Windows 10: How to get the Windows 10 Creators Update

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'?

 

No because you will need to create an EFI partition or System Reserved Partition as well which was point of post #76.

 

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 update

...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...
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.

 

Why do you some people choose not to install updates during the upgrade process? What do you recommend?

 

The recommendation I would make for wanting to keep multiple builds onhand would be download and store the iso images on a secondary drive where you either one build at a time and use a 3rd party freeware app to see the particular build of the day you want written to a single drive or buy a few more and label each one for a particular build. I did commonly for both the 32bit and 64bit flavors of various Linux distros as well as testing the various beta for 7 and previews for 10 builds as well as keeping the various updates except that November 2015 mess! onhand for ready use.

The only bug seen so far here has been the second taskbar seen on the secondary monitor vanish completely once the Creators build finished up. Been all over the display and other setting and no go since I usually have a minimized Task Manager window open at all times as well as the input from the tv tuner/capture card on the secondary when checking up on things on the primary. Now suddenly not even the UltraMon app used for some time now can't even get the second taskbar applied to show up. That's rather a minor bug to some extent while running backwards to the Redstone 1 Anniversary might be the solution in the long run.

The mention of that here is for those of you who also happen to have multiple displays in use and may run into this type of problem if also having a secondary taskbar in use. Yet a 3rd party Windows gadget bar wanted a quick repair of it's own and shows up without a hiccup of any type.

 

What about installing updates during the upgrade process, what's the reason people choose "not right now"?

 

I use Macrium Relfect v6 free for image backups but it doesn't allow for individual file extraction so I'm waiting to see if Macrium v7 free offers it.

Can anyone recommend a free backup software that allows individual file extraction from full system images? There's EaseUS Todo backup free but I've heard of people having issues with this software...

 

Macrium Reflect v6 free certainly does allow individual file extraction. Right click on the .mrimg file and select explore. Make sure to check the box for enable access to restricted folders:





Once you have the image mounted (exploring), you can copy files out of it just like any other drive letter:

 

AGREED and also why I use Acronis True Image as the preferred Choice over the older for W7 note Free offer by Macrium Reflect which by the way was What Was Available At That Time as a Working Free Version Of a Paid For software! That was why the guide was written when 7 was new! However we have to all move past Late 2008 into Early 2009 to the present moment.

At this time however besides the option ALREADY INCLUDED IN WINDOWS namely the Backup & Restore section in where now? Oh How Often The CONTROL PANEL is neglected! I will have to say the VIP Member Create System Image in Windows 10 while Acronis and other 3rd party PAID FOR softwares can also do some fine work!

The Difference Found between the MS Built In option now seen for several years in contrast to the 3rd party softwares like Acronis which many years back received Very High Recommendations is that Acronis True Image "Compressed" system images much tighter then the Windows tool. 420gb on a Windows made image would be only 360gb or less even when using Acronis T.I. in contrast. Yet! Both could be found 110% reliable!

 

Hmm, another person I've spoken to a lot about Macrium Reflect was always adamant that individual file extraction wasn't possible with the free version. Maybe he or I mistook this for another feature. I believe individual file/folder backup is not available in the free version.

I just tried this with an old 8.1 image I have, I extracted out a couple of notepad files and sure enough they open as normal, so not sure what all the fuss was about.

 

Assuming a USB stick has two partitions, one of which contains Windows installation files, is it bootable?