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#70
Do you mean 1703 supports multiple partitions on a USB stick?
Yes, it does....
CU supports multiple partitions on a standard USB Flash Drive
...creating them is a little difficult though, Disk Management can't do it. The USB needs an MBR to have multiple partitions, you need Diskpart to make that. Once it has the MBR then Disk Management can be used.
Note once you had a live stick made up you are limited to full clean installs only but can perform a live upgrade to repair if you are unable to boot up in safe mode to get into Windows and correct some problem. The repair install method prevents the loss of programs and files since the drive's primary remains intact.
Generally this is why for newer build I keep the iso stored on a separate drive as well as having seen it either written to flash drive or less likely also burned to dvd for use on laptops. those tend to automatically look to optical before allowing live booting from flash drives.
Ok, so I can do the Creators Update from the ISO within Windows, but if I want a bootable usb as well I can not do that on the same usb as the 1607 bootable usb, but is possible with 1703 and some mucking around is that correct?
It is not the usb that is specifically the issue but the version of windows you use to create the usb.
TBH - I sort of cheated as follows running version 1703 (bcause I could not be bothered to set up the boot files the hard way). This is what I did (for uefi). You need at least 32GB drive to do it this way.
1) Install version version 1703 full windows in uefi mode using wintousb - UEFI boot manager, Windows To Go Creator, Free Data Recovery, All-in-One Microsoft Windows Setup software (running version 1703) on PC.
(Install minitool partition wizard free as well is a good idea)
This creates a bootable version of windows on the USB with a fat32 EFI partition.
2) Boot from usb drive into windows 10 running off flash drive
3) Shrink C drive by say 12 GB, and create two 6GB partitions.
5) create fat32 partitions in each of the new partitions (I used minitool partition wizard but you can use diskpart as well).
6) mount 1607 iso as a drive and copy contents to one partition
7) mount 1703 iso as a drive and copy contents to other partition
8) use Kyhi's batch files (post #839 - 23rd Jan 2017) in Windows 10 Recovery Tools - Bootable Rescue Disk - Page 84 - - Windows 10 Forums to add boot entries for the two partitions.
You now have a boot drive that will boot to windows, 1703 winpse installer & 1607 winpse installer.
You can go one stage futher and add other winpse tools eg Macrium Rescue drive etc.
Steps 9 and 10 are optional:
9) run msconfig and delete windows boot entry - make say 1703 boot entry default
10) boot to 1703 installer and press shift +f10 and delete the windows volume using diskpart.
I am sure there is a much more elegant way of doing this that does not involve installing full windows first and should fit both installer isos on perhaps an 8GB drive but the above method does not require much knowledge (which is why I did it that way - plus I had a 32GB flash drive).
All this has become possible because 1703 now recognises multiple partitions.
Now my USB stick has a single partition containing 1703 installation files. Next year, when a new version is released, if I create a second partition containing 18?? installation files, will the boot menu shows two bootable partitions, between which I can choose?
Do you mean '... you are not limited to full clean installs only but can also perform a live upgrade to repair'?
I take it then there hasn't been any of the issues that Microsoft warns manual installers of, as I assume everyone here has manually installed it now...
I might proceed with the manual update. Are there new privacy settings in this update to make sense of?
Microsoft is blocking the rollout through widows update for devices with known hardware issues...
Windows 10 Creators Update rollout: First phase updateFor example, our feedback process identified a Bluetooth accessory connectivity issue with PCs that use a specific series of Broadcom radios
...and warn manual updaters that they are bypassing the blocks and do so at their own risk.
Most on this forum seem to have had little or no trouble...Therefore, we continue to recommend (unless you’re an advanced user who is prepared to work through some issues) that you wait until the Windows 10 Creators Update is automatically offered to you.
Poll - Easiest upgrade ever
No, not really, but in a new spirit of openness (ie. in response to previous complaints) you will be shown all your privacy setting and get a chance to review and change them.I might proceed with the manual update. Are there new privacy settings in this update to make sense of?