Windows 10: MediaCreationTool vs ISO. Same identical source?

The "Donwload Windows 11" webpage gives you 2 options: 1. Using MediaCreationTool to create a bootable USB; 2. Downloading the ISO of Windows in order to make a bootable USB by yourself. My question: Does MediaCreationTool use the EXACT SAME VERSION/BUILD as the direct-downloadable-ISO? Or is it somehow possible that the direct-downloadable-ISO is newer than the one created by the MediaCreationTool? In other words, in both cases - downloading the ISO or using MediaCreationTool - the source is the same and I'll obtain Win11 V2, right?Many thanks in advance.

:)

 

ISO's and the Windows MediaCreationTool

Unfortunately that is a flawed plan due to the way the MCT works. It doesn't actually download an ISO, rather it downloads the ESD files and other components files required to to construct an ISO. As such no two ISOs made by the MCT will have the same CRC, each one is a bespoke one-off.

You can have confidence in them though. The step after downloading the ESD components, but before constructing the ISO, is for the MCT to verify each of the files it has downloaded (presumably with its own CRC check).

 

ISO's and the Windows MediaCreationTool

My Windows version is V1903 OS Build 18362.476; at least reported by winver?

Windows Update V1909/KB4517245 trashed my system. Oh well.

I want to download an ISO so I can initiate a repair.

The problem is I need to know if the ISO I have is good.

I think its wonderful that Microsoft created the Windows MediaCreationTool to handle all that for me so I could have absolute confidence in the ISO it creates; however every time I run the MediaCreationTool it gives me a different ISO or at least a different CRC result?

The plan was to keep downloading the ISO using the MediaCreationTool until I had three ISO's with matching CRC's and then I would know I have a good copy! Eureka, its good!

The downside is I now have three possible bad copies of the ISO and it takes like 5 or more hours to download just one ISO.

I was wondering if anyone knows the correct CRC for V1909?

CRC's were invented by people, for people, so that people would know that they have a good transfer. They are a time saving feature that makes multiple downloads to validate data unnecessary and a thing of the pass.

The 1st MediaCreationTool transfer of the Windows.ISO has a CRC32: 476C2699.
The 2nd MediaCreationTool transfer of the Windows.ISO has a CRC32: D70C94CD.
The 3rd MediaCreationTool transfer of the Windows.ISO has a CRC32: CC89B98C.

I wonder if someone could tell me if one of the ISO's created by the MediaCreationTool1909 is good or not?
It could be that Microsoft re-releases the ISO daily and maybe that is why it changing daily?

I am currently running the MediaCreationTool1909.exe a 4th time but its only 30% complete; it takes like forever.

The MediaCreationTool1909.exe version is 10.0.18362.418.

 

Source to use for DISM on Windows 10

This is not completely true. The suggestion is to download the Techbench version and use DISM to apply to install.wim directly. However, you can also use the version download from MCT except it will involve an extra step as follows:

1. Use the latest version of 7-Zip to extract the content of install.esd. For example: to a folder xxx on the desktop
2. From Admin command prompt:
   Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\xxx\windows /LimitAccess

See screen shot, the contents of install.wim and install.esd are exactly the same.