Windows 10: Create installation media using small partition on HDD?

I was wondering whether I could create a small partition on one of my HDDs and use the installation media creation tool to put the installation files on that and then set the BIOS to boot from that partition and start the process of installing Windows? I can't find my USB drive ATM.

:)

 

Clean install no partitions

You can clean install Windows 10 from media and delete all partitions then create one new one. Windows may create a small partition in addition to this. If it does, leave it alone. It is useful. Since your computer is already a Windows 10 device you
do not need a product key and should not enter one when you see a screen for entering one. Click SKIP or DO LATER to proceed past the screen.

Personally, I would leave the computer as is. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

The additional small partitions are harmless and require little space. However if you have a Recovery Partition you can recover 10 - 20 GB by deleting it. That would be the only reason I would reconfigure, and then I would only bother on a relatively small
disk. If you are in the 1TB+ range, don't worry about it.

 

Windows 10 Installation failure

If you tried all of the steps I gave you in my previous post including choosing to Save Nothing while running the media from Windows, then I would
Create Windows 10 Installation Media again to make sure it correctly formatted.

If there is any problem with Media Creation tool then use the alternate download location

Tech Bench .

You can also boot the media to do the superior
Clean Reinstall Windows 10 Upgrade now and then wait for the latest Release Version 1511 to be pushed through Windows Update soon to activate directly with your Windows 7 Product Key, or wait for the Version 1511 media to create and boot for the install.

Windows 10 Fall Update Set for November Release

Remember during Clean Install to delete all partitions except your Data partition (which should be backed up anyway against hard drive failure at any time) to create and format New partition in the Unallocated Space, as illustrated in the Wiki. Then highlight
the new install partition (ignoring the small boot partitions it creates) to click Next to begin install.

 

If you are using Windows 10 now(on the PC you want to do this to) and want to clean install, why not just use this option: Refresh Windows Tool - How to Use in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums ?

 

I am going to install Windows on a machine with new motherboard, CPU, RAM and system drive. I will keep the same graphics card and several other storage drives.

 

Ok, just askin'*Smile
But yeah you can do what you plan.
Some users here in the forums do something similar, creating a small partition, then placing their Macrium Reflect recovery environment there, so it should absolutely work.

Something to think about, try to place the .iso partition as far to the "left" on the disk as you can, to be able to delete it, and recover the space if you want later,
or leave it there, for future use, then give it a drive letter, and later you can keep it updated using File Explore.

 

Here is the Macrium tutorial I mentioned, you can use the tut, to do what you want using it: Solved FYI: Setup Macrium Rescue to boot from an Internal/External USB HD/SSD - Windows 10 Forums

 

If you watch the video from post #5 to create a Macrium Rescue disk. It would be the same procedure to create the Windows Installation disk.

• Download Windows Installation ISO: Windows 10 and put on desktop for easy access.
• Create a partition on an internal/external drive around 5GB, format as FAT32.
  NOTE: Set the partition Active if the disk used is an MBR disk. No need not to do anything if is a GPT disk .
• Use: WinRar/WinZip/7-Zip to extract the ISO file to the root of the partition created in step 2.
• Set the BIOS as first boot priority then boot.

 

Thanks. Unfortunately, the computer just doesn't boot when those drives are moved to the top of the disk priority (I tried on a GPT and MBR disk). It doesn't let me select which partition, only which disk - I don't know whether the BIOS is meant to quickly check all partitions on a drive. Maybe my new motherboard will perform as expected but I've ordered a USB drive anyway.

Edit: it works for the MBR disk, just not the GPT disk (for which it hangs) on the black screen that says "Loading Operating System...".

 

Was the installation partition formatted as FAT32?

 

This works for me no problem, I followed Topgundcp's Tip to set it up. I have several drives in a 4 bay USB enclosure, They are only 2TB each so can be MBR initialized and I use the Beginning 3-8GB of each Drive Formatted Fat32 (maybe need to be set active) and boot Macrium, Kyhi's PE or the Latest Win10 ISO as needed , I have not tried it off the Main HDD though.


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KB