ISO from RECOVERY question.

Pavl · 23 Nov 2020

Hello to the forum.
Have been given advice from this forum regarding w10p 1909 problems but having problems getting an iso.
Then saw this thread How to create an .iso file out of a USB Recovery Drive
I am trying to download the 1909 iso from HeiDoc but not succeeding (poor connection).
So I checked my recovery drive (micro sd 16gb) and properties.
Total is 6.07gb.
Recovery\sources\reconstruct.WIM = 3.71gb
Recovery\sources\reconstruct.WIM2 = 1.88gb
Recovery\boot.wim = 430mb

ISO from RECOVERY question.-recovery01.jpg

ISO from RECOVERY question.-recovery02.jpg

Does this mean I can follow the thread mentioned to create a 1909 iso (the current version on machine that created this recovery drive)?
Following advice from others on this forum I want to do an in-place re-install.
This from Android tablet (grrrrrr).
Paul

dalchina · 23 Nov 2020

As has already been said, if your USB drive is 1909, then you can perform an in-place upgrade repair install using that USB bootable drive.

You do NOT have to use an iso file.

Step 1: Boot normally.
Step 2: Insert flash drive
Step 3: browse to said flash drive
Step 4: double click setup.exe

If this is at all unclear, please specify why you need an iso file.

N.B. you can ONLY perform an in-place upgrade repair install if you can boot normally.

Pavl · 23 Nov 2020

Thank you "dalchina".
EDIT: I think I am getting crossed terminology here ..... what you call usb drive = my recovery microSD that I created ?
If yes then please ignore below.
END OF EDIT.
I can boot normally.
All settings are blank . as in whole settings panel is blank if from my shortcut, can only access settings from win-x but links are all dead, network states "connected" but no browser will load, Edge tries to load but is blank, Thunderbird will not load, cannot run services.msc, can use file explorer though.
Am following advice from others on this forum, I dont pretend to know better.
Have seen posts from "Brink" about reinstall ...
So that is what got me to this point.
And the key issue is .... I do not have an ISO ... cannot download even from a connection at 10x speed I have (fails at 2.5gb) ...... but if the answer to my question here is "yes it can be done from my recovery drive" then I might soon have an iso ...
Does that make sense?
Paul

dalchina · 23 Nov 2020

You imply you have a 1909 USB bootable flash drive.

If that is so you do NOT need an iso file to perform an in-place upgrade repair install.

I have tried to make that very clear for you.

I have also advised you in your other thread to get a friend or neighbour to download a iso file for you, if in fact you do NOT have said bootable USB flash drive.

It may be your disk is failing- before attempting repair actions you should check your disk.
E.g. a portable program such as
Hard disk sentinel portable
Crystal Diskinfo portable

(search for those - no installation needed- can be run from a flash drive).

Pavl · 23 Nov 2020

Thank you.
Will work with your advice.
Over and out.
Paul

OldNavyGuy · 23 Nov 2020

I would be interested in seeing what's on Reconstruct.WIM -

Command prompt (Run as administrator)

Example:

Dism /Get-ImageInfo /imagefile:H:\sources\Reconstruct.WIM /index:1

Replace H: with your drive letter.

Two ways to do a repair install when booted into Windows -

1. Right-click on an ISO file, select Mount, and double-click on setup.exe in the root folder.

2. Insert the bootable installation media (USB flash drive, or DVD), double-click to open the drive contents, and double-click on setup.exe in the root folder.

No booting from the installation media is required, unless you want to do a clean install.

Pavl · 23 Nov 2020

Thank you once again "OldNavyGuy".
Sadly .... failed ... and back to 'unsolved'
So here is the story ..
Download of ISO from HeiDoc on 10x faster connection timed out after approx 1 hour (overnight and well inside the 24 hour time limit for link).
Recovery drive that I created at earliest opportunity and followed all defaults etc ..... does not have "setup.exe" on it. Show hidden and unticked op system files ... which is the state for the images posted above.
But I had posted these images before knowing that I needed "setup.exe".
My Dell L5500 was already set to the boot options advised by Brink in his clean install post and as per Dell community for booting from usb.
As I cannot take screenshots .... memory fuzzy but could get the drive to boot and did have the blue screen with all the options which were subtly different from tutorial example.
But did get to the point of "Use dvd r USb or ..." and could select the usb.
But the (by now smart 'simple' aero style windows said there was no information for my hardware or system (cannot recal now) ... tried every file and folder on the usb .... refused all.
With nothing to lose now ...
Tried a few options and even pressed wrong options ... no harm done as all came to nought.
Have read (quickly) some of the other posts and threads relating to "bootable" "recovery" and so forth but cannot find a clear path for me in these particular circumstances ... as I keep tripping over advice to "download and iso" ... which is the big problem for me.

Having already posted the file structure of this recovery drive above ... is what I have there sufficient to create an ISO ?
(and I note the admin preferred method of iso ...).
And I seem to have 2x .wims ... should I take both into account as I cannot see other posts mentioning two?

Have checked with ShowKeyPlus and I have generic w10p key with digital license and "Win 7 OEM key present in firmware".

Clearly beyond me but content to meddle a bit longer.

Meanwhile I have just ordered a supposedly legit w8.1p on dvd. If cannot resolve this w10p thing am going that way with a new c: drive .... still has a couple of years extended support.

Thanks for all help so far
Paul

- - - Updated - - -

And just for information .....

Tried twice and got same result.
Paul

NavyLCDR · 23 Nov 2020

The dism command should be /get-wiminfo, not /get-imageinfo.

OldNavyGuy · 23 Nov 2020

The OP entered \sources\Resources\Reconstruct.WIM for the path...it should have been just \sources\Reconstruct.WIM.

In this context, Get-ImageInfo is correct.

/Get-ImageInfo /imagefile produces the same result as /Get-WimInfo /WimFile

Example -

Code:

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19041.630]
(c) 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>Dism /Get-ImageInfo /imagefile:E:\sources\install.WIM /index:1

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.19041.572

Details for image : E:\sources\install.WIM

Index : 1
Name : Windows 10 Home
Description : Windows 10 Home
Size : 14,212,376,596 bytes
WIM Bootable : No
Architecture : x64
Hal : <undefined>
Version : 10.0.19041
ServicePack Build : 264
ServicePack Level : 0
Edition : Core
Installation : Client
ProductType : WinNT
ProductSuite : Terminal Server
System Root : WINDOWS
Directories : 20255
Files : 87841
Created : 5/10/2020 - 9:49:13 PM
Modified : 5/10/2020 - 10:25:07 PM
Languages :
        en-US (Default)
The operation completed successfully.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>

OldNavyGuy · 23 Nov 2020

You can make your own ISO from a .WIM (or .ESD) file using the free tool NTLite.

It's only 12 MB, so even on your connection it shouldn't take long to download.

Download – NTLite

Start by clicking Add on the toolbar, and select Image file (WIM, ESD, SWM) -

Once you've added the .WIM file, you should see a list of images.

Right-click on the one you want, and select Create ISO.

Give it a name (NTLite.ISO is the default), select the folder you want it saved to, and click Save.

One caveat...if this is an OEM recovery, running setup.exe may wipe your hard drive, and restore everything to factory settings.

I don't know if there are any public libraries near you, but you might try one of them.

You're not stuck with just Heidoc...TechBench is another option.

TechBench by WZT (v4.1.1)

Before running any setup.exe, I would suggest doing a full disk image backup of what you have now.