Repair Install/upgrade 20H2 question

sportsfan148 · 07 Dec 2020

If I was to download the current version of the Media Creation Tool as of today from the Microsoft website and create USB installation media. Can I use it to perform a clean installation of Windows 10 20H2, put it on one side and if I have any future issues, can I also use this same installation media to perform a repair install keeping everything (all installed programmes and personal files)?
I have read about the repair install problem that exists with 20H2 so Im wondering if that issue is still there with a clean installation?...would I need to redownload 20H2 again later if I need to do a repair install of 20H2 at some point in the future. If so I may as well wait for the Media Creation Tool to be upgraded after the issue is fixed

dalchina · 07 Dec 2020

You can use it to perform a repair install until your next upgrade occurs.

The repair install issue was resolved by an update MS released.
KB4586781 CU Windows 10 v2004 build 19041.630 and v20H2 19042.630

which post reads:
UPDATE 11/12: Fixes the in-place upgrade (repair install) issue.

KB4586853 CU Windows 10 v2004 build 19041.661 and v20H2 19042.661

I.e. if you update to that after any 20H2 installation, then you should be able to do an in-place upgrade repair install.

Bree · 07 Dec 2020

dalchina said:

The repair install issue was resolved by an update MS released.
KB4586781 CU Windows 10 v2004 build 19041.630 and v20H2 19042.630

No, 19042.630 still had the issue that you could not keep files and apps in a repair install. It was the next one, KB4586853, the optional preview CU for 19042.662 that contained the fix.

Repair Install/upgrade 20H2 question-image.png

But I wouldn't bother installing it, the fix will also be December's Patch Tuesday CU which should be released in about 19 hours.

Bree · 07 Dec 2020

sportsfan148 said:

...I have read about the repair install problem that exists with 20H2 so Im wondering if that issue is still there with a clean installation?.

The issue is not a problem with the USB, it is in the installed OS. Once a CU with the fix in it has been applied (to bring it up to build 19042.662 or higher) even a USB made on the day 20H2 was released can now keep files and apps in a repair install.

dalchina · 07 Dec 2020

dalchina said:
The repair install issue was resolved by an update MS released.
KB4586781 CU Windows 10 v2004 build 19041.630 and v20H2 19042.630
No, 19042.630 still had the issue that you could not keep files and apps in a repair install. It was the next one, KB4586853, the optional preview CU for 19042.662 that contained the fix.

@Bree: I posted correct information in that I linked to Brink's post stating the correct update.

Unfortunately that is in a thread title which misleadingly is a different update. My mistake was not noting that the URL name was that of a different update.

You would have seen that was so had you clicked on the link. I have added the text of that post now.

Bree · 07 Dec 2020

dalchina said:

You would have seen that was so had you clicked on the link. I have added the text of that post now.

I understand that you don't run 20H2 yet so you probably haven't been involved in the full horrors that went on in the month of November. I have run 20H2 since 20th October's release and have followed its every twist and turn, starting with testing the registry hacks to allow apps and files to be kept in a repair install.

Yes, 19042.661 did fix the issue - but at a cost. It was an Insider preview build that had to be re-released about four time to fix other bugs it introduced. It all got very messy and had to be replaced with the Insider release of 19042.662 - only for those on .661 to find that they then couldn't update from .661 to .662 - they had to restore a 19042.630 image or do a repair install. Without that they were stuck with .661. Not one of Microsoft's finest hours.

As a consequence the threads here got messy too, and the 645 posts of what is now titled KB4586853 CU Windows 10 v2004 build 19041.662 and v20H2 19042.662 were originally three separate threads, Insider .661, Insider .662 and public release .662.

In fact an example of how mixed up the threads got is that the link you quoted from Brink...

...says '19042.661' and has the link to the (now non-existent) Insider .661 thread, but now redirects to the public .662 release thread.

Bottom line - the first publicly available and safe to use fix was 19042.662 released on 30th November through Windows Update, but it's hardly worth installing it this close to the Patch Tuesday release that will also have the fix.