Windows 10: Query for others who use Rufus to create a bootable Win10 flash drive

To create bootable UEFI USB flash drive for installing Windows 10 with UEFI

1. Format a USB flash drive to FAT32 file system (see screenshot below).
2. Copy all the files and folders from the mounted Windows 10 ISO file to the USB flash drive.

Yes.

 

(new member - can't edit my post)

Now you should be able to boot from your Windows 10 USB flash drive in UEFI mode, but NOT in Legacy BIOS mode.

 

Hi Chappie. I thought if you did it that way (formatted the USB flash drive in Windows Explorer) that the bootable USB flash drive that you have created using Diskpart (see Navy LCDR's instructions above) would no longer be bootable. I would always follow NavyLCDR's instructions and prepare and format the USB flash drive using Diskpart to ensure that there would be no problems

 

It's okay, but then you should be able to boot from your USB flash drive in UEFI mode or in Legacy BIOS mode.

If you follow my instructions, then you should be able to boot from your USB flash drive in UEFI mode, but not in Legacy BIOS mode. So you cannot select the wrong mode when you boot from USB flash drive.

64-bit UEFI firmware: As long as the USB flash drive is FAT32 formatted and has \efi\boot\bootx64.efi file, it should be UEFI bootable. UEFI mode do not use boot sectors and do not require active partition to be set.

 

Hi again Chappie. NavyLCDR's Diskpart method is the one I prefer to follow. I'm just waiting for feedback from him on a couple of questions and then I'll follow his method and do a clean installation.
I understand what youre saying but I don't have an issue selecting the wrong Boot mode when booting from the flash drive. There is only the UEFI option appears as a choice on my Boot options so I would never boot from Legacy Mode BIOS mode. Thanks anyway mate for your input

 

Diskpart is awesome, pretty soon you`ll know most of the commands by memory, and Navy has shown that you don`t even have to type in the full command word to get things done, but I prefer to type in the full word so I don`t screw up *chuckle

 

Here is the simplest way for UEFI systems

1) format flash drive as fat32

2) mount iso as a drive

3) copy all files from iso to flash drive using file explorer

4) There is no step 4 or more!

 

It does not matter if you put the assign command before or after the active command.

When you mount the ISO file, all the files and folders you need are visible. Just select all, copy and paste.

 

Yeah. I'm still struggling to get my head around the difference between disk, partition and volume...i.e if in the future sometime I wanted to assign a letter to a removable flash drive do you assign it to the drive, the partition or the volume...confusing?
I noticed that Navy didn't type in the full command but like you I'll probably type in the full word so that I don't mess up. I read up a bit on Diskpart online apparently the first three letters of each word is sufficient though e.g cre par pri

 

Thanks Navy...You've been a star. You've helped me immensely..and with patience

 

Hi Cerberus, as you probably know..yes mine is a UEFI system. In order to create a bootable Windows 10 USB flash drive Navy has shown me how to use Diskpart to clean the USB flash drive and then create a new primary partition and then Format in Diskpart. There are loads of other websites showing Navys same instructions for creating a bootable USB flash drive. Are you saying none of that is necessary? You appear to be suggesting the same as Chappie did above ...to Format the USB flash drive using Windows File Explorer. What about all the Diskpart stuff?

 

Hi, sportsfan148. Hopefully @Cereberus doesn't mind me giving you input. Cereberus describes all that's needed for a UEFI boot of the flash drive. If you additionally use diskpart or another utility to mark the flash drive "active", this will enable the option to boot the flash drive in MBR/Legacy mode.

Cereberus gives the minimum needed for UEFI boot.

NavyLCDR's instructions, OTOH, cover many bases. This works to clean off any pre-existing format (NTFS being common for flash drives as sold) and then sets it up to be bootable either UEFI or MBR/Legacy - The latter needing to see an "active" partition.

Hope that helps clarify.

 

Thanks Word Man. That confirms what I thought. NavyLCDR was giving me the complete diskpart instructions in case my USB flash drive might have problems because of other methods that Ive used before i.e Rufus. Rufus would have left a GPT partition on the drive so the method Navy showed me would have converted the partition back to MBR. Diskpart being a much more thorough way of ruling out having any problems.
I wasn't aware though until Cerberus and Chappie pointed it out that in the case of a UEFI system a Windows File Explorer FAT32 format was sufficient..although obviously the partition structure would have to be correct. I was under the impression that the Diskpart method was standard practice. Wouldnt you say though that the Diskpart method is an extra step worth taking each time I create a bootable Windows 10 flash drive? I'll probably download a newer version of the Windows 10 ISO later in the year onto the same drive USB flash drive..wouldn't it be safer to follow the Diskpart procedure again on the drive so set it up fresh again?

 

You can mark a partition active from disk management. Diskpart is not needed for flash drives as a rule as flash drives normally only have one partition. In fact since FCU, you can add or delete multiple partitions from disk management.

This makes use of diskpart pretty redundant really in most cases with usb flash drives.

 

I'm glad I could help, sportsfan148.

The diskpart procedure is a "standard practice" (IMO) in the sense that it's quite broad in its applicability and failsafe given the number of different systems that various users reading it may have. Of course, as someone mentioned earlier, you need to be a meticulous typist. *Smile

Each time you create a NEW bootable flash drive, the diskpart method would be advisable (unless you know the drive is already FAT32 and active, as applicable). However, doing it over again to that same flash drive would perhaps be overkill.

Note, you aren't downloading the ISO directly to the flash drive but mounting it and then copying and pasting all of the files shown in the mounted ISO to the flash drive.

It should suffice to simply delete all files on the flash drive and then copy the new mounted ISO contents to the (already prepped but now empty) flash drive.

@cereberus - understood. I just wanted to clarify the difference between your instructions and NavyLCDR's. I think the route taken will be up to the individual's preference (and perhaps manual dexterity).

I can't speak for NavyLCDR but I would imagine that, given his career field, redundancy may be highly valued.