Microsoft confirms Windows 10 to be available on USB drives; Amazon starts pre-orders

Clearing the air on rumours related to whether it would sell Windows 10 on USB drive, Microsoft has said users would be able to buy Windows 10 on a USB drive and install it directly without any need for a DVD drive.

"Windows 10 will be available on USB drives for purchase in retail channels shortly after launch. The suggested retail prices for Windows 10 in the US are the same as Windows 10," a Microsoft spokesperson told VentureBeat.

The USB drives will be available through retailers including the Microsoft Store itself, but the availability dates might vary depending on the retailers.

Meanwhile, Amazon has begun pre-orders for Windows 10 Pro (in Spanish and English) and Windows 10 Home USB flash drives. The suggested retail price noted for each version is $119.99; the shipment date is 30 August.

While other retailers are yet to reveal their price deals, you may head over to the Amazon product site to place pre-orders for your desired Windows 10 edition.

Windows 10 preview build 10240

Microsoft released a new Windows 10 preview build 10240 to both the Fast and Slow rings on 15 July, a few days ahead of the official roll-out.

After updating the system to this build the desktop watermark will no longer be present. Nevertheless, you can go to Search>> Winver to see the version number.

As the builds are available through Windows Update, to get the new release head over to Start>> Settings>> Update & Security>> Windows Update>> Check for updates. But you need to log into Microsoft Account in order to receive the preview build.