ISO file question

So, it's ok to delete the "old" ISO file from my USB stick and download a new Windows 10 ISO file using Microsoft Media creation tool?

I have wondering about this subject lately.

The Media Creation Tool will erase the existing USB drive and install everything fresh. You can also save the ISO file to your computer, mount it, and then copy over the contents to the flash drive that has already had an image on it. If it were me, I would just let Media Creation Tool do it, if I didn't have anything else on that flash drive. There isn't any real evidence that Microsoft has updated the ISO file you get from Media Creation Tool, though.

So, I got curious and had 20 minutes to kill. I just downloaded the dual 32/64 bit Pro ISO using Media Creation Tool. It is the exact same number of bytes as the ISO I downloaded sometime between July 30-August 1. That tells me no update.

NavyLCDR said:

So, I got curious and had 20 minutes to kill. I just downloaded the dual 32/64 bit Pro ISO using Media Creation Tool. It is the exact same number of bytes as the ISO I downloaded sometime between July 30-August 1. That tells me no update.

My experience is different. I compared the contents of three Win10 Pro x64 ISOs I downloaded over different dates, and in all three, the install.wim file was a different size and a different date. That tells me that MS is updating their ISO files.

Mark Phelps said:

Interesting question -- I was wondering about this, too.

So, I downloaded the Win10 64-bit Pro ISO a few minutes ago and compared the file/folder dates and the install.wim files from this download, to the same ISO I had downloaded on 8/9 and on 8/15 -- and discovered that the dates are all different and the install/wim files are all different sizes and dates.

So, apparently, MS is updating their Win10 ISO files, just not telling us when or why.

I believe I under that the DRIVER files are not also addedd when making an ISO file. So what is the best way to go find your current drivers that will be needed with it ?

When I made a DVD with Macrium, I noted that the program was smart enough to go get them and ask if they needed to be updated before the DVD was made. Thanks for comments and helping me to understand how all this is supposed to function.
I do appreciate your help.. thanks Cliff M acmanten

acmanten said:

I believe I under that the DRIVER files are not also addedd when making an ISO file. So what is the best way to go find your current drivers that will be needed with it ?

When I made a DVD with Macrium, I noted that the program was smart enough to go get them and ask if they needed to be updated before the DVD was made. Thanks for comments and helping me to understand how all this is supposed to function.
I do appreciate your help.. thanks Cliff M acmanten

The easiest way is just to download the drivers and store them separately on the USB stick or a separate DVD. Once you make a USB stick from a Windows 10 ISO file you can still write to it. Just make a separate folder for Drivers. After Windows 10 installs then you would load whatever additional drivers you need to. Windows 10 will almost always have enough basic drivers to get you started with video and at least one or the other of wired Ethernet or WiFi networking.

You can incorporate driver files into the Windows 10 install.wim image within the ISO so they install with Windows 10, but that's a pretty complicated process that I don't know how to do (and probably never will).