Having a SERIOUS issue formatting USB thumb drive to create an install image

[hazeyez]

I bought a 16gb VIVITAR USB 2.0 thumb drive from Rite Aid (it's late, needed it to get this done - selling pc tomorrow) for $14.99. Wasn't trying to be cheap - if I could get a better brand like SanDisk or a USB 3.0 or 3.1 I would have.

 

Anyway, plug it in - can't find it. It's in devices menu in CTRL panel, not showing up under "this pc" as a drive. Search online, it says to plug it into the 2.0 USB plugs in the back I/O panel.

 

Do that, still nothing. - Open up MiniTool Partition Wizard drive shows up - needs to be initialized and volume created. Shows up under "this pc" - good to go.

 

Downloaded Windows 10 media creation tool - takes like 25 minutes to download, I go thru the menu to choose USB drive over DVD ISO image... a couple things happen then a very generic error message came up saying something to the effect of: "Can not perform this process right now" - or whatever.

 

I format the drive.

 

Gave up (this was last night) and here I am tonight. I come home, plug in the drive - same issue - the drive is not showing up as a drive under "my pc"

 

NOW here are the real issues. I open computer management > disk management - this is what shows up:

 

 then I click OK and this shows up: "The device is not ready"

 

I went to use disk management in windows this time, because this is how it appears in Minitool Partition Wizard:

 

 

It just appears as disk 3 - I can't do anything. but highlight it. No options to initialize, create new volume,

 

and I can't format it either - because I only have that option when it actually shows up as a drive under "this pc"

 

I tried plugging in the USB 2.0 plugs back on the case front panel - no difference.

 

Go into CTRL panel >devices and printers> it appears as a "USB Mass Storage Device" > i go to properties >hardware tab > back to properties > events tab - and this is all i see:

 

 

So what do I do?

I honestly feel like such a freaking newb.

Ya know, using a thumb drive never used to be this complicated.

Last question - I should be creating the new volume as an NFTS, not FAT32 correct? either way it doesnt even matter I cant even get to that point.

 

 

 

 

[kb5zue]

For Windows 10, you need a flash drive at least 20 gigs in size.  16 gigs is not large enough.

[Zmax]

Possible you have a bad stick.  16g is fine

[hazeyez]

7 minutes ago, kb5zue said:

For Windows 10, you need a flash drive at least 20 gigs in size.  16 gigs is not large enough.

@kb5zue really? well thank you for that but is the least of the problems... 

 

why can't I even get it formatted, initialized, new volume created, and opened?

 

someone please help

[hazeyez]

Just now, CK1968 said:

What if .... if the ISO file size is about 5Gb, you only need a 8Gb USB stick

@CK1968 do I need a 20gb stick for win10 pro?

 

I might just go return this p.o.s. if that's the case, might just do that anyway to see if it is the stick

[Zmax]

Try returning the USB stick at store, and try different brand

[hazeyez]

@Zmax do I need a 20gb stick for win10 pro? 

[hazeyez]

3 minutes ago, CK1968 said:

At least my Windows 10 USB stick stick is 8Gb so the answer is you need a minimum ISO file size of a USB stick

yeah windows 10 is between 3-4 gig, so I don't know what @kb5zue is smoking

[Zmax]

I went do Microsoft web site and did not see any options to download the Windows 10 Pro

 

But I have found this option. Of course there may be a different option

 

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12384/windows-10-upgrading-home-to-pro

 

Read the portion on Upgrading using a Digital license in the pro section

 

If you have a valid license, and it's registered you should not have any problem.

[hazeyez]

4 minutes ago, Zmax said:

I went do Microsoft web site and did not see any options to download the Windows 10 Pro

 

But I have found this option. Of course there may be a different option

 

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12384/windows-10-upgrading-home-to-pro

 

If you have a valid license, and it's registered you should not have any problem.

@Zmax you download the windows media creation tool and then before it installs you choose the version.

 

I have a valid keyed version of 10 home, I want to put an unregistered, watermarked version of 10 pro in it as I am trying to sell it. 

[Zmax]

1 minute ago, hazeyez said:

@Zmax you download the windows media creation tool and then before it installs you choose the version.

 

I

Thanks good to know

[combine1237]

I've had this issue before with Linux, FreeNAS, and pfsense usbs I've made its been a while but my problem was windows I used a 3rd party partition manager and deleted all partitions and reformatted. It worked for me except when the drives really died which was ~10% of the time (cheap ~$2 USD 16gb drives off craigslist). It has been over three years so the memories are a little fuzzy if this was what I exactly did. Don't know if this is your problem, just putting in my 2 cents.

[Zmax]

10 minutes ago, CK1968 said:

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

You are correct that is Windows 10 Home Editon

[Zmax]

1 hour ago, CK1968 said:

Both Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro

Sweet I did not know, Apology

 

Edit :   I found the Windows 10 pro version on the USB Stick format. Thanks for correcting me .

[kb5zue]

2 hours ago, hazeyez said:

yeah windows 10 is between 3-4 gig, so I don't know what @kb5zue is smoking

Sorry, my mistake.  And to let you know, marijuana is legal in California.  I got in the habit of using a 20 gig flash drive for my Windows 10 because of all the crap that it downloads during the process of installation.  But to get down to the brass tacks and nails, I would rather have too much space than not enough.

[hazeyez]

42 minutes ago, kb5zue said:

Sorry, my mistake.  And to let you know, marijuana is legal in California.  I got in the habit of using a 20 gig flash drive for my Windows 10 because of all the crap that it downloads during the process of installation.  But to get down to the brass tacks and nails, I would rather have too much space than not enough.

Meth isn't. And I don't think you can install anything else on the drive, it's literally just a boot image which maxes out at like 3.5 gig, maybe a bit more. Anything more is downloaded when you're on the interwebs after installation. But I agree - definitely get down to the brass TAX and pay for more gb than you need. 

[Zmax]

4 hours ago, hazeyez said:

@Zmax you download the windows media creation tool and then before it installs you choose the version.

 

I have a valid keyed version of 10 home, I want to put an unregistered, watermarked version of 10 pro in it as I am trying to sell it. 

 

If you have a valid Windows 10 key on you comp. you will be selling the windows 10 also.

[LulaGreen]

Just try uninstalling and reinstalling the related driver. If it can't fix, you need to purchase a new one. 

[hazeyez]

So I went and exchanged the bad thumb drive for a different brand - this time maxwell, a much better quality brand - at least when compared to vivitar I believe.

 

No issues with the drive, it was simply plug-n-play, recognized right away - no need to format or anything.

 

Halfway through the Windows Media Creation Tool process, this pops up.

 

Same thing that happened with the last drive - the one time that it actually worked before it stopped working.

 

I really don't know what to do.

 

Any ideas?

 

Can I take a 1tb WD My Passport external HDD, create a 10gb partition on it, then use that partition for the Media Creation Tool? 

 

Would it actually boot, given that there would be other partitions on the drive? Or does it have to be one dedicated drive for this purpose only?

 

PLEASE HELP!!!!!

 

[hazeyez]

A quick google search with that error code says to download the win media creation tool directly to the usb thumb drive then run it. so I am trying that now.

[kirashi]

On 8/13/2018 at 10:12 PM, kb5zue said:

For Windows 10, you need a flash drive at least 20 gigs in size.  16 gigs is not large enough.

No, you don't - you can still make a Windows 10 installer using an 8GB drive.

 

On 8/13/2018 at 10:22 PM, hazeyez said:

@kb5zue really? well thank you for that but is the least of the problems... 

 

why can't I even get it formatted, initialized, new volume created, and opened?

On 8/13/2018 at 10:26 PM, hazeyez said:

@Zmax do I need a 20gb stick for win10 pro? 

See above - an 8GB will work, but going with a 16GB these days would be totally fine. Looks like you got a dud drive because it doesn't indicate it has any capacity, which is why your computer errors when trying to format it. The controller shows up, but the actual NAND flash is probably bad because there's no capacity. I'd return the drive and buy a legit brand from a legit store that doesn't also sell pharmaceutical goods...

[hazeyez]

21 hours ago, hazeyez said:

A quick google search with that error code says to download the win media creation tool directly to the usb thumb drive then run it. so I am trying that now.

after trying to do it with the windows media creation tool on the thumb drive, i get the same error.

 

anyone have any ideas?

[hazeyez]

should the thumb drive be fat32 or ntfs? it keeps formatting to fat32

[hazeyez]

@Zmax @kb5zue @LulaGreen @kirashi

 

Just want to let you all know that I have gotten it figured out.

 

The initial drive was a dud - got a new drive, 8gb will work - however, I got a 16gb. 

 

With the new working drive, I was now running into an issue - if you refer to a few posts back from this - I was now getting an error message.

 

With a quick search, I found a tip to download the Windows Media Creation Tool setup file directly to the thumb drive.

 

Even after doing so - I was getting the same error message.

 

I formatted the drive again to retry - and I noticed that the drive formats to FAT32 by default.

 

I know FAT32 supports up to 4gb files, but it only supports up to 2GB volumes.

 

I reformatted it again - this time to NTFS....

 

BOOM! WORKS!!!!!!

 

Thank you all for your input.

 

I hope this helps someone down the road.

[demonix00]

Vivitar = Crap (just like their cameras)

 

That USB drive is likely knackered and should be sent directly to the bin.