Windows 10: Format drive before creating a bootable USB flash drive?

Hi,
If your USB flash drive has data on it or maybe an earlier version of the Windows 10 installation media for example. Do you have to format the USB flash drive manually in windows (right click and format) before using the Windows Media Creation Tool to create the Windows 10 Bootable USB flash drive installation media?
I'm wondering if you guys format the drive to empty it first. I don't know if it is necessary or not. If so what selections do you make? ... FAT32 and default allocation unit size?

:)

 

Do you have to format a USB flash drive manually in windows before downloading the Windows Media Creation Tool?

Hi,

If your USB flash drive has data on it or a previous version of the Windows Installation media (the Anniversary update for example) do you have to format the USB flash drive manually in windows (right click and format) before downloading the Windows Media Creation
Tool to create the Windows 10 Bootable USB flash drive installation media?

I'm wondering if you guys format the drive to empty it first. I dont know if it is necessary or not. If it is what selections should I make ...FAT32 and choose default allocation unit size?

 

Windows 10 re-installation.

I guess you are trying to install Windows 10 on GPT system drive using old MBR method.

When you boot to the USB bootable flash drive with Windows 10 install files, you will probably see two USB flash drives, one with a badge UEFI USB flash drive. Just select UEFI USB flash drive and continue with that. If you choose USB flash drive, it will
not work as this type of bootable flash drive installs on MBR partitioned drive. But for UEFI USB to work, USB flash drive must have been formatted in FAT32 file system before it was created as a bootable Windows 10 install disk.

Anyway, mine is just a guess as you have tried several installs on your new computer. I cannot guess what partition scheme is left of it.

You should also try to contact Toshiba about your issue.

Hope this helps.

 

No need to format twice specially when it's fast format which actually doesn't replace any data on the drive. It's about same as ordinary file deletion if format isn't changed.

 

I did a couple of such 8GB drives and was warned all data on them would be lost, automatically reformatted to FAT32. Not a problem since most USB Thumb/Flash drives come formatted as FAT32, allows use on Windows, Linux and MAC OS X [latest known as macOS]. It's a lot like the old bootable floppy disks, the DOS format command with the /s switch creates the bootable part along with the formatting.

 

The reason I ask is Ive seen quite a few people on various sites who say they always format their USB flash drives manually to FAT32 before downloading the Media Creation Tool so I presumed that there might be issues

 

Only full format may make some sense and if some other OS was on it.

 

What if the USB flash drive has a previous version of the Windows 10 media on it?..one of mine has the anniversary update version on it. Is it better to be safe than sorry and format it manually before downloading the Windows Media Creation Tool? By the way Ive never used Full Format. I only ever use the default Quick Format in Windows. I haven't a clue how formatting works, if its necessary or what the Media Creation Tool requires

 

No need whatsoever. Just let MCT do its job.

 

The first thing the Media Creation Tool is going to do to the USB flash drive is format it with an up to 32 GB FAT32 Partition marked as active. There is no need to do that ahead of time.

 

I let Rufus do the job since it can create a bootable usb flash drive for either a machine with a legacy BIOS (or UEFI with CSM option enabled) or for a machine with UEFI.

 

And the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft makes a universally bootable USB flash as well that boots in UEFI, legacy BIOS, and UEFI with CSM enabled - and you don't have to get all the settings just right and set them in the correct order.

 

Yeah..Ive successfully used Rufus before but I wanted to try with the Media Creation Tool this time to cut out the need for a third party tool such as Rufus even though I didn't have any issues at all with Rufus. I prefer to keep things simple wherever possible. I just prefer to ask any questions if I have any doubts about the procedure..thats why I always head here for advice. Once again..Thanks guys