Windows 10: Media Creation Tool is on my USB Flash Drive, what do to next?

Greetings!
yet another question about my "favorite" Windows 10. I already have installed windows 10 on my PC. I would like to have a copy of Windows 10, so in the case I have to reinstall it , I will have a copy of it for the future. Now, I have downloaded Media Creation tool to my USB Flash Drive. What do I do next? I do not want install Windows 10, since I already have it. If I click o Run Media Creation tool, what will it do? I just want to have a copy of Windows 10, so that if I need to reinstall it, I can have it right away.

Right now I have Media Creation tool is on USB flash drive .
Please explain!

:)

 

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

That's weird Andre. You had to format your flash drive in NTFS? Doesn't the Media Creation Tool format the drive as FAT32... At least I think that's what happens ? My USB flash drive is 16GB.

What confuses me is the Media Creation Tool instructions on the Microsoft website say that you must use a Blank USB so that is the reason I format it myself first to remove all of my data. The word blank is emphasised in darker print.

Does the Media Creation Tool do a format or not? If I don't format the drive myself will some of my files be left on the drive risking corruption to the newly created installation media? In some cases my USB flash drive will have a previous older version
of the Windows 10 installation media on it

 

Media creation tool error

You should save the media creation tool .exe to your hard drive and then run the tool from the hard drive location to create the USB media. Did you do that. What executable is on the flash drive.

 

Put MediaCreationTool on your hard drive, not the flash drive. Run it, select language, Win 10 version and 32 or 64 bit.





Create the ISO.
When it's done, use Rufus to create a UEFI/GPT mode flash drive if the PC originally had Windows 8 or 8.1.

 

The media creation has already put an ESD ISO on the flash drive, as it is a creator not the installer. Just put the USB in a safe place and every once in a while plug it in for a few minutes to protect against bit rot(you should do this with all external digital media)

 

So, I have to do this just to keep copy of Windows 10, which I don't want to install? How do I create ISO?What is Rufus and how do i get it? I used to have Windows 7,

 

You don't have to. I thought you said you wanted to. I just create the ISO then save it in a folder on my hard drive. I can use it any time I want to create a DVD or flash drive that way.

Click on the word Rufus in my post, it's a link to their web site.

 

I already have Windows 10 installed. All I want to do is to have a copy of Windows 10 just in case, in the case in needs to be reinstalled. So, please can I get clarification on what I should do?

 

Rich,

I ran the Media Creation Tool and downloaded to a USB drive. I understood that I could now use that USB drive to reinstall WIndows 10. I upgraded from Windows 8.1 on a UEFI PC.
Are you saying I cannot use that to reinstall Windows 10, without first creating a new USB with the Rufus utility? Just installing from the USB created via the Media Creation Tool won't work?
Thanks

 

Blue Owl,
So, you have downloaded media creation tool and it is on your USB drive. Ok, what did you do next? You said you have RUN it.(what's happening when you did that? In my case I have Windows 10 already installed, but I want to have a copy of Windows 10 in case I have to reinstall it.

 

No. I downloaded the Media Creation Tool to my HDD. Then I ran the Media Creation Tool (from my HDD) which went online and downloaded Windows 10.
So Windows 10 is on the USB drive, not the Media Creation Tool.
As I said, I thought I could, then, use that USB drive to reinstall Windows 10 if I wanted too. But it seems I must use the Rufus utility to create an installation USB drive. I am confused. Guess I am wait for a reply to that question.
I did boot to the USB drive and it starts the Windows installation. Don't know what I need Rufus for???

 

If you used the media creation tool to make a bootable USB flash drive, you can install Win 10 from that.

My own preference was to use the MCT to download the iso. I upgraded 8.1 using that, but I also copied it to a bootable USB flash drive. I used that to do a clean install on the same hardware. (It activated, as advertised.)

 

Thanks Rich,

Then I don't need to full around with Rufus, if I used the MCT to create the USB drive. Do I understand now?

 

No, you said you put MediaCreationTool on the USB.

If you ran the MCT and had it write the Windows 10 data to the flash drive then you're done, nothing else needs to be done. You can use it whenever you want to reinstall Windows 10 on the system you have upgraded.

 

Ok, I got confused. Please walk me through!
I already have Windows 10 Installed, but i the case I have to do reinstall I want to have a copy of Windows 10.
Now, I have downloaded Media Creation tool and placed it on the USB flash-drive. In order for me to have a COPY of windows 10, which I will not install (just to have a copy), what Do I do next with the Media Creation tool?
Please walk me through , so I can have Windows 10 handy,if I have to reinstall.