How To Install Windows 10 IoT On Your Raspberry Pi 2

How do you run Windows on a Raspberry Pi? 

And why?

First, I invite you to check out Microsoft’s refreshingly complete GitHub page where they offer instructions for installing Windows 10 onto Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Galileo, and MinnowBoard. The page offers instructions for getting the official “Windows Embedded IoT” image for use with these devices. You can also just download it here.

What you need

1. A PC running Windows 10 Insider Preview.
2. Register with the Microsoft Connect program to download the Windows 10 IoT Core Insider Preview image.
We release the Windows 10 IoT Core for Raspberry Pi 2 through our program on Microsoft Connect. If you have not signed up yet, please go to our program site onMicrosoft Connect site to sign up. You can find step-by-step instructions for signing up for Microsoft Connect here. If you're already signed up for this program on Microsoft Connect and try to sign up again, you will just see a blank page.
3. Raspberry Pi 2.
4. 5V micro USB power supply with at least 1.0A current.
NOTE: You may want to use a higher current power supply (>2.0A) instead if you plan on using several USB peripherals or high-current devices.
5. A 8gb Class 10 (or better) micro SD card.
If you don't have an SD card, we suggest this one or this one.
6. HDMI cable (if display is desired).
7. Ethernet cable.

How?

Here is how to install Windows 10 IoT onto your Raspberry Pi.
Steps: 



Here is how to install Windows 10 IoT onto your Raspberry Pi.

1. Create an account at Microsoft Connect.

2. Download the file Windows_IoT_Core_RPI2_BUILD.zip which contains flash.ffu. Place this file in an accessible place.

3. Insert a blank 8GB Class 10 SD card into your computer.

4. Open a command prompt and type:
diskpart
list disk
exit

This will allow you to find the drive number for your SD card. Use this in the next step.

5. Finally, follow Microsoft’s own instructions for flashing the SD card in Windows 10.

Using the administrator command prompt, apply the image to your SD card by running the following command (be sure to replace PhysicalDriveN with the value you found in the previous step, for example, if your SD card is disk number 3, use /ApplyDrive:\\.\PhysicalDrive3 below):

dism.exe /Apply-Image /ImageFile:flash.ffu /ApplyDrive:\\.\PhysicalDriveN /SkipPlatformCheck

6. Safely remove the SD card.

Hook up your Board

1. Insert micro SD card you prepared in the section above (the slot is on the opposite side of the board shown below).
2. Connect a network cable to the Ethernet port on the board.
3. Connect an HDMI monitor to the HDMI port on the board.
4. Connect the power supply to the micro USB port on the board.

The card is now ready to boot in your Raspberry Pi 2.

Why?

Why would you want to do this? Well, as Microsoft notes, “Windows 10 IoT Core is a new Windows 10 edition for low-cost, small-footprint devices that will be available ‘free’ for Makers and commercial device builders.” This means you can easily flash and use a stripped-down version of Windows in your own projects. Interestingly, this version of Windows will be very familiar to users of similar platforms like Arduino and Rasbian.

Don’t expect to be playing Far Cry on this thing anytime soon – think of it as more of a universal app platform that connects to simple devices like Arduino-based relays and LEDs. In fact the UI is quite limited unless you program some apps yourself.