--- description: Microsoft confirmed on Thursday that Windows 10 would be made available for download via a USB stick title: Microsoft Will Sell Windows 10 on a USB Stick image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0f4c830ddfd551f4/69885b6735ba6f0f0ec0e3c5/gettyimages-185189228.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Tech](/tag/time-section-tech/) ## Tech Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Microsoft Will Sell Windows 10 on a USB Stick  by [Dan Kedmey](/author/dan-kedmey/)  ## Dan Kedmey Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 17, 2015 2:34 PM CUT  The logo for Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system is displayed at a launch event for the Windows 8.1 operating system in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, Oct. 18, 2013. The logo for Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system is displayed at a launch event for the Windows 8.1 operating system in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, Oct. 18, 2013.Bloomberg—Bloomberg via Getty Images  by [Dan Kedmey](/author/dan-kedmey/)  ## Dan Kedmey Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 17, 2015 2:34 PM CUT Microsoft has [confirmed](http://venturebeat.com/2015/07/16/microsoft-confirms-plans-to-sell-windows-10-on-usb-drives-opens-pre-orders-on-amazon/ "undefined") it will make Windows 10 available for purchase via a USB stick, replacing the iconic disc packages that have defined the brand’s image for decades. A Microsoft spokesperson told VentureBeat that Windows 10 on USB would start at $119 for the Home version and $199 for Windows 10 Pro. Microsoft will also release the operating system as a free online upgrade to current users of Windows 7 and up. The Windows 10 USB stick appeared with little fanfare on Amazon’s [preorder](http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Windows-Pro-Flash-Drive/dp/B01019TDJ8/ref=pd%5Fsim%5Fsbs%5F65%5F1?ie=UTF8&refRID=04KVE91WXSS2PWDBJMS6 "undefined") page, following weeks of speculation that Microsoft may give customers the option to ditch the DVD. \[[VentureBeat](http://venturebeat.com/2015/07/16/microsoft-confirms-plans-to-sell-windows-10-on-usb-drives-opens-pre-orders-on-amazon/ "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3962477/microsoft-windows-10-usb-stick/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3962477/microsoft-windows-10-usb-stick/"},"headline":"Microsoft Will Sell Windows 10 on a USB Stick","datePublished":"2015-07-17T14:34:26.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:06:04.758Z","description":"Those iconic installation discs may be a thing of the past","url":"https://time.com/3962477/microsoft-windows-10-usb-stick/","keywords":["Tech","apps","Microsoft","windows 10","pubdesk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0f4c830ddfd551f4/69885b6735ba6f0f0ec0e3c5/gettyimages-185189228.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Dan Kedmey","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/dan-kedmey/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0f4c830ddfd551f4/69885b6735ba6f0f0ec0e3c5/gettyimages-185189228.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Microsoft's Windows 8.1 Goes On Sale","caption":"Microsoft's Windows 8.1 Goes On Sale","creditText":"Bloomberg—Bloomberg via Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-tech/","name":"Tech"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3962477/microsoft-windows-10-usb-stick/","name":"Microsoft Will Sell Windows 10 on a USB Stick"}}]}] ```