0

I want to install Windows 10 via USB. I also want to use UEFI.

I downloaded this iso https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10ISO

As I want to use UEFI, I have to partition my USB stick with FAT32, which comes with a max-size for files to 4GB. However, the file "install.wim" from that Windows 10 iso is 5.2 GB, so it cannot be copied to the USB stick.

Is there another win 10 image that I perhaps can use? Or is there any other way around it beside installing it to a DVD?

I am a bit surprised by this, because I thought DVD's are outdated (Many new Laptop's don't even have DVD drives installed) and also, I found many instructions online how to create the Win10 Boot USB and they all state to format FAT32?

Improve this question
8
  • 1
    The computer on or using which you wish to create Bootable USB, is it running Windows, Linux or Mac? If Windows simply use Rufus. rufus.ie/en It will take care of everything including UEFI NTFS Driver
    – patkim
    Dec 7, 2022 at 6:23
  • Alternatively use Ventoy for Windows or Linux ventoy.net/en/download.html
    – patkim
    Dec 7, 2022 at 6:31
  • @patkim I am using Linux, just trying out ventoy. Sounds very exciting, I hope it will work. Let you know in a while, currently coping iso files
    – Adam
    Dec 7, 2022 at 8:32
  • Note that Ventoy will create a small FAT partition with its own bootloader. It will also create an exFAT partition on the pendrive where you need to copy the ISO file as-is (without expanding/extracting)
    – patkim
    Dec 7, 2022 at 8:34
  • 1
    The FAT partition is the UEFI boot partition only. It contains bootloader and exFAT driver. UEFI will boot from it and mount the exFAT partition and show you all ISO's list to choose from at the boot screen.
    – patkim
    Dec 7, 2022 at 8:40

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

While there are several ways on Linux, the easiest I find is using a multi-ISO boot tool called Ventoy which is available for Windows as well as Linux.

It can be downloaded from here https://github.com/ventoy/Ventoy/releases

On Linux extract the tar.gz file to a directory.

enter image description here

Plug in a pen drive at least 8GB for Windows ISO, 16 GB for more

On typical x64 systems run the script VentoyGUI.x86_64 in terminal. However Ventoy2Disk.sh has several command line options. Need to run it as superuser. Ventoy will show the GUI interface and the mounted pendrive device as seen in this screenshot.

enter image description here

Click Install

Ventoy will format the device and create two partitions on it. One is a 32MB FAT partition which is the UEFI bootloader and another larger exFAT partition to store the ISO files. This ensures UEFI support as well as support for larger ISO’s > 4GB

enter image description here

Ventoy will confirm the status of this operation.

enter image description here

Now if not already mounted, mount the exFAT partition and copy all bootable ISO’s on it at root level directly as-is without any extraction.

enter image description here

Boot your system in UEFI mode (preferably secure boot disabled) and select Pendrive smaller FAT partition as boot device.

Ventoy will boot thru its bootloader, mount the exFAT partition and show you list of ISO’s to choose from.

enter image description here

Upon selection, booting will start, as long as ISO is properly UEFI bootable.

The list of supported bootable ISO files tested on Ventoy is here https://www.ventoy.net/en/isolist.html

More on Ventoy support on Secure Boot & related recommended procedure is documented here https://www.ventoy.net/en/doc_secure.html

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .