Windows 10: Failed Media Creation Tool attempt at bootable USB flash drive

Hi,
Ive just had another failed attempt at creating a bootable Windows 10 USB flash drive on my laptop using the Media Creation Tool and setting the tool to use the USB flash drive as chosen media rather than the ISO method. It failed after the download had finished and at the point where it has verified the download and begins to create the media..it failed at 51% with an unexpected error screen. That was my third and final attempt with the same error at the same point every time..this time with a brand new flash drive. Im now going to use the Diskkpart method but Im still going to use the Media Creation Tool to download the Windows 10 ISO. Then use Mount and copy and paste the files over onto the USB. Am I going to be OK to download the Windows 10 ISO using the Media Creation Tool again or will it try to download the ISO to the same folder (wherever that is) on my hard drive causing possible corruption or conflicts with my new Windows 10 ISO download?

:)

 

Cannot create recovery drive or bootable usb using media creation tool

Ive never had luck letting the media creation tool put the installer to a usb drive. It either fails or the usb drive wont be bootable.

So I just download the .iso for use on another computer then use the little
Rufus program to put it on a usb flash drive as bootable.

It needs a 8 gb flash drive or bigger.

 

reinstallation Windows 10

Insert an Empty Flash Drive into a USB Port

Download the Media Creation Tool as explained above

Run that tool

Select 'Create Installation Media for Another PC'

Select USB instead of ISO

The Media Creation Tool will download the necessary files and automatically create the bootable USB Flash Drive - do not interrupt this operation until it has completed!

 

Hello sportsfan, *Smile

Copy and paste won't work to create a bootable USB from an ISO.

I would recommend to use Option Two below to make it easy.

Create Bootable USB Flash Drive to Install Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials

 

Hi mate,
I think I might have given you the wrong impression. When I say I'm going to use Mount and Copy and Paste the files over to the USB I meant that I would download the Windows 10 ISO using the Media Creation Tool and then use Diskpart to prepare the USB flash drive. Mount the ISO and then copy and paste all the files over onto the Diskpart prepared flash drive.
This is the method I mean to use rather than using third party software such as Rufus :-
diskpart
list disk
select disk # <-replace # with the actual number of the USB flash drive
clean
create part pri
format fs=fat32 quick
active
exit
exit

Mount the ISO file. Copy files and folders over onto the USB flash drive.

So in my original question could there be any corruption or problems that could be caused by the Media Creation Tool failure that I described in my first post or would the two downloads be kept totally separate so no conflicts can occur when I use the Media Creation Tool to download the ISO again?

 

I haven't tested if your method would work with UEFI, but it will work for Legacy BIOS.

Rufus is a standalone .exe file that doesn't install anything on your computer. It is a well trusted program. I like it since it makes the process very easy for both UEFI and/or Legacy BIOS.

 

I got the instructions from NavyLCDR last week and Bree. Apparently it works on UEFI but I'm concerned about any conflicts the failed MCT download I had earlier might cause. That was my main reason for posting

 

As long as MCT can successfully download the ISO, you shouldn't have an issue with the ISO itself.

 

As long as the install esd or wim is under the FAT32 file size limit, I do the same as the OP and it boots on both MBR and UEFI without using 3rd party tools *Smile

 

Shawn, these are the steps being referred to that NavyLCDR posted. They work for both UEFI and MBR.

Here are the steps to create a standard Windows 10 USB flash drive:

1. Use the Media Creation Tool to download and save the ISO file to your hard drive.
2. Insert the USB flash drive.
3. Open a Administrator Command Prompt and enter: diskpart (if it isn't an administrator command prompt, it will ask for administrator permission).
4. list disk
5. select disk # <- replace # with the actual disk number of the USB flash drive
6. clean <- this will erase the disk selected above, make sure you selected the USB flash drive!
7. create part pri
8. format fs=fat32 quick
9. active
10. exit
11. exit - and if the first Command Prompt was not an Administrator Command Prompt, exit that one too.
11. Mount the ISO file saved by the Media Creation Tool. If you are using Windows 8 or 10, you only have to right click on it and click on mount. If you are using Windows 7, then you must use a program like WinCDEmu to mount the ISO file:
WinCDEmu - the easiest way to mount an ISO. And more...
12. Copy all the files and folders from the mounted ISO file to the USB flash drive.

That's as simple as it gets. Between steps 7 and 8 you can enter: "select part 1" without quotes - but it should not be necessary.
Between steps 8 and 9 you can enter: "assign" without quotes - but it should not be necessary.