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Creating Bootable USB for Win 10

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uclaLabrat

Diamond Member
So I used the MS media creation tool and was able to do an upgrade install on my system, but I got an old SSD from my dad and tried to do a clean install on the SSD with a bootable USB. The system won't recognize the USB stick as being bootable. In my infinite wisdom, I realized that I left the USB drive formatted as FAT32 (default), and I'm trying to install the x64 version of win10. FAT32 is 32-bit right? Which means I can't boot to a 32-bit drive if I want to install the x64 OS?

Flip side is now my laptop won't even recognize the USB drive, so I must have borked something good.
 
I thought the Microsoft media creation tool automatically formats the USB drive when it creates it.

I just checked mine an it's FAT32. I installed Win 10 Pro x64 with it without issues.

Bad stick maybe? Corrupted file(s)?

Making the media again would be my suggestion.
 
uclaLabrat said:
So I used the MS media creation tool and was able to do an upgrade install on my system, but I got an old SSD from my dad and tried to do a clean install on the SSD with a bootable USB. The system won't recognize the USB stick as being bootable. In my infinite wisdom, I realized that I left the USB drive formatted as FAT32 (default), and I'm trying to install the x64 version of win10. FAT32 is 32-bit right? Which means I can't boot to a 32-bit drive if I want to install the x64 OS?

Flip side is now my laptop won't even recognize the USB drive, so I must have borked something good.
Click to expand...
Eh, the ISO comes in 32bit & 64bit.
You then write said ISO to the USB drive using rufus or whatever.
The other stuff you mentioned is... wrong to put it mildly, but, do the above and move on.
 
Puffnstuff said:
Did you set the bios to boot off the usb stick before you tried using it?
Click to expand...
Yeah I did, wouldn't recognize it.

Not sure if the media creation tool does the formatting, but that sounds right. The tool is supposed to handle the creation of the USB, I don't ever see the actual ISO. I'll try it again and see if I can get the USB to work. Thanks for the help, I may be back.
 
If you use the media creation tool it will handle all of the preparation to get the usb drive ready for you. If not then I use rufus to make one using an old os like win 7 and the iso of the os I'm going to use.
 
I let the media creation tool create a bootable flash drive for 10, 64-bit. When I looked at the drive later, I saw that it was indeed NTFS. It was FAT32 before, so the tool set the file system, just as rufus would (but of course it gives you the option).

So, if the media creation tool (or the OS in general) doesn't recognize the drive, it is probably a problem with the drive or the USB port.
 
uclaLabrat said:
Yeah I did, wouldn't recognize it.

Not sure if the media creation tool does the formatting, but that sounds right. The tool is supposed to handle the creation of the USB, I don't ever see the actual ISO. I'll try it again and see if I can get the USB to work. Thanks for the help, I may be back.
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sometimes the USB drive is recognized as a hdd.

check there and set it to boot drive.
 
Setting a usb flash drive as boot drive can cause lots of issues with Windows installs. Better to leave the default boot settings such that the drive you want 10 to be installed on is the boot drive. Use whatever key is required to bring up the boot menu during boot up.
 
Underclocked said:
Setting a usb flash drive as boot drive can cause lots of issues with Windows installs. Better to leave the default boot settings such that the drive you want 10 to be installed on is the boot drive. Use whatever key is required to bring up the boot menu during boot up.
Click to expand...
I'm stuck on exactly that problem right now, the system wouldn't boot to the usb using the boot menu so I changed it in bios. Now I can install from the usb onto the ssd, but it goes to restart and the pc boots off the usb and tries another install loop. Can't get out of it to save my life. Advice?
 
uclaLabrat said:
I'm stuck on exactly that problem right now, the system wouldn't boot to the usb using the boot menu so I changed it in bios. Now I can install from the usb onto the ssd, but it goes to restart and the pc boots off the usb and tries another install loop. Can't get out of it to save my life. Advice?
Click to expand...

When it reboots the first time, pull the USB out before it tries to boot off of it again.
 
Start over. Format and once again extract the iso to the usb drive using Rufus. Find out which key on your keyboard is needed to select boot device during boot. Set your bios to boot from the SSD drive. Format the ssd drive.

Then restart with the usb drive inserted and select it to boot.
 
I don't know what computer this is, but make sure you are using a USB port that supports the boot from USB option (IIRC some older boards with third-party controllers didn't support this feature).

Just "give up," if you will, and let the Microsoft tool burn it to a DVD (or ISO for DVD).
 
ketchup79 said:
I don't know what computer this is, but make sure you are using a USB port that supports the boot from USB option (IIRC some older boards with third-party controllers didn't support this feature).

Just "give up," if you will, and let the Microsoft tool burn it to a DVD (or ISO for DVD).
Click to expand...
I can boot from the USB once, but when it goes to restart after install it boots to the usb again and starts the install cycle all over again. I can bust out my old laptop and try the DVD option but installing isn't an issue, it's the restart afterwards. I may have to go that route though I'll try other suggestions first. Thanks!
 
uclaLabrat said:
I can boot from the USB once, but when it goes to restart after install it boots to the usb again and starts the install cycle all over again. I can bust out my old laptop and try the DVD option but installing isn't an issue, it's the restart afterwards. I may have to go that route though I'll try other suggestions first. Thanks!
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Does the computer give you a manual select option? Just manually select the hd the second time, or change the boot order after the first reboot.

But honestly, I don't know why they don't have the "press any key to boot" etc..., as they have had with every other version of Windows. I have witnessed this as well with the Win 10 USB install, and it's stupid.
 
ketchup79 said:
Does the computer give you a manual select option? Just manually select the hd the second time, or change the boot order after the first reboot.

But honestly, I don't know why they don't have the "press any key to boot" etc..., as they have had with every other version of Windows. I have witnessed this as well with the Win 10 USB install, and it's stupid.
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Well, I can hit del to enter setup or hit escape to enter boot menu. If i boot to the SSD after the install it says some component is missing. If I boot to my old HD after the install (or ever) it says the boot manager is missing.

Edit: One thing I should add (and I don't know if it's important) is that the SSD in bios is on Channel 1 and is marked as slave. My backup drive is actually marked as master. They're all SATA drives, and my old primary HD is marked as slave now too (though I think I unplugged it and put it in a different spot on the mobo). Does that have an impact for whatever reason?
 
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Slave on a SATA? There is no such thing. Is this an old computer? When SATA was just hitting the market the manufacturers were playing with things like this IIRC. But I would be surprised if a computer that old would support Windows 10.
I would just do a DVD install, if that is an option.
 
Is someone having IDE flashbacks?:hmm: I was so glad when the sata standard appeared so I wouldn't have to set drive jumpers anymore. What a pita it was with optical drives as well and now all we have to do is order them in the bios.
 
Puffnstuff said:
Is someone having IDE flashbacks?:hmm: I was so glad when the sata standard appeared so I wouldn't have to set drive jumpers anymore. What a pita it was with optical drives as well and now all we have to do is order them in the bios.
Click to expand...

It was ok when "cable select" worked. But that wasn't 100% in my experience.
 
The boot manager probably got installed on the usb flash drive because it was set as your boot drive in bios. That's where windows is going to put the bcd.

I don't think how your bios identifies the sata drives has any particular significance.
 
dinker99 said:
In my experience you should unplug every drive except the drive you want to install on.
Click to expand...

This statement has always been true with the windows installers as they will scatter system files across anything present in the system even though you designate a particular drive. I erred the first time I clean installed 10 and it happened to me as well ruining my uefi partitions causing file corruption. I had to come back again and delete all partitions on my ssd with no other drives present except the bdrw with the installation media and tell it to create a new partition. This allowed the creation of the 3 required partitions for the uefi on the boot drive and that is what I'm running on right now.
 
Puffnstuff said:
This statement has always been true with the windows installers as they will scatter system files across anything present in the system even though you designate a particular drive.
Click to expand...
No, windows writes the boot files/partition on the disk that is set as the first disk in line inside bios,windows has no other way of knowing where you would like it to start from(with ubuntu you have to tell it where to start from,same mess happens there if you don't know how things work) ,what you are selecting is the partition that windows files are going to be on, those have nothing to do with the boot drive.
 
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