Issues installing Windows from USB??? Help.

[Spewky___]

Hey there,

 

So I've been trying to install windows 10 from a USB boot drive using the latest iso file for widows 10 64 bit from the windows website.

 

I'm going to start this off by saying the only computer I have available that works is my Macbook Pro laptop. 

 

I tried formatting the USB as Fat32 and then using unetbootin to make my USB a boot drive however that didn't work as the instal.wim file is bigger than 4gb so errors occur saying the file can't be found on the new PC when trying to install windows. I tried formatting the USB as NTFS but Macs for some reason can't read that or format it like that (so had to use 3rd party software to format it, but even when I did, I couldn't put files on it.)

 

Now I have resorted to formatting the USB as exFat as the max file size is far larger. I plugged the USB into my computer and this time it was finally detected by the bios. I set it as the first drive in the boot sequence and restarted. Now all that appears is a black screen with a white blinking underscore ( _ ). Keyboard and mouse unresponsive. Nothing I can do.

 

Any advice please?

 

Thanks. 

[TensorVortex]

No.

use windows media creation tool to make ur boot drive for UEFI support.

 

or if u on mac, simply format the whole drive(not one partition) to Fat32, then download windows10 ios, open the windows 10 iso, copy all file to the fat32 usb, then ur done.

[Lenovo1984]

3 minutes ago, TensorVortex said:

No.

use windows media creation tool to make ur boot drive for UEFI support.

 

or if u on mac, simply format the whole drive(not one partition) to Fat32, then download windows10 ios, open the windows 10 iso, copy all file to the fat32 usb, then ur done.

That's not how that works. You can't simply copy all the files and expect the system to boot. 

[Enderman]

Why are you using that weird stuff?

Use the official media creation tool from the microsoft website, not anything else.

[TensorVortex]

Just now, Lenovo1984 said:

That's not how that works. You can't simply copy all the files and expect the system to boot. 

That’s exactly how it works.

 

what u did was the old MBR way to make USB boot drive for non-uefi compliant pc.

 

please donnot not spread misinformation.

[Lenovo1984]

2 minutes ago, Enderman said:

Why are you using that weird stuff?

Use the official media creation tool from the microsoft website, not anything else.

That isn't available on Mac. 

 

1 minute ago, TensorVortex said:

That’s exactly how it works.

 

what u did was the old MBR way to make USB boot drive for non-uefi compliant pc.

 

please donnot not spread misinformation.

I'm not sharing misinformation. Copying the files won't work on something that isn't UEFI, and the OP hasn't specified otherwise. 

[Spewky___]

8 minutes ago, TensorVortex said:

No.

use windows media creation tool to make ur boot drive for UEFI support.

 

or if u on mac, simply format the whole drive(not one partition) to Fat32, then download windows10 ios, open the windows 10 iso, copy all file to the fat32 usb, then ur done.

My second paragraph....???

 

I've formatted it, the whole drive, as fat32. Put the files on. The maximum size for fat32 is 4gb the install.wim file is over 4gb so it doesn't go on properly. I had to force it on with unetbootin. I even tried copying all the files individually. Already tried all that.  

[Spewky___]

19 minutes ago, Lenovo1984 said:

*removed*@Spewky___, what computer are you trying to install Windows on? 

Thank you. I'm trying to install this on a brand new PC.

 

Has a  a Gigabyte X570 mobo with a Ryzen 3700x. Also an 1TB M.2 SSD and a 2TB seagate hard drive. 

Edit: also an XFX 5700XT

[Mbowen]

3 minutes ago, Spewky___ said:

Thank you. I'm trying to install this on a brand new PC.

 

Has a  a Gigabyte X570 mobo with a Ryzen 3700x. Also an 1TB M.2 SSD and a 2TB seagate hard drive. 

Do you have a GPU installed? 

[Lenovo1984]

Just now, Mbowen said:

Do you have a GPU installed? 

The OP mentions that they set the boot sequence and saw a flashing white underscore, so I'd say they do. 

[Spewky___]

Just now, Mbowen said:

Do you have a GPU installed? 

Yes. XFX RX 5700XT.

[Mbowen]

1 minute ago, Spewky___ said:

Yes. XFX RX 5700XT.

I had a very similar problem about 2 months ago. Tried installing probably about 6 times. Sometimes it would get to the install menu, sometimes it would only get to the heartbeat screen (blinking light in top right). Is that what's happening here? 

[Spewky___]

13 minutes ago, Mbowen said:

I had a very similar problem about 2 months ago. Tried installing probably about 6 times. Sometimes it would get to the install menu, sometimes it would only get to the heartbeat screen (blinking light in top right). Is that what's happening here? 

Yeup, that sounds about right. But rather one over and over again. 

 

When I had it formatted at fat32 and used unetbootin it was the install menu.

 

Now with exfat it's the blinking line.

 

How'd you fix it? 

13 minutes ago, Lenovo1984 said:

*removed*

 

Have you reset the BIOS to factory settings? 

I'll go try this now. 

 

How should I try format the USB? 

[Lenovo1984]

Just now, Spewky___ said:

Yeup, that sounds about right. But rather one over and over again. 

 

When I had it formatted at fat32 and used unetbootin it was the install menu.

 

Now with exfat it's the blinking line.

 

How'd you fix it? 

I'll go try this now. 

 

How should I try format the USB? 

exFAT should work. If not, you can try to use NTFS with a Mac driver. 

[Spewky___]

Just now, Lenovo1984 said:

exFAT should work. If not, you can try to use NTFS with a Mac driver. 

How would I do that?

 

My Macbook itself won't format a USB as NTFS. Got a 3rd party app to do it and then my laptop wouldn't let me put any files on it because it probably can't read it given it can't format it. 

[Lenovo1984]

Just now, Spewky___ said:

How would I do that?

 

My Macbook itself won't format a USB as NTFS. Got a 3rd party app to do it and then my laptop wouldn't let me put any files on it because it probably can't read it given it can't format it. 

There are Mac drivers for NTFS. I can't think of the name of them right now, but I know they are out there. I have used them before. They will allow Disk Utility to format a drive as NTFS. 

[TVwazhere]

*Thread Cleaned*

 

Please remain on topic

[Spewky___]

4 minutes ago, Lenovo1984 said:

There are Mac drivers for NTFS. I can't think of the name of them right now, but I know they are out there. I have used them before. They will allow Disk Utility to format a drive as NTFS. 

Ok. I'll try looking for them now. Please let me know if you remember them. I'll keep trying. 

[Mbowen]

6 minutes ago, Spewky___ said:

Yeup, that sounds about right. But rather one over and over again. 

 

When I had it formatted at fat32 and used unetbootin it was the install menu.

 

Now with exfat it's the blinking line.

 

How'd you fix it? 

I'll go try this now. 

 

How should I try format the USB? 

My issue ended up being a hardware problem. I was using a GPU that had artifacts (bought second hand and didn't know)

Once I did a minimum spec boot I found out the issue. Though, when I was troubleshooting, I was able to get into the install menu quite often. By the look of this thread, you may be having a different issue, so don't panic.

If you can, minimum booting is always a good way to start troubleshooting though.

[NinJake]

I don't have experience with making making a Windows installation drive from a Mac. Either way, how difficult would it be to stop at a public library and create the installer using the official Windows Media Creation Tool?

[Spewky___]

3 minutes ago, NinJake said:

I don't have experience with making making a Windows installation drive from a Mac. Either way, how difficult would it be to stop at a public library and create the installer using the official Windows Media Creation Tool?

To be perfectly honest. I hadn't thought of that... I'll look into it and see. I have my doubts though as the library computers I have access to have somewhat limited capabilities. As in you don't really get access to files, more just online stuff. I'll resort to that if I can't fix it soon. 

[NinJake]

25 minutes ago, Spewky___ said:

To be perfectly honest. I hadn't thought of that... I'll look into it and see. I have my doubts though as the library computers I have access to have somewhat limited capabilities. As in you don't really get access to files, more just online stuff. I'll resort to that if I can't fix it soon. 

At the very least, even if the computers are locked down, ask! (The worst that will happen is they will say no we can't help you.) Good luck!

[Spewky___]

37 minutes ago, Mbowen said:

My issue ended up being a hardware problem. I was using a GPU that had artifacts (bought second hand and didn't know)

Once I did a minimum spec boot I found out the issue. Though, when I was troubleshooting, I was able to get into the install menu quite often. By the look of this thread, you may be having a different issue, so don't panic.

If you can, minimum booting is always a good way to start troubleshooting though.

What do you mean by minimum booting? I don't have windows installed at all to boot...  All I can do is get to the bios. 

[Mbowen]

3 hours ago, Spewky___ said:

What do you mean by minimum booting? I don't have windows installed at all to boot...  All I can do is get to the bios. 

Hardware. One stick of ram, CPU cooler, power supply. That's it. If there is an issue with a piece of hardware, or a cpu pin or a stick of ram, it can cause issues. 

[Spewky___]

19 hours ago, Spewky___ said:

To be perfectly honest. I hadn't thought of that... I'll look into it and see. I have my doubts though as the library computers I have access to have somewhat limited capabilities. As in you don't really get access to files, more just online stuff. I'll resort to that if I can't fix it soon. 

I've just attempted this today to no avail. Library computers are either windows 7 or windows 10. Windows 7 ones wouldn't work or even let me get the media creation tool. Windows 10 computers needed an admin password to even run it once it was downloaded. Going to try format the USB as NTFS on here and install all the files then take it home and see if it works... I have my doubts though. Going to have to find someone with a windows computer I suppose.