Windows 10: Will Media Creation Tool automatically format the USB flash drive?

Hello. I want to create a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 10, so I can install Windows 10 on another computer. My question is can the media creation tool format the USB flash drive, or not? Can the tool format the USB flash drive in the best format for Windows? If not, should I use Rufus, instead of media creation tool?Also, what is the best format for a Windows 10 bootable USB drive?

:)

 

Failed Media Creation Tool attempt at bootable USB flash drive

Shawn, these are the steps being referred to that NavyLCDR posted. They work for both UEFI and MBR.

Here are the steps to create a standard Windows 10 USB flash drive:

1. Use the Media Creation Tool to download and save the ISO file to your hard drive.
2. Insert the USB flash drive.
3. Open a Administrator Command Prompt and enter: diskpart (if it isn't an administrator command prompt, it will ask for administrator permission).
4. list disk
5. select disk # <- replace # with the actual disk number of the USB flash drive
6. clean <- this will erase the disk selected above, make sure you selected the USB flash drive!
7. create part pri
8. format fs=fat32 quick
9. active
10. exit
11. exit - and if the first Command Prompt was not an Administrator Command Prompt, exit that one too.
11. Mount the ISO file saved by the Media Creation Tool. If you are using Windows 8 or 10, you only have to right click on it and click on mount. If you are using Windows 7, then you must use a program like WinCDEmu to mount the ISO file:
WinCDEmu - the easiest way to mount an ISO. And more...
12. Copy all the files and folders from the mounted ISO file to the USB flash drive.

That's as simple as it gets. Between steps 7 and 8 you can enter: "select part 1" without quotes - but it should not be necessary.
Between steps 8 and 9 you can enter: "assign" without quotes - but it should not be necessary.

 

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

 

Windows 10 Media Creation Tool "We can't find a USB flash drive"

I am running Windows 8.1 and am trying to download Windows 10 for installation on another machine. I have a brand new 4GB SanDisk Cruzer Blade USB drive that has been formatted.

In the Media Creation Tool, I select the options I want, Create installation media for another PC, English (US), Windows 10 Pro, 64 bit, USB flash drive. On the Select a USB flash drive step, I get the message "We can't find a USB flash drive".

I have tried the front and rear ports of the PC, formatted FAT32, formatted NTFS, quick and full format. Device properties shows Disk drive on USB Mass Storage Device. Drive is the default Windows driver, 6.3.9600.16384, 6/21/2006.