Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First  

ICIT2LOL said:

Hello Shawn mate I have tried three times now to create a bootable USB drive for 10 and it runs right down to the completion then goes into checking something and then I get the message that the production of the bootable USB stick didn't work because of some sort of error...

If you are using the Media Creation Tool to download the install media and create the bootable USB then it will fail with error code 0x80004005 - 0xA001A if the USB you ask it to use has a gpt partition. A USB stick comes supplied by the manufacturer with an MBR partition layout, but tools like Rufus may change this to GPT. The MCT doesn't expect a GPT layout and will fail at the formatting stage.

...after failure, the USB is left 'unalocated'. You can create a new simple volume using Disk Management to make it accessible again but, critically, its is STILL using a gpt partition layout. Only DISKPART or a tool like MiniTool Partition Wizard can make it MBR again.

The MCT only fails after it has downloaded all the files it needs, verified them and created the media in preparation for copying it to the USB. It is not until this point that it attempts (and fails) to format the USB.

Unfortunately, the MCT cleans up after itself at close, so you have to do the whole download over again next time you run it.

USB flash drive --assign drive letter back to dynamic from static Solved - Page 3 - Windows 10 Forums

ICIT2LOL said:

Hello Shawn mate I just followed the tutorial but both times it end up with a dark blue window with an error message in it. (0x80004005 - 0xA001A)
...Thanks for your reply too Bree I got that error but I just formatted the stick NTFS before I made the stick up. I also tried FAT32 as the format but with same result

As I said above,

You can create a new simple volume using Disk Management to make it accessible again but, critically, its is STILL using a gpt partition layout. Only DISKPART or a tool like MiniTool Partition Wizard can make it MBR again.

With Diskpart to return the usb stick to an MBR partition layout you list the disks then select the disk # of the usb (using the actual number in place of #), using the commands...

LIST DISK
SELECT DISK #
CLEAN
CONVERT MBR
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY

Then you can format it as you wish, after that the MCT will be able to use it successfully.

ICIT2LOL said:

I suppose the MBR stick will still work on a EUFI machine??

Yes, a UEFI system will recognise both types of partition table. USB sticks usually come from the manufacturer as mbr, it's only after you use something like Rufus to reformat them that they may end up converted to gpt.

Just registered for TenForums so please excuse me if I am posting this in the wrong place. Not only am I jumping from Windows 7 to 10 but also want to go from 32bit to 64bit. Is it possible to upgrade from my Windows 7 Ultimate and go to 64bit using your procedure? I am doing this with the following computer so it should be possible technically:

Manufacturer eMachines
Model ET1331G
Total amount of system memory 8.00 GB RAM
System type 32-bit operating system
Number of processor cores 2
64-bit capable Yes
hdd Samsung HD753LJ 750GB

(As you can see I have plenty of RAM. I expanded it before doing my homework and finding that Windows 32bit would not allow me to use it).

Also there are numerous postings that say that "you can still get a free upgrade at least at the time of this posting". So is the information here still viable?
Thanks for any assistance. It seems that no link I have followed gives all the answers.

Nedly1 said:

...Not only am I jumping from Windows 7 to 10 but also want to go from 32bit to 64bit. Is it possible to upgrade from my Windows 7 Ultimate and go to 64bit using your procedure?...

Also there are numerous postings that say that "you can still get a free upgrade at least at the time of this posting". So is the information here still viable?

Welcome to TenForums. No, you cannot go to 64-bit if your existing Windows 7 is 32-bit. Step 2 of the tutorial says you must...

2. Create a Windows 10 USB that is for the same type (32-bit or 64-bit), edition, and language as your current Windows 7/8.1

However, to answer your second point, yes, if you upgrade your 32-bit Windows 7 Ultimate to Windows 10 you will get 32-bit Windows 10 Pro and it will be activated. Your PC will have a Digital Licence stored on Microsoft's activation servers and linked to the hardware ID of your PC. Once it is activated you can do a clean install of 64-bit Windows 10 Pro, skipping entering a key when asked, and it will automatically activate from the Digital Licence.

Upgrade to Windows 10 | Tutorials

Brink said:

I'm afraid that you will need to clean install Windows 10 using the method below to go from 32-bit to 64-bit.

If you upgrade the existing Win7 to 10 first that will get you a digital licence. Then you can clean install 64-bit and it will activate from the existing digital licence. The digital licence will only be valid for one edition (Home or, in your case, Pro) but it is valid for both 32 and 64 bits.