How to get the Windows 10 May 2020 Update version 2004

sygnus21 said:

If you did a clean install, you didn't need to go through all the rigamoro of CMD prompting, you could have just chose UEFI install and wiped the drive. Done.

Using the Media Creation Tool (MCT) to install, I first moved into DOS to select boot order. But, the drop down list had two options for MCT tool. One just listed as xxx USB & the other was the one I believe you are referring to, UEFI xxxUSB (I don't recall the exact name so I'm filling in xxx). I selected UEFI xxxUSB. But, upon entering the drive to install on window, I got an error stating that Windows could not be installed on any of the drives (there was just the original C: in the machine) as the drives were MBR type drives & needed to be GPI type. I'm sure a more experienced tech would have a better solution but I had decided a clean install probably was best anyway.

Bree said:

When the MCT tool is listed twice in the boot list, once as UEFI, the other not. Then you have a choice of booting in UEFI mode or in Legacy mode. whichever you chose determines the type of install it will do, UEFI/GPT or Legacy/MBR.

If you boot in UEFI tand want to clean install as UEFI then, as you have found, the disk needs to already have a GPT layout (or no format at all). Yours are MBR and need to be changed before you can install as UEFI/GPT.

You can Open Command Prompt at Boot in Windows 10 from an install usb and use diskpart to wipe the disk clean, then convert it to GPT. Then you will be able to clean install in UEFI mode on this disk.

Thanks, Bree. I successfully installed 2004 & all is working well.

I admit I was confused by the need to change the original C: (275Gb SSD) drive to GPT. If I understand you correctly, selecting the other install version on the MCT for boot would have gone smoothly. Too bad, I wish I'd known that.

A couple of things made me believe that the failed 2004 upgrade corrupted the drive causing the endless loop of restarts;

ONE-when I checked BIOS boot order, my C: was not listed at all for boot; just the Pioneer Blu-ray burner. This was before trying to use the MCT. Something in the upgrade process corrupted the drive.

TWO-after creating the MCT, I was prepared to do a clean install anyway. I was confused which version on the MCT USB to select. I decided to select the UEFI version on the USB drive. It kinda made sense as the motherboard used UEFI BIOS. When the install arrived at the drive selection window the error referred to the drives were MBR & needed to be GPT. As C: drive is an SSD, I assumed that was normal for SSD drives & the failed upgrade install must have change the drive to MBR, causing the drive to be lost & restart going into an endless loop.

In any case the PC seems fine. C: is listed as NTFS. I'm not sure if the drive being GPT makes a difference or not. Maybe next update it will. I hope not!

Bree said:

Yes, if you had chosen to boot the usb in Legacy bios mode, them you could have installed on your existing MBR format disk. But as you have a UEFI bios machine it makes more sense to install in EEFI/GPT mode.

As the drive is now GPT, will this cause computer operation issues? My huge two storage drives are MBR. And, might it be necessary to convert the drive back to MBR?

Bree said:

No need to convert anything, there are no issues at all having some data drives as MBR.. You have installed the new Windows system using UEFI on a GPT drive, wicich is the default type of install on all modern PCs. Windows will happily work with whatever the rest of your drives are, MBR or GPT.

Good to know. Thanks for your advice!

Everyone -

I had one laptop say that there is a feature update to 2004 - ready to restart.
It rebooted and I left it to do it's thing.

When I came back, I logged in and did a winver.
It said 1909. Forced a WU again. Nothing.

Is there a precursor to 2004 that I don't know of?

Strange.

Bree said:

No, there's no special 'precursor', not if your Windows was up to date. It sound like your update to 2004 failed and rolled back while you were out of the room. If you are still on 1909 then the failed update should be listed in its update history. Now that windows update has tried and failed it may be waiting for a while before offering it again.

That's what I thought, so this will blow your mind...



Restarted cold three times.
No Windows.old folder.

WU bug on MS end?