[SOLVED] Installing Windows 10 on a USB drive with important photos saved onto it

[GeorgeCZ75]

I purchased an SSD and I want to download Windows 10 on that. I want to download Windows 10 installer on my USB drive, however, that USB drive has some very important photos and I'm afraid that if I attempt to download Windows installer on it, all the photos and documents on the USB drive might get corrupted or something like that. Will this happen?

 

[USAFRet]

Using the MediaCreation tool to build a Win 10 USB...it will absolutely wipe any and all data on that drive.
It warns you of this twice.

Save that data elsewhere first.

Again - It will absolutely wipe ALL data on that drive.​

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Move the photos somewhere else.

Making the USB into a Windows installation drive will destroy all data on the USB drive. The tool Microsoft supplies will warn you of this before proceeding.

 

[britechguy]

This is true whether you use the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool (MCT) or a utility such as Rufus to create a bootable USB drive.

Completely wiping it is part and parcel of the process and Rufus, like the MCT, warns you of this as well.

Either get another USB thumb drive (16GB ones are dirt cheap and 8GB ones even cheaper) or copy those pictures off on to an external backup drive before you use the USB thumb drive they're currently on.

 

[USAFRet]

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

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[DSzymborski]

You literally need to stop whatever it is you're doing right now and backup those files. You say you have very important photos on this USB drive, but if you have files that aren't properly backed up, the only question isn't whether or not you'll eventually you lose your files, but when. If these are truly important, a backup is the minimum level of responsible upkeep; you ideally want at least three copies in at least two different formats with at least one copy off-site.

 

[Alabalcho]

however, that USB drive has some very important photos and I'm afraid that if I attempt to download Windows installer on it, all the photos and documents on the USB drive might get corrupted or something like that.

Using the MediaCreation tool to build a Win 10 USB...it will absolutely wipe any and all data on that drive.

Or just buy 8GB USB for like $5, and keep it aside just for that purpose.

 

[USAFRet]

And to reiterate what was mentioned above...if this USB flash drive is the only location for these files, you absolutely need to change that. Right now.
Backup backup backup.

A flash drive is the worst place for a single copy of anything.