How long does it take to install Windows 10?
If you are searching for the same, then this post is for you.
And the answer to this question is that there is no fixed time for the Installation of Windows 10.
Because it depends on a lot factors like which device you are using, your internet speed, your desktop pc speed & many more.
Likewise, If you compare between USB Drive or CD drive then you will see a large difference in installation time.
And if you include the download time to it, then it would be somewhat higher than that.
Apart from that, I have also seen many users searching for “How long does it take for Windows 11 to Install” which is an upgraded version of this operating system.
However, this depends on many factors like if you are doing this after reset, update or upgrade. ( which we will be discussing later in this detailed post )
So, let’s get started…
Table of Contents
How Long Does It Take to Install Windows 10?
According to Microsoft, Windows 10 takes around 30 minutes to 1 hour to install properly on any device or PC.
But for many users, this time is very long and frustrating.
And that’s why most of the users are searching for the actual time, so that can they assume how much time they need to spend on it.
Also, so many users have complained that “Why is installing Windows 10 taking so long?”. I don’t know the actual reason for this but this may be because of the slow speed of the processor or hard drive.
Moreover, if a user is using SSD on a Windows 10 system, then it would hardly take 25 minutes to complete the installation process.
This may also depend on different situations like “if you are installing it manually” or “directly updating it from Microsoft”.
So, now let’s see how long it takes in different situations…
How Long Does It Take to Install Windows 10 from a CD or USB?
Even though I have already talked about this in the above section but here we will discuss it in more detail. As we all know that, there is a huge difference between the speed of a CD / DVD or USB Flash Drive.
And that’s why we also see a huge difference between the installation time of Windows 10 using a CD or USB. USB Drive is faster and that’s why it loads all the necessary files required for installation at a faster rate.
Apart from that, it also depends on many factors like processor speed, hard disk speed, RAM speed, and also which OS you are installing.
Now let’s see how long will it take to install windows 10 from USB or CD using this small table.
| Hardware | Installation Time |
|---|---|
| HHD + CD/DVD | 1 – 1.5 hour |
| HHD + USB | 30 – 45 minutes |
| SSD + CD/DVD | 30 minutes |
| SSD + USB | 20 minutes |
And these timings are also valid if you looking for the clean install of Windows 10, reinstall, or hard reset time calculated.
Now let’s move to the next part…
How Long Does It Take to Install Windows 10 after Reset on PC?
In the above section, we have talked about the CD/DVD or USB installation time but here we will talk about how much time Windows 10 takes to install after Reset on the PC.
There are so many times when you face issues with your computer and to fix it you try different tools and methods. But there are some issues that don’t get fixed easily. And at last, you are only left with an option to Reset it.
However, Resetting your PC is a great option if you want to fix or repair any windows installation file which is causing the issue. Although, this option allows you to keep your personal files safe.
Note:- Please make sure to keep a backup of your important before resetting your laptop or PC.
Now let’s see how long will it take to reset windows 10.
| Hardware | Reset Time |
|---|---|
| HDD (Hard Drive) | 1 – 1.5 hour |
| SSD (Solid State Drive) | 30 minutes |
And if you look at the table, then it is similar to the above installation time from USB or CD. I have seen many users saying that it is better to do a clean installation instead of resetting your PC.
But here I would like to suggest you something, for doing a clean install you need to create a windows 10 bootable USB which will eventually consume more time.
So it’s better to do Reset this PC (Recovery) rather than installing it from scratch.
Now let’s move to the next part…
How Long Does Windows 10 Update Take to Install?
In the above two sections, we talked about the installation time but here we will talk about how long will it take to upgrade or update Windows 10 fully on your system.
Basically, this process is totally different and more time-consuming as compared to the above ones. Because in this they need to perform two processes simultaneously, one they need to keep a backup of old files, and second they need to update the new files.
Also, don’t forget to check out how to delete backup files in Windows 10. ( Will help you in saving your disk space 🙂 )
Apart from this, there are two more scenarios.
1. Upgrading from older windows version.
2. Updating small KB updates like 20h2 or 20h1.
But before we dive in further, let’s have a look at this table.
| Type of Update / Upgrade | Update Time |
|---|---|
| Small KB Updates | 30 minutes (Minimum) |
| Upgrading from Older Windows | 1 – 1.5 hours (Minimum) |
According to Microsoft, Windows 10 can take 30 minutes to 3 hours to install an update on your PC.
Like if we are upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10 then it will take some higher time as compared to the above ones. Because in this upgrade we will be downloading so many windows installation files.
Also, if we are using Media Creation Tool then it will take some more time for downloading the Windows 10 ISO File and then installing them.
Although, small KB updates don’t take much time if you have enabled the “Download Automatic Updates” option. But while installing them they take can take more than 1 hour and most of the time is consumed by restarting the CPU again & again and applying those updates.
Note:- This totally depends on the Internet Speed and also on the Disk Speed of HDD or SDD. ( More speed means faster downloading )
Now let’s move to the next part…
How Long Does It Take to Download Windows 10?
Even though I have already talked about the installation time of Windows 10 in different situations but here we will specifically talk about the downloading time of the ISO File.
Basically, the download time of any file depends on 2 factors, one is your Internet Speed and the second one is Server Speed.
Because if the downloading speed of both Server and Internet are good, then you will be able to download it at faster. And if any one of them is low, then you will be downloading it at a slower rate.
According to Microsoft, the minimum file size of a Windows ISO file is 3.5 GB and if you download this file with a speed of 50 Mbps connection, then it would hardly take 10 minutes.
Sometimes the file size may differ according to the version of the Windows operating system like Home Premium, Home Basic, Home Single, Professional, and 64 bit or 32 bit.
Also, check out our new post on how big is windows 10.
Also, if the download time of the ISO File is added to the installation time, then the above timings would be somewhat higher.
Tip:- If you want to improve your download speed then use Internet Download Manager. ( I Personally recommend )
Now let’s move to the next part…
How to Speed Up Slow Windows 10 Installation?
Sometimes you may notice that Windows 10 is taking so much longer time than the usual time. Whether it is installing some new updates or updating some old files, it takes longer than the normal time.
And at that time it can be very frustrating to see the Windows 10 icon loading without doing anything.
However, this only happens when there is some issue like a slow internet connection, some old junk files unable to update, or maybe the poor performance of a hard drive.
And this can be easily fixed by following these quick hacks:-
1. Internet Speed: Check your internet connection is working at a good speed so that all necessary required files can be downloaded easily.
2. Disable Startup Programs: Before downloading and installing updates please make sure to disable startup programs that are already running and consuming resources like RAM, Internet, and hard drive space.
3. Free Storage Space: Always check for some free storage space available for installing new updates and files on your PC.
4. Delete Junk Files: I would suggest you periodically check for unwanted junk files and delete them using Disk Cleanup. ( Also, Improves your PC speed )
5. Windows Update Troubleshooter: Always use a Windows update troubleshooter to fix windows update errors.
Some FAQs
How long does Windows 10 usually take to install?
Usually, Windows 10 takes 20 minutes to install it fully from a USB drive on a computer or laptop. But for that, the system must have an SSD installed on it.
How much time does it take to install Windows?
Installing any Windows operating system takes around 1 hour but this may also differ for different versions like XP, 7, 8, 10, and 11.
How long does it take to install Windows 10 from a USB?
Generally, this process takes 30 minutes to install Windows 10 from USB but this may be somewhat faster in the case of SSD and slower in HDD.
Can I turn off my PC while installing Windows 10?
No, you can’t turn off the PC while installing Windows 10 because this may corrupt your operating system and you will be stuck in between the process.
That’s it for now…
Conclusion
So that’s all about the installation, upgrade & update time and how long does it take for Windows 10 to install properly on any system. Primarily, this post is written based on how much time it takes if installed on SSD or HDD using a CD or USB Drive.
Also in this post, we have tried to cover each and everything related to the download time of ISO files or installation time taken by different versions of Windows OS.
Stay tuned for the latest post…
Feel free to share your thoughts via comments and also tell us about this post on How Long Does It Take to Install Windows 10?
If you liked this post, don’t forget to share it…