options unless you are confident in changing them. Now continue with the installation. When it asks you to enter a product key, select "I don't have a product key".
Choosing an Edition
Go with Windows 10 Pro, it's the most known out there and will attract more customers than Windows 10 Home. There are also some neat features with Pro. However, in the case you're just using this guide to install Windows for yourself, go with Windows 10 Education, it has the most features and little to no restriction.
Disk Selection
If there are any present partition on the disk, select them and delete them all. There must only be Drive 0 Unallocated Space, select that and let it install.
It will at the end, tell you that the PC will automatically restart in 10 seconds. Unplug the USB drive NOW, and restart the PC.
OOBE and Audit Mode
Audit Mode is a special mode in OOBE that lets you set up the device for the customer while keeping the out of box experience. Press CRTL + SHIFT + F3 to launch Audit Mode.
You will be prompted with this tool called "Sysprep". Select "Audit Mode", and under Shutdown mode "Reboot", but don't reboot just yet, and don't close the window.
- Connect your device to the network (Ethernet/Wi-Fi).
- Open Windows Update, and check for updates. It will install a lot of updates. Do NOT restart until all updates are done.
- In order to restart, do it using Sysprep. Once it's rebooted back in Audit Mode, check for updates again and repeat the process until none are left.
Driver Installation
Open Device Manager and identify the devices for which your drivers are missing.
- Start by installing the Graphics driver.
In order to do this, go to the Nvidia Driver Index - AMD Driver Support Page - Intel Driver Page. - For Nvidia and Intel, search for your GPU model and download the driver installer for it.
- For AMD, download the "Auto-Detect and Install" utility.
Now run the driver installer, for Nvidia, do not install GeForce Experience, you'll see later why. When the driver is installed, use Sysprep to restart back to Audit Mode (not OOBE).
(Nvidia Only): Download the Nvidia App, it's better than GeForce Experience and doesn't require log-in.
You are done with drivers. If you still wish to install other drivers, consult this post.
Activating Windows
If you bought a legit key, enter it in Windows settings. You can also activate Windows using the MAS script. It's open source and installs a real digital license on your computer. Select the option 1 (HWID) inside the script.
Extras
If you wish to set a custom wallpaper, follow this Youtube Guide: https://youtu.be/Rkkl2NxBZ1I. Also, you might consider installing useful software like 7z or OBS. However please don't clutter the install and keep it minimal, remember it's not your PC.
Windows 11
It's literally the same thing. However here's some reminders:
- You can download the Windows 11 ISO from both MSDL and Microsoft's Website directly.
- In Rufus, you'll get a custom Windows User Experience Menu, do not touch any options.
- Enable Secure Boot in your BIOS (Boot Tab > Secure Boot > Windows UEFI Mode > Save & Exit)
APPLIES TO BOTH WINDOWS 10 AND WINDOWS 11
If you don't want ads in Start Menu, select under Time & Currency format: English (World). However after the setup is done, remember to change the system locale back to your country otherwise some apps won't work!
Extras
Remember to enable XMP and ReBAR if your hardware supports it. And in case you missed it, don't forget to update your BIOS before starting the install. It's important.