I was wondering whether I could create a small partition on one of my HDDs and use the installation media creation tool to put the installation files on that and then set the BIOS to boot from that partition and start the process of installing Windows? I can't find my USB drive ATM.
If you are using Windows 10 now(on the PC you want to do this to) and want to clean install, why not just use this option: Refresh Windows Tool - How to Use in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums ?
Ok, just askin':)
But yeah you can do what you plan.
Some users here in the forums do something similar, creating a small partition, then placing their Macrium Reflect recovery environment there, so it should absolutely work.
Something to think about, try to place the .iso partition as far to the "left" on the disk as you can, to be able to delete it, and recover the space if you want later,
or leave it there, for future use, then give it a drive letter, and later you can keep it updated using File Explore.
Here is the Macrium tutorial I mentioned, you can use the tut, to do what you want using it: Solved FYI: Setup Macrium Rescue to boot from an Internal/External USB HD/SSD - Windows 10 Forums
If you watch the video from post #5 to create a Macrium Rescue disk. It would be the same procedure to create the Windows Installation disk.
- Download Windows Installation ISO: Windows 10 and put on desktop for easy access.
- Create a partition on an internal/external drive around 5GB, format as FAT32.
NOTE: Set the partition Active if the disk used is an MBR disk. No need not to do anything if is a GPT disk .- Use: WinRar/WinZip/7-Zip to extract the ISO file to the root of the partition created in step 2.
- Set the BIOS as first boot priority then boot.
Thanks. Unfortunately, the computer just doesn't boot when those drives are moved to the top of the disk priority (I tried on a GPT and MBR disk). It doesn't let me select which partition, only which disk - I don't know whether the BIOS is meant to quickly check all partitions on a drive. Maybe my new motherboard will perform as expected but I've ordered a USB drive anyway.
Edit: it works for the MBR disk, just not the GPT disk (for which it hangs) on the black screen that says "Loading Operating System...".
This works for me no problem, I followed Topgundcp's Tip to set it up. I have several drives in a 4 bay USB enclosure, They are only 2TB each so can be MBR initialized and I use the Beginning 3-8GB of each Drive Formatted Fat32 (maybe need to be set active) and boot Macrium, Kyhi's PE or the Latest Win10 ISO as needed , I have not tried it off the Main HDD though.
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