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AgrippaFlag for Netherlands

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How to create a Windows 10 EUFI and BIOS USB installer stick from within Windows 10?

Hi all,

How to create a Windows 10 EUFI and BIOS USB installer stick from within Windows 10?

The Microsoft Media Creation tool does not work from with an already Windows 10 environment.

I have the ISO file and tried a tool like Rufus to create a bootable USB with an ISO, but it doesn't boot UEFI style.

What to do?
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McKnife
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The Microsoft Media Creation tool does not work from with an already Windows 10 environment.

It always has worked for me. What errors do you get?

Go to the Media Creation Link

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

Click on Upgrade to Windows 10 (even if Windows 10 is running), click on the Download button, select Open (Run) but NOT Save. Allow the program to run. Allow drivers to update. Then select Keep Everything.

Also go to Settings, Update and Recovery options to learn about recovering Windows 10 and making a USB Recovery stick.
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ASKER

Hi John,

maybe you can try to make a USB stick with your own link from within Windows 10 and tell me if that works. It doesn't work on my system, the Dutch version.
I did so on my own Windows 10 machine and it worked. Also you can go to Recovery Options and do a recovery directly . Keep Everything. I have also done this with the Media Creation Link. My system is US English (in Canada)
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Hello McKnife,

I installed the tool from your link (seems very old), after the install I do not see a start icon or so to do the next step, it is not clear how it works, but being as old as it seems, I wonder if UEFI is even an option.
Use WinSetupFromUSB for this, and make sure you format the stick to Fat32. That is required for UEFI. If your Windows iso file is larger than 4GB it gets split automatically so it still fits onto the file-system.

http://www.winsetupfromusb.com/
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ASKER

Hi Rindi,

I get this error:

User generated image
That is with the original MS ISO file, downloaded with the media creation tool in Windows 7.
Maybe format the drive and try again. Or, try a new 16 GB drive.
You have to use FAT32, and of course you also have to select the iso.
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Hi Rindi / John,

tried all of the options metioned in this EE discussion, not a single one works. All errors or auto reset to NTFS when manually set tot FAT32.

I think I need to install Windows 7 to get to the ISO files, I also cannot find the ISO files on the MS site.

Strange that this is so hard to achieve.
Did you try Recovery from the Start, Settings, Update menu?
It works fine. You just need to format the stick as FAT32, and of course you also need the 64 bit version of Windows 7. UEFI won't work with 32 bit versions of Windows.
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Hi Rindi,

trying to achieve it from within Windows 10, because else I need to install some old computer with Windows 7 in order to make a Windows 10 USB stick, could not be more inefficient.
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ASKER

Hi John,

how would recovery make me a Windows 10 stick?
Here are the Microsoft steps for creating it. I made one on an X230 that was Windows 8.1 and became Windows 10. I have not yet made one on my X1 Carbon.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/instantanswers/3a747883-b706-43a5-a286-9e98f886d490/create-a-recovery-drive
The OS you are running it on makes no difference. You just need the proper windows 7 iso and there will be no problem at all.
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ASKER

Hi Rindi / John,

there is no way to download a Windows 10 ISO from within Windows 10. Where to get it?
I am reading all the fine print on this page

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

and I think it will make the ISO in your language. There is certainly an option to create an ISO.
What is the brand / model of your computer?

Computer come with Windows 10? What version of Windows 10?
The USB download tool works with UEFi bootable sticks, or I wouldn't offer it.
Start it using the start menu search, type usb and you'll find it.
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Hi John,

that link does not work in Windows 10, try it please, I guess you'll see the same error.
You have two options.

1. Reboot the PC in legacy BIOS-compatibility mode. This option lets you keep the existing partition style. For more information on this, read this TechNet article titled Boot to UEFI Mode or Legacy BIOS mode.

OR

2. Wipe drive and reformat the drive so as to be able to use the PC’s firmware features.

Source: http://www.thewindowsclub.com/windows-cannot-be-installed-to-this-disk
that link does not work in Windows 10  The Media Creation Link works for me in Windows 10, so I do not entirely understand.

You need to make a Windows 10 ISO disk and then (as suggested by Nobus), wipe the disk, format and install Windows 10.

If you cannot make the ISO from my link, try the link provided by McKnife in the first answer here.
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ASKER

Hi John,

so you can start the downloaded EXE file to make a choice : USB or DVD or ISO?
On Windows 10, I used the link to do several in-place re-installs. I did not have a need to make a separate ISO disk. But you can make the ISO media. It is one of the choices (Install for another PC).
john, where did i come in to play here?
My error. I should have said Jackie Man. I was quoting from that post.
one of these times i will get points without posting like that...lol

if you want me to test it, i have the dutch version also here
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ASKER

I tested and tested, it cannot be done:

The MS Media Creation tool:
User generated image
Rufus FAT32 option:
User generated image
I would like to see a video from someone who manages to create a Windows 10 USB stick, UEFI and BIOS bootable.

I have tried so many things, insane that this has to be so hard.
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ASKER

Note: I downloaded the ISO file with the MS Media Creation tool in Windows 7.

Translation:

User generated imageIs is not clear what happened, but this program cannot be run on your system.
If you keep having problems, please report the error to the customer support. Error: 0x80072EFD - 0x20000

User generated imageThe selected file system cannot be used with this type of ISO. Select another file system of use another ISO.
It may be that your computer is not fully Windows 10 compliant.
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ASKER

No, it is the latest Dell Optiplex 5040 serie.
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ASKER

Even so: thing is: the stick needs to be created, main thing is: it cannot be done. I have 10 Windows 10 systems, not a single one gives  me the stick I need.
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@John: can you send me a screenshot of the Media Creation tool working from within Windows 10?
Can you contact Dell Support? That link has aways worked for me
It just starts, downloads, updates drivers, and then asks what you want to keep. I assume it downloaded and errors out on the driver update step
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I don't need Dell, I need a Windows 10 USB stick to use on all brands, just a MS genuine installer stick.

I will try some more, very strange that the Media Creation tool does work on your system.
Dell does not design open systems, so you may have to get their recovery media to get their specific drivers
Funny that you install the "usb download tool" and don't even care to try it afterwards. i told you to find it in the start menu, just type "usb".
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ASKER

Hi McKnife,

already tried that one, it does copy the ISO file to the stick, but it is on NTFS level. For UEFI to work you need a FAT32 stick bootable with the MS ISO file.
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ASKER

I have 2 original Windows 8.1 USB sticks from Dell: both working on my machine (and other machines) and checked it: it is FAT32.

I know I have no PC problems, it is the creation on the sticks that has been made very hard to do. I know it can be done, but not as easy as all above reactions tell me to do.
> For UEFI to work you need a FAT32 stick bootable with the MS ISO file.
I have no idea why you write that. It is not true. I installed Win10 UEFI systems using that method, it works with NTFS.
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Because all of the Internet says so and I can see in my tests that with whatever tool I use: NTFS sticks DO boot when doing a BIOS boot, but do not boot when wanting to use UEFI. On that same system my original FAT32 sticks DO boot directly in UEFI.

There seems to be no one who can explain why this is.
It works here on every UEFI system I have. With NTFS formatted USB setup sticks.
I think that you need to update the BIOS for your Dell OptiPlex 5040.
Hi,

I have Windows 10 (latest 1607?) Rufus, a USB stick and a 5040 at work. I will try creating a bootable stick and see what happens.
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ASKER

Hello Mike T,

that would be great, interesting to see if the MS Media Creation tool does work at your system from within Windows 10. Also: is the stick is created and it does boot in UEFI : is it FAT32 or NTFS?

Thank you,
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Jackie Man
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Hello Jackie,

yes, also with secure boot disable NTFS will not UEFI boot.

I notice that the MS Media Creation Tool uses a FAT32 format and in fact works.
Most (nearly all) USB keys are FAT32. See if that works now.
Dear all.

We live in a time of constant technical changes. What you might have read may no longer hold true. What you perceive as truth might solely be true for you. I will therefore offer some facts so that you can reproduce it.
--
Secure boot: active
Default secure boot keys are installed
System mainboard: Asrock B85 Pro 4, UEFI Bios version: 2.00
Installed OS: Server 2016 RTM
Installed from: USB Stick, NTFS formatted, Boot option: UEFI only
Setup on stick was created by: USB download tool
--
So you see: NTFS formatted sticks work with UEFI only booting AND also with Secure boot active. Please further note: the install.wim of server 2016 is a file of more than 4GB in size, it cannot possibly be placed on a FAT32 partition. Does Microsoft think you'll use fat32? No. Does MS expect you to use NTFS AND UEFI AND Secure boot? YES!

So please let's stop this theater about "no, this will not work with NTFS".
If it does not work for you, your UEFI/bios has a problem. I have seen PCs where this does not work, yes! But in general, it is possible. We have several Mainboard types here (Asus, Asrock mainly), all let me boot and install from NTFS formatted Setup sticks in UEFI mode with secure boot.
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ASKER

Hello McKnife,

I have more info about that, I have found out things that no one mentions in this discussion, there is absolutely more to this subject, but before I explain, from within which OS did you make your stick AND with which ISO file, where did you download that ISO. How large (GB) is your stick.

We'll figure this out once and for all.
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Your experiment is exactly  what I have mentioned in comment #a41887463 above.
Let's conclude, and it's very simple: Not every machine works the same. The UEFI firmware of certain devices will not boot NTFS formatted UEFI sticks, while other will boot the very same usb stick. It does not matter, if Rufus or the usb download tool or whatever tool is used. It is only a problem of the firmware of the mainboard.
The author of Rufus claims: "Rufus has an UEFI:NTFS feature that enables UEFI computers to boot from NTFS, regardless of their firmwares". We should all read https://github.com/pbatard/uefi-ntfs where the author claims:
[his]
UEFI:NTFS is designed to remove the UEFI restriction of being able to natively boot from FAT32 only
and
This can be used, for instance, for booting a Windows NTFS installation media, in UEFI mode, thus allowing support for files that are larger than 4GB
and further
The way this works, in conjunction with Rufus, is as follows:
Rufus creates 2 partitions on the target USB disk (these can be MBR or GPT partitions). The first one is an NTFS partition occupying almost all the drive, that contains the Windows files (for Windows To Go, or for regular installation), and the second is a very small FAT partition, located at the very end, that contains an NTFS UEFI driver (see http://efi.akeo.ie) as well as the UEFI:NTFS bootloader.
Aha! So that is the big trick. It not only uses NTFS but still uses also FAT and supplies both a bootloader and an NTFS driver. I am pretty sure that the usb download tool does the same.

Now for the big question: does that work anywhere anytime, like the Rufus author claims "regardless of the firmware"? NO! Because there are defective firmwares. I just had an installation this week on a supermicro server board. Did it boot the server 2016 setup UEFI style? NO! Did it boot it legacy style? YES! Did I use the "famous" UEFI:Boot from Rufus to try with? Yes. Was it successful? No. Does that very stick boot on other mainboards with UEFI? YES!

I am about to finish the server setup and when I have free time, I will confront the supermicro support with this and ask them how they expect people to setup server 2016 (remember: not possible on FAT, install.wim file is>4GB) on their board. For the time being, It just installed server 2016 core which has smaller WIM files in UEFI mode using the standard fat formatting of Rufus.
Windows 2016 works with WinSetupFromUSB even if Fat32 is used as file-system. This tool works differently from the others. The other tools like rufus or the media creation tool, extract the contents of the iso file to the stick or disk, while winSetupFromUSB doesn't do that. It copies the complete iso file to the stick or disk. If the file is larger than 4GB, it just splits it up into 2 or more chunks (iso1, iso2 etc).  When you then boot from the Fat32 USB disk/stick, you get a boot menu from where you select what iso you want to boot from (that is another of the differences of this tool to the others, you can easily include many more than one iso to boot from on the same disk). The system then uses the iso like it would when booting from a CD or DVD ROM, and then you can go on with the installation. This works with UEFI and legacy.
I will try that on thesupermicro board and let you know some time tomorrow, Rindi.
Rindi, do it yourself with a 2016 ISO and if successful, please describe the steps needed. It doesn't work here.
Downloaded the latest winsetupfromusb, formatted the stick with fat32, chose the win2012 ISO as that is the latest (2016 not officially supported) as shown in https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/28983022/How-to-create-a-Windows-10-EUFI-and-BIOS-USB-installer-stick-from-within-Windows-10.html?anchorAnswerId=41887065#a41887065 but I get the same error message like him.
What did you do?
This software is astounding. After looking at all the options and just redoing what I did before, it works and that one is bootable on the supermicro server board as well as on another Lenovo x240 UEFI only that had the same problem.
So winsetupfromusb has got what you need, if it does not play nice, just retry ;-)
I had tested it with 2016 server some time ago, and it worked. The good thing is because the iso files are saved on the USB disk/stick, you can have plenty of installation media on the same disk without them disturbing each other because of them extracting the files to the same directories.

I have a USB disk with Windows 7 (32 and 64bit), 10 (32 + 64), 2008r2, 2012r2, 2016, some paragon Windows PE based tools, the UBCD, Several Linux distro's etc, all on the same disk.
I will stop the auto closure because obviously, the tool that Rindi mentioned does work and is the best for this job.
If the author does not show up, we can close it on our own, afterwards.
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ASKER

Thank you all,

I am going to close the question myself, no need for requests for closure while the author is still testing.
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ASKER

Thank you all. I noticed that the MS media creation tool does work now, nothing changed on my machine. I did buy a new USB stick. Also I noticed the tool does not create an UEFI compatible stick when the tool is used on an old PC (Windows 7).

Thanks for all the effort. I did succeed in the end. Hope it's a usefull case for many more people.
If it was my decision, I had given the points to Rindi, maybe an assist for me. His tool allows things the MS tool does not.