Create Bootable USB Flash Drive to Install Windows 10  

Eaglepi said:

Thanks guys, I got my USB done with the latest version.

It did take me 2 times because I misunderstood one step.

In the tutorial it says in step 6,

6

Uncheck the Use the recommended options for this PC box. (see screenshot below)

Leaving the Use the recommended options for this PC box checked will have the Media Creation Tool create a USB flash drive that's the same language, edition, and architecture as the current PC.
Even though it clearly states to Uncheck the Use the recommended options for this PC box. (see screenshot below)

After reading the second part I asked myself why wouldn't I want it the same as this PC??? Then I thought about ti and I'm sure you uncheck it in case you ever have a different PC you need to install windows 10 on. Somethings I over think things.......lol

I also realized that the last USB I made was wrong it was a ISO, this one is correct!!!

Shawn you rock! and thanks for the confirmation Berton !!

You're most welcome.

Shawn,

In Option 4 step 10, you could tell people that they can just use format fs=exfat quick to cope with their install.wim being over 4GB [my current one is 4.29GB - Ver 1909 x64 en-GB].

There's no need for them to consider splitting the wim, reducing it to single-Edition [the Dell procedure] or any of the other possibilities that have been discussed.

I use ExFat for my installation USBs and they boot in both legacy and uefi.
I get my ISOs from TechBench [Download Windows 10 ISO File from MS [TechBench by WZT] - TenForumsTutorials].

Denis

Try3 said:

Shawn,

In Option 4 step 10, you could tell people that they can just use format fs=exfat quick to cope with their install.wim being over 4GB [my current one is 4.29GB - Ver 1909 x64 en-GB].

There's no need for them to consider splitting the wim, reducing it to single-Edition [the Dell procedure] or any of the other possibilities that have been discussed.

I use ExFat for my installation USBs and they boot in both legacy and uefi.
I get my ISOs from TechBench [Download Windows 10 ISO File from MS [TechBench by WZT] - TenForumsTutorials].

Denis

Thank you Denis.

I added a note under the step for this to help.

Media Creation Tool (MCT) has now been updated.

The ISO file or USB created by MCT will now install Windows 10 version 2004 build 19041.450

Anibor said:

Not all computers boot from an exFAT partition.

Thanks for this. You are correct.
I have now found that one of my computers cannot boot from exFat but only from Fat32.

I don't know what the substantial difference is between this computer and the others.

Denis

Brink,

Updated 17th May 2022


This post has been written to assist people who can only boot from Fat32. Fat32 can only cope with files up to 4GB.
The latest versions of Windows ISOs downloaded using
Download Windows 10 ISO File [Option 5 - TechBench] -TenForumsTutorials
contain install.wim files that are bigger than 4GB and which cannot therefore be copied onto a Fat32 USB.
[My problem computer, that boots from Fat32 only, is a Chuwi tablet-with-keyboard. My newest proper computers are both happy to boot from exFat / NTFS but the least capable computer becomes the limiting factor in this situation.]

Dell provides procedures for coping with this situation
Windows 10 ISO contains WIM file that is big for FAT32 file system - Dell
When the install.wim file is bigger than 4GB so you cannot copy ISO contents onto a Fat32 drive using normal methods, Dell suggest

1 Extracting a single-Edition version of install.wim, or
2 Splitting Install.wim into Fat32-sized chunks.

Their first method no longer produces an install.wim less than 4GB but their second method does.
I have built on Dell's second procedure to take it from a downloaded ISO file through to completion, a finished InstallUSB.


1 Extract the ISO's install.wim into .swm files

In File explorer, mount the ISO by double-clicking on it, read its drive letter then use this command to extract .swm files from its install.wim file

- Use your mounted ISO's drive letter in place of my K:
- Use a convenient folder path on your computer in place of my D:\ISO

Code:

dism /Split-Image /ImageFile:"K:\sources\install.wim" /SWMFile:"D:\ISO\install.swm" /FileSize:4000

2 Make the USB

2.1 Format the InstallUSB as Fat32.

- Formatting is not required if you are just using this procedure to update an existing InstallUSB with a later ISO.
- If formatting is required, I just format the USB with Fat32 in File explorer.
- A more comprehensive formatting procedure is described in Steps 1-13 of Option 4 of this tutorial.

2.2 Mount the ISO in File explorer by double-clicking on it.

- I run File explorer twice so I can have the mounted ISO in its right-hand window and the InstallUSB in its left. I find it easier to avoid mistakes this way.

2.3 Drag the ISO contents from the mounted ISO to the InstallUSB - skip the file when it reports an error trying to copy the too-big original install.wim.
2.4 Drag the .swm files you made in step 1 to the Sources folder on the InstallUSB.

2.5 Optionally, if you intend to use the InstallUSB for storing other files as well, you can hide all its installation contents to guard against accidentally deleting any of them. They still work even when they are hidden.

- Select bootmgr in its root folder, right-click, Properties, Hidden, OK. {bootmgr likes to be treated on its own}
- Select everything else in its root folder including the subfolders, right-click, Properties, Hidden, OK. {when challenged, choose Apply changes to the selected items only}

3 Test the USB by booting from it in each computer in turn.


Denis

Hello @Denis,

Try3 said:

::::: Record the Home-only install.wim parameters for saving on the InstallUSB :::::
:: Get the index number of the Home edition within the Home-only install.wim [which I think will always be 1]
dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:"D:\ISO\HomeOnly\install.wim" /index:1

You are correct because Home is the only index that has been exported, therefore assigning it Index:1.

Paul Black said:

Hello @Denis,
You are correct because Home is the only index that has been exported, therefore assigning it Index:1.

I have not tested extracting anything else. Wim extractions are a new task for me so I did not assume anything during my procedure.

Denis