How to install Windows 10 updates without an internet connection

When Microsoft launched the Windows 10 operating system in 2015, they promised yearly updates. Microsoft focused on the point that Windows 10 is not an OS but a service. It will be supported regularly throughout its lifecycle. Windows 10 got some new additions to its features list in the Anniversary Update in mid-2016. It is 2017 now and Microsoft has released the Creators Update for Windows 10.

The updates on Windows 10 are always released in phases, with the flagship laptops receiving it first followed by less capable devices. The update roll-out also depends on the make and manufacturer of your computer. There are some people who like to wait till their computer notifies them about the update. However, some like to try it out before the rest of the world catches up. It may also happen that your Windows 10 PC isn’t connected to an internet connection at all or uses a metered connection from your smartphone. So, is there any way to get Windows updates for your computer without it being connected to fast or no internet connection?

Yes, you can. Microsoft has a tool specifically built for this purpose and it’s known as the Media Creation Tool.

The concept of the Media Creation Tool is very simple – you can download a legitimate copy of Windows 10 with the latest update on another PC with internet connection and install it on your PC through a removable media like a DVD or a USB flash drive. However, you should have a licensed copy of Windows 10 pre-installed on your PC. The tool gives you an option to either install the downloaded files on your PC as an update or perform a clean installation through ISO files. Since we are looking to keep our files and settings most of the time, updating is the PC is the best way to go. The tool can be downloaded for free from Microsoft’s website and is fairly simple to use.

Note: You need to have a USB flash drive plugged in your computer. Remember that this process will erase all other data before downloading the file on the flash drive, so take a backup of the existing data on the flash drive. If there’s any other flash drive attached to the computer, you will get an option to choose your desired flash drive.

1. Download the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft’s website. It is available for free and weighs around 18MB. Install it on a PC with an internet connection. Note that you need to have Administrator access on the PC you are downloading the files. You will also need to accept the terms and conditions of the Media Creation Tool before progressing.

2. After installation, you will be asked to either “Upgrade this PC now” or “Create installation media for another PC”. Choose the “Create installation media for another PC” and click “Next”.

3. You will have to select the language, edition and architecture of the Windows 10 you want to download. Click on “Next” after choosing the option.

4. You will be given an option to choose the media for downloading the files. If you use a USB flash drive, ensure that it has a capacity of at least 8 GB. Or you can create an ISO file, which you can burn to a DVD later. As per our trial, the “USB flash drive” option is faster to download as well as install. Click “Next” after selecting the USB option.

5. You will see the download screen with the percentage of files downloaded on the PC. Wait until the download reaches 100%.

6. Once finished, you will be greeted with a message – “Your USB Flash Drive is ready”. You can also make multiple copies of the downloaded files to other flash drives.

Now plug-in the USB flash drive to your Windows 10 computer. Open the folder in the drive and select the “Setup” file to start the installer. Upon opening, select the “Install updates now” option and Windows will start installing the updates. Wait for the installation to finish and after that, you are on the latest version of Windows 10.