Windows 10 Iso question

sportsfan148 · 05 Jun 2017

Hi,
Ive just created a bootable Windows 10 USB flash drive using the Media Creation Tool. Everything went great with the installation...so thanks to you guys for all the advice I received

I was curious to see how old the ISO was that I'd downloaded. When I checked the properties of the Media Creation Tool it says File version 10.0.15063.0. Under Digital signature it says 19/03/2017. Is this the date when the ISO was made available on the Microsoft website?
As far as I'm aware the Creators Update was released around April 11th...three weeks later. I thought that Microsoft would have updated their ISO that's available for download to include the Creators Update? How often does the Windows 10 ISO get updated on the Microsoft site?..and how long do you guys re-use your downloaded ISO for clean installations before you consider checking if Microsoft have made a newer ISO available? Is there an easy way of knowing when Microsoft have released an newer/updated ISO on their website?

NavyLCDR · 05 Jun 2017

The version of the Windows 10 in the ISO file is 1703. That means it was released in March (03) of 2017 (17). Hence, the Digital Signature of 19/03/2017 would match that. The Creator's Update was release in March by Microsoft, they just did not start pushing it out via Windows Update until April.

zbook · 05 Jun 2017

The windows 10 iso can be used anytime for windows 10 version 1703. As time passes the build will change. The advantage of having a new iso is that it can shorten the update time after using the iso. Either way it consumes time. If you have multiple computers to perform clean installs then overall it can shorten the update time as you may be able to start with a later build.

Bree · 05 Jun 2017

sportsfan148 said:

I was curious to see how old the ISO was that I'd downloaded. When I checked the properties of the Media Creation Tool it says File version 10.0.15063.0. Under Digital signature it says 19/03/2017. Is this the date when the ISO was made available on the Microsoft website?

This is the date that Microsoft created the .iso internally. Insiders got it in March, but it wasn't made available to the public until a few weeks later, first through the Update Assistant and the Media Creation Tool on 5th April, then the public launch through Windows Update on 11th April.

The .iso or USB created by the latest MCT is build 15063.0 and will update to the latest build using the most recent cumulative update, either by checking for updates during install or when the newly installed Windows boots for the first time. Because it can be updated like this Microsoft do not update the .iso the MCT downloads, it is likely to remain as 15063.0 for the foreseeable future.

For the Anniversary Update Microsoft took the unusual step of updating the .iso part way through its life. The first MCT had a digital signature dated 16 July 2016 and was version 14393.0. The MCT was re-released five months later with a signature date of 8th Dec 2016 and a version number 10.0.14393.591. This was probably thought necessary to fill the long gap between 1607 and 1703.

With the Creators Fall Update penciled in for later this year we are unlikely to see an updated .iso for 1703. If you have multiple machines to install then it would save time to download the standalone package for latest cumulative update the once from the Update Catalog then install it manually after installing 15063.0 from the .iso.

NavyLCDR · 05 Jun 2017

zbook said:

The windows 10 iso can be used anytime for windows 10 version 1703. As time passes the build will change. The advantage of having a new iso is that it can shorten the update time after using the iso. Either way it consumes time. If you have multiple computers to perform clean installs then overall it can shorten the update time as you may be able to start with a later build.

Microsoft does not update the ISO file for every cumulative update. During the life of the Anniversary Update (build 1607), they only updated the ISO file once in the middle. There are methods posted in other threads in this forum on how to verify exactly which build of Windows 10 the MCT you have downloaded will create.

sportsfan148 · 06 Jun 2017

Thanks Bree, NavyLCDR, Zbook..great advice. That's answered everything for me. One of my considerations was the length of the update time after installation from an older ISO..though obviously you will have the extra download time in getting the latest ISO to consider.
Bree said above
"For the Anniversary Update Microsoft took the unusual step of updating the .iso part way through its life. The first MCT had a digital signature dated 16 July 2016 and was version 14393.0. The MCT was re-released five months later with a signature date of 8th Dec 2016 and a version number 10.0.14393.591. This was probably thought necessary to fill the long gap between 1607 and 1703"
I had previously downloaded the 8th December 2016 version and noticed that a newer build had been included 10.0.14393.591. So I wondered if Microsoft updated their ISO's of the same version frequently. Judging from the feedback you guys have given me that looks like it was a one off ISO build update. You guys seem to be suggesting that realistically approximately 6 monthly ISO updates by Microsoft on their site seems to be their strategy as a new version is released