Win 10 Pro USB Installer Fails following "Install Updates"

Be gentle, I'm new here and with Windows...

Trying to convert a previous Hackintosh to a Windows 10 Pro computer. Hardware is a Gigabyte GA-H87N-WIFI mini-ITX motherboard with a Intel i7-4770K CPU, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB Sandisk SATA SSD. (Worked great on MacOS High Sierra.)

I made a USB flash drive Windows 10 Pro installer from a Microsoft ISO download for Windows 10 Pro. Split the over-large "install.wim" file in the sources folder (using WIMB) into two files, "install.swm" and "install2.swm" per instructions on the Internet. (That was done on my working MacOS Mojave Hack.)

I initially partitioned my two 1 TB SSDs in the computer to GPT/GUID, leaving them blank. Later after much grief I disconnected one, leaving one SSD connected. No USB devices except the WIN installer and one for keyboard/trackball. No Ethernet was connected.

I ran the installer, which seemed to work normally, giving green "checkmarks" all the way down through "Install Updates," but then installation stopped with the error message below. Have no idea what is wrong.

Suggest you use a Linux live USB to format and partition the drive.

[QUOTE=Megahertz;2522437]I suggest you build the USB Win 10 22h2 installation drive using MCT /QUOTE]

I have done just that. And all my BIOS settings agree with your recommendations.

Go to install anddelete ALL partitions on the main drive till you have one and only one unallocated space and then proceed.

Tried that several times... seemed like it always resulted in some new problem like "partitions are not in recommended order" or else the "delete" button was dimmed and not active.

Megahertz said:

]

Please read the tutorial Windows 10 Clean Install

15 - How to Select Drive to Install Windows 10 with UEFI

Indeed, I have done that. I can follow their steps through to the image below (no Recovery disk on my installer screen, but otherwise identical). But when I click "Next," the error message "we couldn't create another partition or locate another one." And the "Next" button doesn't work.

bro67 said:

You need to delete all partitions and let Windows create them. Possible the USB installer you have is screwed up. See these instructions.How to Create a Bootable Windows 10 USB in Linux

Yep, that's what Step 15 says to do and that's what I did. In fact, several times. If the USB installer is screwed up, that's on me. But I did all the stuff that was recommended. Downloaded the ISO, copied everything except the sources folder into the USB, then split the "install.wim" 6.07 GB file into 2 parts using "WIMB," put those 2 files "Install.swm" (4.03 GB) and "Install2.swm" (around 2 GB) into the sources folder in the USB. And the installer does run; I had bought a Product Key from PC Sales, and typed it into the installer when requested, accepted the terms, got the listing of all the drives, deleted all of them until only the 1 TB SSD was shown, then pressed next. I got the 3 files... System (95 MB) on top, MSR (16 MB) next, and the 1 TB (953 GB) on bottom. No unallocated space file. When I hit next, I got that error message that the installer could not create or find another partition. And that's where I am at the moment.

I have no access to Llinux.

- - - Updated - - -

[QUOTE=Megahertz;2522666]When you reach to the point where all partitions are shown (as on the image below) you select the last partition and hit the X Delete. It will become unallocated. Then you select the other partition and delete. Do it till you have one and only one unallocated space.

Did that. Afterwards, installer made the 3 spaces as shown in Step 15, but pressing next again gave that error message.

I have read somewhere that the installer can't handle a vey large target disk. Not from Microsoft, but a community forum somewhere else. That fellow somehow transferred the entire installer to the target disk itself, and then it worked for him. I could copy the files to the SSD, but have not tried that yet. I would prefer to use the USB drive since Microsoft has not listed his procedure at all.

bro67 said:

Suggest you use a Linux live USB to format and partition the drive.

Why?