Attempting to re-install Windows 10 with a Media Creation Tool on a HDD.

[Robo Reptile]

So, the SSD that was holding my operating system (Windows 10) has given up the ghost. I have a new SSD on the way (Intel, since their internal SSD quality control is apparently really good).

Sniffing around the internet revealed that the Windows 10 DRM seems to be connected to the motherboard, not to the memory storage unit. As such, I went to the following link to download a "media creation tool" so that I could re-install Windows 10.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10


Now, here is where the issue comes up.

To create the "Media Creation Tool," I downloaded the executable from the above link onto a dinky little notebook (really it's a tablet that has an attachable keyboard and happens to run Windows 10) and plugged in a 1TB external HDD that I had lying around. I moved the application ("MediaCreationTool1803") to the external drive and double clicked it, making sure to enter the parameters for my desktop PC (English UK, Windows 10, 64 bit architecture).

And - infuriatingly, maddeningly - it attempts to install the tool to my tablet. To "C:" and not to "D:". Not to the 1TB external HDD that would actually be useful for this purpose. Which fails, every time, since my tablet simply would not have the 8GB required free space even if I wiped the OS from it.

How do I remedy this? How do I make sure that the Media Creation Tool installs to the external HDD?

 

[Filip_35]

Have you a different pc? If yes, create a bootable USB with Media Creation Tool and boot it to the tablet.

 

[Robo Reptile]

Have you a different pc? If yes, create a bootable USB with Media Creation Tool and boot it to the tablet.

I am indeed attempting to create a Media Creation Tool for a desktop PC, not for my Tablet.

My problem is that Step 6 of this guide is unworkable - I am simply not given the option to install the Tool onto the external HDD.

Installing it to the tablet is physically impossible - it's memory storage capacity is just too limited.

 

[Filip_35]

What if I will create the iso for you and send you a link to google drive, and you'll download it at external HDD?

 

[madmatt30]

You can't do this because that external drive needs to be solely for the bootable install files.

It doesn't do this on the fly while downloading .
It downloads windows in its entirety then converts it to a bootable install & formats the external in the process.

What I'm saying is both the media creation tool & the actual download have to be downloaded first to a drive independent of the usb one.

 

[Robo Reptile]

What if I will create the iso for you and send you a link to google drive, and you'll download it at external HDD?

That sounds like a workable solution. I would be grateful if you could provide me with such a download.

 

[mbarnes86]

Hi

If you choose to download and create a ISO you will be prompted for the location of the ISO
(which can be the external hard drive)

so if you have 4GB free on your tablet for the downloaded files would that make a difference?
you can then use a variety of tools to put Win 10 ISO on a USB memory stick

If you accept Filip_35 offer you need to specify your country & language and 32 or 64 bit version

regards
Mike Barnes

 

[madmatt30]

Like I said your issue is you need 2 seperate drives , one capable of holding the download (install or external doesn't matter) , one capable of taking the converted boot install (has to be external) .

No other way.

 

[Robo Reptile]

You can't do this because that external drive needs to be solely for the bootable install files.

It doesn't do this on the fly while downloading .
It downloads windows in its entirety then converts it to a bootable install & formats the external in the process.

What I'm saying is both the media creation tool & the actual download have to be downloaded first to a drive independent of the usb one.

Do you mean to say that Flip_35's offer is unworkable? The phrasing makes that somewhat ambiguous.

I actually do have an older, bigger laptop that runs Windows 7 and has the required 8GB of spare space. However, attempting to run the Media Creation Tool on that computer turns up the following message:

"We weren't able to to download all of the necessary files. Check to make sure you're connected to the internet and try running the tool again. Error code: 0x80072EE7 - 0x20000"

...which is fairly nonsensical, given that it accesses the internet just fine.

Hi

If you choose to download and create a ISO you will be prompted for the location of the ISO
(which can be the external hard drive)

so if you have 4GB free on your tablet for the downloaded files would that make a difference?
you can then use a variety of tools to put Win 10 ISO on a USB memory stick

If you accept Filip_35 offer you need to specify your country & language and 32 or 64 bit version

regards
Mike Barnes

As i said, I am simply not being given the option - the Tool immediately attempts to install itself onto my C: drive and give me no other options.

For @Flip_35, the parameters would be: UK, UK English, 64-bit architecture.

 

[mbarnes86]

Hi

how much free space on your tablet SSD?

The media creation tool will install on C: and down load windows 10 files (approx 3.7GB) to C: but ISO can be created on other drive such as D: or E:

regards
Mike Barnes

 

[Robo Reptile]

Hi

how much free space on your tablet SSD?

The media creation tool will install on C: and down load windows 10 files (approx 3.7GB) to C: but ISO can be created on other drive such as D: or E:

regards
Mike Barnes

There is not nearly enough space on my tablet.

Allegedly, the "Windows C:" unit has 27.8 GB of storage...but that is nearly all taken up by the OS and its associate folders.

This ISO you mention could well be what I am looking for, if I can install it to "D:". Where could I find it?

 

[Filip_35]

here is a link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1N3KAFHvCKpgVdFzUiefBD9NAuLPa11kE

 

[madmatt30]

You still need,to download the iso to a drive that's independent of the external,you want to want to make a boot drive.

This,is the issue.

If you can download that iso to your laptop or your netbook,then you CAN do this.

You can't download the iso to the external then make it bootable.

The drive has to be formatted , made bootable then the iso decompressed to it.

Which it can't be if the iso is actually on that same drive in the first place.

 

[Robo Reptile]

Well, the good news is that I can absolutely download the ISO onto my older, bigger laptop, thanks to the link provided by @Filip_36.

Thanks, mate!

 

[madmatt30]

To be honest you could have just downloaded it straIght from ms.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10ISO


You'll want to be using rufus now to create a bootable drive.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.groovypost.com/howto/create-windows-10-bootable-usb-flash-drive/amp/

 

[Filip_35]

Well, the good news is that I can absolutely download the ISO onto my older, bigger laptop, thanks to the link provided by @Filip_36.

Thanks, mate!

you're welcome

 

[Colif]

the error you got on win 7 is just telling you need to run windows update on the win 7 laptop to have the files it needs.
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/mediacreationtoolx64-error-0x80072ee7-0x20000/ce59181f-fca4-46f6-bd65-59592b05c47e

but you seem to have found another way. GL with that

 

[Robo Reptile]

Okay.

Okay.

Attempting to transfer the 'Windows10.iso" file (helpfully provided by Filip-35) to the external HDD generates a message telling me that it is "too large for the destination file system."

Said file is allegedly 6,443,472 KB (about 6 and a half GB).

Said HDD allegedly has hundreds of GB of free space. I've even removed all files from it just to make sure. How does this make sense?


Attempting to begin Windows Update on my big old laptop (the one running Windows 7 with enough space to download the ISO file) generates the message:

"Windows update cannot check for updates, because the service is not running. You may need to restart your computer."

I have restarted by computer twice and the result is the same.


It feels like all my hardware and software is screwing me over, all at once. Do I have any recourse beyond shelling out for another copy of Windows?

 

[Colif]

is the external hdd formatted as fat32? that could be reason the 6gb ISO is too large for file system

It needs to be ntfs - https://www.easeus.com/partition-master/file-is-too-large-for-destination-file-system.html

try that 1st before we worry about updating win 7 PC

 

[Robo Reptile]

is the external hdd formatted as fat32? that could be reason the 6gb ISO is too large for file system

It needs to be ntfs - https://www.easeus.com/partition-master/file-is-too-large-for-destination-file-system.html

try that 1st before we worry about updating win 7 PC

All right, I see the option to do so.

Should I worry about the allocation unit size?

 

[Colif]

default should be 4096, leave it as is.

 

[Robo Reptile]

default should be 4096, leave it as is.

AHAHAHAHAHAH!!

It's working! It's working! The .ISO is dutifully moving over to the external HDD!

And the new SSD just arrived in the mail. I'll let you all know how the installation process goes.

 

[madmatt30]

Copying the iso file does not work .

Need to be done using rufus as i linked above

 

[Filip_35]

Okay.

Okay.

Attempting to transfer the 'Windows10.iso" file (helpfully provided by Filip-35) to the external HDD generates a message telling me that it is "too large for the destination file system."

Said file is allegedly 6,443,472 KB (about 6 and a half GB).

Said HDD allegedly has hundreds of GB of free space. I've even removed all files from it just to make sure. How does this make sense?


Attempting to begin Windows Update on my big old laptop (the one running Windows 7 with enough space to download the ISO file) generates the message:

"Windows update cannot check for updates, because the service is not running. You may need to restart your computer."

I have restarted by computer twice and the result is the same.


It feels like all my hardware and software is screwing me over, all at once. Do I have any recourse beyond shelling out for another copy of Windows?

you have to format your external hdd as ntfs to copy files larger than 2gb if you want to copy that iso

edit: don't do that if you really don't have to, just burn the iso on your windows 7 pc to usb or dvd with Windows USB/DVD Creation tool which can be downloaded here:https://www.microsoft.com/sk-sk/download/windows-usb-dvd-download-tool

you don't have to update right now, but if you want, look at this: http://www.wsusoffline.net/
it's a tool, which will install all updates offline. It contains the packages of windows update.

 

[Robo Reptile]

And the next in this constant parade of obstacles to getting my desktop working again...

The SSD seems to work fine. That's good.

When starting up the PC and hitting F11 for the boot menu, I see three options:




1-USB: TOSHIBA

2-UEFI: (NTFS) TOSHIBA

3-AHCI P5: INTEL SSDCS2KW51268 (that would be the new SSD)

Either of the "Toshiba" options would have to be the external HDD, where the Windows10.ISO file is located. And yet, when I select 2...nothing seems to happen. When I select 1, I am taken to a black screen with the following message:

Reboot and Select proper Boot device
or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot Device and press a key


Confused, I downloaded the Windows 7 USB DVD download tool (as "Filip_35 suggested) and attempted to use it to burn the ISO onto the external HDD. The program picked up on the .ISO from my Windows 7 PC...yet it did not "see" the HDD device - it did not exist as far as the program was concerned. I tried formatting the HDD back to exFAT, then back to NTFS - the program still did not detect the device.


What do?