You should still be in the command prompt windowĦ) Now we just need to copy files. See full blog post at Create Bootable Windows Server 2016 USB Thumb Drive for Installing OS for commands and detailed stepsĥ) Now we need to copy the boot sector. I also recommend you disconnect all external drives to limit possible mistakes.Ĥ) Next you will run Diskpart to prepare the disk for the OS I strongly recommend you have a good backup before running. URGENT NOTE: The following commands will completely wipe out your disk without warning so make sure you select the proper disk. Start | type cmd | Right-click cmd (top of menu) | Run as Administrator (accept the elevation request) In my case it is D: and 32gb You will likely need at least an 8gb drive as the bits will require 4.9gb.ģ) You need to run an elevated command prompt. In my case it is drive I:Ģ) Put in the USB Thumb Drive Key in the computer and make note of the drive letter and the size of the disk. You could also download from or other subscription service.ġ) Double-click the ISO file to mount it (or mount the ISO) and make note of the drive letter. If you do not have the media, you will need to download. The USB drive I created with these instructions was used to successfully install Windows Server 2016 TP5 on bare metal with only one internal drive which was wiped during the install. If you want to create a bootable USB with Windows 10 using the executable, see: Download Windows 10 and Create bootable USB Thumb Drive for Booting to Installation PLUS Data Migration.

Note: this post DOES NOT use any downloadable. They should work on prior versions of Windows 10, Winndows 8, Windows Server 2012, Windows 7 and Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2.

These procedures were written and tested using Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview 5 but should work on any version of Windows Server or Windos Desktop version 8 or above.

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