Set up your Windows 10 system.
Set up your Windows 10 system.
You should choose the USB flash drive option. Download the ISO file first, then use Rufus to write it onto the USB. Install Windows 10 on your current PC while keeping the hard drive connected, and ensure the SSD is used for installation. The OS will install on the SSD automatically if it's the only storage connected.
Begin with a fresh setup instead of an upgrade. Keep all drives disconnected except the SSD. Create the installation USB using the official Microsoft tool, not Rufus.
People often assume upgrades from 8.1 to 10 work smoothly, but the warning about a clean install might stem from Enderman’s need to provide a quick response. It seems he prefers one method over others, making it the preferred choice.
I use the media creation tool and need to understand the distinction between the USB Flash Drive option requiring a minimum of 8GB memory and the ISO method that involves using software like Rufus. Which one is more suitable?
Create a USB flash drive that handles everything on your behalf.
It offers you a decision between downloading the ISO and creating a bootable USB. Or you can just download the ISO file directly. How straightforward is it to grasp?
You're looking for a clean installation. Comparing the direct USB flash drive method versus using an ISO image with a tool like Rufus.
You may try (it costs nothing) just unpack ISO to some directory on your hard drive (even system one) and run setup.exe. You'll see that upgrade isn't that scarry. "Clean install" is something you can always do. Basically upgrade from 8.1 is similar to upgrade from one version of win10 to another. Whole windows directory is replaced (that's why there is "windows.old" directory left after upgrade), registry settings are set to default (except registry entries for programs and some for hardware if it's compatible and have good drivers already). For sure you'll not end with any mix of 8.1/10, you'll get normal win10. There is also no risk that upgrade will mess with your other drives.