[SOLVED] Can I copy the entire contents of my Windows 10 install media usb to another usb and have it work as it should?

[iTRiP]

?

 

[Colif]

you could also put USB into windows
go to settings/update & security/recovery
Under Advanced startup, click restart now button
on blue menu choose use a device
IF USB shows as bootable device here, it should work.
you can actually boot it from here, to be sure but at least this way you not needing to go into bios.

 

[TerryLaze]

Option 1
use a cloning software like macrium reflect or any one you know and are comfortable with and do a full clone of the usb to a different usb, it's important to clone the whole drive with all partitions for the reasons explained by others.
Win32 disk imager is a specialized one for external media but it's not direct you have to store the clone on your hard drive first and then copy it over to the new drive.
Always be careful to select the correct target drive and not delete any important data drive.

Option 2
use easybcd ,all it does you can also do with windows commands but using the command line is a PITA, with easybcd you can put an MBR to your usb and create a bcdstore on it, mbr is the boot block and the bcdstore is basically your boot menu so that the mbr knows what to load next.
Then you can just copy paste all the files and it will work.

No two systems are the same especially if you switch between efi and legacy boot the official media only works on the one it was created for.
If you use rufus you can make a universal media that can run on both.

you could also put USB into windows
go to settings/update & security/recovery
Under Advanced startup, click restart now button
on blue menu choose use a device
IF USB shows as bootable device here, it should work.
you can actually boot it from here, to be sure but at least this way you not needing to go into bios.

And if you have a VM set up you can give it access to your usb and try to boot it there.

 

[lvt]

Copying doesn't make the other USB bootable.

 

[Colif]

probably not as it formats the drive as bootable

Just make a new installerr - https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/software-download/windows10

 

[iTRiP]

Copying doesn't make the other USB bootable.

probably not as it formats the drive as bootable

Just make a new installerr - https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/software-download/windows10

Right, alright. then that's what I'll do, thanks, thought I could cut a corner there, but now that you mention not being bootable and true install media and such, I might not want to cut the corner.

 

[iTRiP]

So what is it again exactly that is on the officially created usb that makes it a bootable install media?

How would it differ from copying said already successfully created install media, is there any way to tell?

 

[Colif]

well, it will have a boot sector. it might be a separate partition on the usb. that will have files needed to boot the os included in it.

I would be more specific but there isn't a lot of info out there.

You can't just copy/paste, it probably doesn't work.

 

[iTRiP]

well, it will have a boot sector. it might be a separate partition on the usb. that will have files needed to boot the os included in it.

Oh, I see, but I don't see ...ok is there any way to see that?

 

[lvt]

So what is it again exactly that is on the officially created usb that makes it a bootable install media?

How would it differ from copying said already successfully created install media, is there any way to tell?

To make the answer short, a USB is bootable when it has a reserved partition area called Master Boot Record with all necessary files. You need a special tool to do such job.

 

[iTRiP]

Oh, I see, but I don't see ...ok is there any way to see that?

To make the answer short, a USB is bootable when it has a reserved partition area called Master Boot Record with all necessary files. You need a special tool to do such job.

?

 

[Colif]

put drive into pc
right click start
choose disk management
right click on usb & choose properties
go to hardware tab
pick the USB from list on this tab and click properties button
Now, go to the “Volumes” tab. If the USB drive is bootable, you will see “Master Boot Record” or “GUID Partition Table” right next to the “Partition Style” entry. In addition to that, you will also see other recognizable entries like “No media,” 0 MB capacity, unallocated space, and reserved space.

How to Check If a USB Drive is Bootable in 4 Steps

Want to test if the bootable pen drive is working or not? Here are a couple of simple ways to check if the USB drive is bootable or not.

windowsloop.com

 

[lvt]

Oh, I see, but I don't see ...ok is there any way to see that?

You can use a DOS command like DIR C:/A to show the hidden files on the drive (replace C by your USB's drive letter).

 

[iTRiP]

put drive into pc
right click start
choose disk management
the USB drive should show in here and show if its got more than 1 partition

You can use a DOS command like DIR C:/A to show the hidden files on the drive (replace C by your USB's drive letter).

In disk management I can't see any more than one partitions on my fully functioning install media usb.

And with the command DIR I:/A, the content of the install media matches exactly what I can see already in explorer save for a DIR called System Volume Information, and seems I can't have a peek inside to see what's going on in there, suppose that's why the entire contents can't just be copied right.

 

[Colif]

System Volume Information

That is a system managed folder, no one apart from it has access to it

What Is the "System Volume Information" Folder, and Can I Delete It?

On every Windows drive---even external USB drives---you'll find a "System Volume Information" folder.

www.howtogeek.com

have you tried to copy one? Sometimes easiest way to find out is to try. Worst thing that will happen is it won't boot.

I edited my last post to show how you can tell if a drive is bootable or not

How to Check If a USB Drive is Bootable in 4 Steps

Want to test if the bootable pen drive is working or not? Here are a couple of simple ways to check if the USB drive is bootable or not.

windowsloop.com

 

[iTRiP]

That is a system managed folder, no one apart from it has access to it

What Is the "System Volume Information" Folder, and Can I Delete It?

On every Windows drive---even external USB drives---you'll find a "System Volume Information" folder.

www.howtogeek.com

have you tried to copy one? Sometimes easiest way to find out is to try. Worst thing that will happen is it won't boot.

Right, interestingly enough no I haven't, but what lead me to believe that one can do that is because once I had made a windows 7 install media dvd, and just copied everything through windows explorer right to a usb and it worked, it was bootable and everything was fine with it.

 

[Colif]

I really have to stop editing my posts as you don't notice.
have a look at the link i have put in last 2, it shows how to see if a USB is bootable

it might work but i think partitions need to be formated right way to work.

 

[lvt]

In disk management I can't see any more than one partitions on my fully functioning install media usb.

And with the command DIR I:/A, the content of the install media matches exactly what I can see already in explorer save for a DIR called System Volume Information, and seems I can't have a peek inside to see what's going on in there, suppose that's why the entire contents can't just be copied right.

You can copy the files, but it doesn't make your USB bootable because you still lack the MBR, the MBR must be located at the first sector of the disk, and the MBR must contain important system data that the Bios can understand, thing that you can't do with the copy function.

 

[iTRiP]

I really have to stop editing my posts as you don't notice.
have a look at the link i have put in last 2, it shows how to see if a USB is bootable

it might work but i think partitions need to be formated right way to work.

You can copy the files, but it doesn't make your USB bootable because you still lack the MBR, the MBR must be located at the first sector of the disk, and the MBR must contain important system data that the Bios can understand, thing that you can't do with the copy function.

Yes. I've looked at that, thank you, think this solves my questioning about this subject.

 

[Colif]

You can copy the files, but it doesn't make your USB bootable because you still lack the MBR, the MBR must be located at the first sector of the disk, and the MBR must contain important system data that the Bios can understand, thing that you can't do with the copy function.

if usb only has one partition, mbr is already 1st partition. MBR installs can run off one Partition. I had win 10 installed on ssd as 1 partition. Worked fine.
Its how it does it on GPT that interests me, as it should have an EFI partition but if entire drive if fat32, it might work somehow.

 

[iTRiP]

No corner cutting, right, but just as a side note, I would rather make a duplicate of an install media that I have used and had installed on a machine before and know.

That being said seems every time I want to make one with the media creation tool there's a different version being created, normally I would be excited about that but to accomplish a reliable install media to be used time and time again, again like the one tested and used before.

 

[Colif]

There shouldn't be a new version of win 10 yet, it hasn't changed in a year.

Win 11 got updated 2 weeks ago but they only make a new version once a year.

they make new versions to reduce number of patches you need to install after

 

[iTRiP]

There shouldn't be a new version of win 10 yet, it hasn't changed in a year.

Win 11 got updated 2 weeks ago but they only make a new version once a year.

The link you gave me is creating 21H2, differentiating from the one I was hoping to duplicate 21H1.

Well, I guess I'll just roll with that then.

 

[lvt]

if usb only has one partition, mbr is already 1st partition. MBR installs can run off one Partition. I had win 10 installed on ssd as 1 partition. Worked fine.

It seems that it's also the case for my W10 installation too.

 

[Colif]

Prior to this year win 10 got an update every 6 months so really, you should be on 22H1 except it doesn't exist.
their release schedule was every 6 months, now both 10 & 11 are on one a year.
This years Win 10 version update is um... due sometime... no idea when. Maybe November.