can Windows.iso destroy my USB stick?

PiKo · 09 Feb 2017

Since Windows.iso didn't fit on a DVD I just copied it to an USB stick. At the end of copying an error message appeared. After that I could read what was on the stick, but my stick has become write protected. I did everything I could find on internet, including formatting and GParted (Linux) to no avail. A short moment I even saw that the drive was classified as "boot". But always access was denied. I have thrown the stick away in the bin.
My question is: is it possible that my drive became corrupted just by copying Windows.iso to it or was my drive accidentally end-of-life?

Steve C · 09 Feb 2017

I just copied the ISO file to a USB drive and all was fine. See if you can reformat the drive and ensure the write protect switch is not set on the USB drive if it has one. The easy method to create a bootable Windows USB drive is to use the Media Creation Tool.USB Flash Drive - Create to Install Windows 10

CountMike · 09 Feb 2017

ISO or not, it's just file(s) as far as storage is concerned and all by itself can't "destroy" it, Suddenly going to read only mode is usual sign that it's done for or on the way out. Try this: SD Card formatter for Windows Download - SD Association program on it.

PiKo · 09 Feb 2017

CountMike said:

ISO or not, it's just file(s) as far as storage is concerned and all by itself can't "destroy" it, Suddenly going to read only mode is usual sign that it's done for or on the way out. Try this: SD Card formatter for Windows Download - SD Association program on it.

I indeed assume now that the USB stick was end-of-life. I threw it away already. It was pity that the newest Windows.iso did not fit (slightly larger) on a standard DVD. However, I had from the past a Windows.iso build 1511 on DVD, which I now used for a clean install. Now awaiting the AU.

CountMike · 09 Feb 2017

Dual layer DVD should fit windows installation. Most of modern readers/writers support it.

RoadBlaster · 09 Feb 2017

USB stick formatting problems could be read this :

What’s the Difference Between FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS?

I always keep my usb memory stick on exFat so I can copy files over 4GB to it.

CountMike · 09 Feb 2017

RoadBlaster said:

USB stick formatting problems could be read this :

What’s the Difference Between FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS?

I always keep my usb memory stick on exFat so I can copy files over 4GB to it.

That doesn't make it go read only.

RoadBlaster · 09 Feb 2017

I read on this site tell people to format memory sticks with fat32 the use rufus to create a USB w10 install, im sure rufus would instal this onto the mem stick but then people complain of the install not installing afterwards due to the iso breaching the format parameters.

So PiKo what format was your memory stick ?

PiKo · 09 Feb 2017

RoadBlaster said:

I read on this site tell people to format memory sticks with fat32 the use rufus to create a USB w10 install, im sure rufus would instal this onto the mem stick but then people complain of the install not installing afterwards due to the iso breaching the format parameters.

So PiKo what format was your memory stick ?

NTFS; the file does not fit Fat32. exFat I did not try.

Fafhrd · 09 Feb 2017

Some (inferior?) USBs don't seem to like being reformatted to a different FS than FAT32.

Always use a good quality brand, and if they fail within an unreasonable period - get them replaced by the vendor. E.G. Sandisk:

https://www.sandisk.co.uk/about/lega...warranty-table