ISO Files for Windows

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Some months ago, after updating the OS to Windows 10 22H2, based on a recommendation on this site, I went to the HeiDoc website, downloaded Windows-ISO-Downloader. exe and used it to download an ISO for the OS to a USB thumb drive. I’m not sure of the purposes of an ISO, but I think the reason was to have that backup in case a problem develops during a future OS update, such as to Win 11, so I can revert if needed. One problem I have is that I have no idea how to use the ISO in the event I need to. Is there documentation somewhere that I can get and study to educate myself? The second problem is that I recently came across a reference to Microsoft Media Creation Tool, which seems to have a similar purpose. Is this the case? Do I need both these apps or is one preferred?

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An ISO is a single file that contains the installer for a version of Windows. It’s purpose is the same as the CDs/DVDs that we got to install older Windows  (XP to 8.1). It contains the same installation files in a compressed form. You can expand the ISO to a DVD or USB drive and use it the same way. If you boot from the DVD/USB, you can preform a clean install.

Another way you can use an ISO is to copy it to your computer and “mount” it. If you double click on it, the contents will appear as a new drive letter in File Explorer (like youwere looking at the contents of a DVD). If you navigate to that drive, and execute setup.exe, it will allow you to do an inplace upgrade and allow you to keep your apps and data.

Rather than download an already created ISO, you can use the Media Creation Tool. It will give you the choice to upgrade your computer directly, or create an ISO for future use.

It is good to save ISOs for recent past versions of Windows so you can go back to that version when the ISO for it is no longer available (like keeping the DVDs for our older versions of Win).

3 users thanked author for this post.

lmacri, SueW, opti1

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I could use help too.  At this website:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCkOVDHfFJM

suggestion is to “Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD or ISO file) for another PC.”

I did and ended up with four folders: boot, efi, sources, support and four files: autorun.inf, bootmgr, bootmgr.efi, setup.exe (See attachment)

Site also recommends going to this site: https://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/

and downloading HBCD_PE_x64.iso to create a boot disk (Is this the latest Windows 10 ISO?)

I also have (per the AW site) on another 8GB Flash Drive: MediaCreationTool1909.exe, Win10_1909_English_x64.iso

Mentioned here was to go to Rufus and download the current Windows ISO – or do I have it already?  Should I get rid of the 1909 ISO?

Also heard here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIT3w-EPA9M

the Ventoy could be an even better solution.

Looking forward to a simpler solution.  Thanks.

 

 

 

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If I’m understanding your advice, I should delete the ISO I downloaded from HeiDoc to a USB  and not use that site any longer. If I run into an OS problem, I should run the Microsoft Media Creation Tool to get the ISO I need to revert to an earlier OS version. However, if I have an OS issue, will I be able to reach the Microsoft site and doenload and install the last-known working OS?

Is this correct or am I still not getting it?

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If you are going to use an ISO, there is nothing wrong with ISOs you download from HeiDoc. They are direct downloads from the MS servers and are safe to use. You should be careful to download the correct one to match which Win (10 or 11), Edition (Home or Pro) and version (22H2, 23H2), etc you need.

If you use the Media Creation Tool downloaded from MS, it will create ONLY the current version. If the current version is Win11 23H2, then that is the ISO it will create. The only way to get an ISO for an earlier version, is to download it from HeiDoc, the UUP Dump, or some other safe place.

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PK,

Thanks for your last response. It made things a lot clearer to me. I am currently running Win 10 Pro (22H2). That is the version of the ISO downloaded from HeiDoc and copied to a USB after updating from 22H1.

My primary concern is after having done an update to the OS, such as either a “Quality” update for the currently running OS version, or a “Feature” update to a new version (such as Win 11), an OS issue occurs. In the case of a “Quality” update to 22H2 failing, it seems I would not want the current OS version using the Media Creation Tool which would give me Win 11, if I understand you correctly, so I should use my 22H2 ISO to recover.

As I understand it, there will be no more “Feature” updates to Windows 10, so my current ISO should be OK until I move to Windows 11. I think the procedure for me after that should be download an ISO after the conversion and after every subsequent “Feature” update. Does this make sense?

Also, after every “Quality” or “Feature” update, I prepare a system image with Macrium Reflect. Would these be of any assistance in an OS recovery?

Finally, is there anything in writing I can get that tells me in detail how to use an ISO to recover the OS?

Don E.

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Apparently you can still get the Media Creation Tool that will create a Win10 ISO here. If you downloaded the ISO a while back, these instructions will give you the latest Win10 22H2 version. OK, learn how to use the MCT:

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

Click on Download Now
Save the MCT to your desktop. Double click on it.
Give it permission.
Screen pops up with “Getting things ready”
Accept the license
Another “Getting things ready”
Then a choice: “Update this computer now” or “Create installation media”
Choose “Create installation media”
Next
Then a screen to Select Language, Edition, Architecture
Choose English US, Windows 10, 64-bit then UNCHECK “Use options for this PC”
Next
Choose ISO file
File Explorer pops up – at the to choose Desktop,
Name the file Win10_22H2_231115.ISO (this will tell you Win, version, and date created)
Save

This will create a new ISO on your desktop.
There are several things you can do with this ISO:
+ Copy/paste it to external storage to use if needed at a later date.
+ Mount the ISO and copy the contents (not the single file) to a USB to make a bootable Windows Installer.
+ Mount the ISO, and run setup.exe (saving your apps and data) to do an “over the top” repair of you PC when you have problems with the OS.

Before you do any changes to your PC, you want to be sure to have a recent Macrium full disk image. And have a Macrium Rescue disk that you know will boot the PC and access the image.
Come back and ask any questions you have.

1 user thanked author for this post.

ECWS

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Thanks for the detailed instructions.  I went back to the Windows site to download another copy (Saved the first copy to  a USB).  Since the USB could be unreliable, would it be better to burn it to a DVD?  Also – do I have to mount it to burn it to a DVD?  How is that different than saving it to a USB?

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Use your DVD burning software to create the DVD. You will need a DVD+R DL (double layer) – check that the ISO is not too big.

The ISO is a single compressed file containing all the files that comprise the installer. If you copy/paste it to external storage, it is still one file with the extension .iso.

If you mount the ISO (on you desktop, double click on it), it will appear in File Explorer as another drive letter (E:\, F:\, etc). If you navigate to that drive, you will see all the individual files in the ISO (including setup.exe in the root). This (all the individual files) is what gets burned to the DVD, not the big single file. The ISO is just a convenient way to download the installer, so you don’t have to download the hundreds of files it contains individually. When you create a bootable DVD or USB, what you are doing is basically decompressing the ISO into all its components (files and folders) so setup.exe can do the install.

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ECWS

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PKCano wrote:

It is good to save ISOs for recent past versions of Windows

I disagree.
I see no need to ever go back to an old installation and if I really need to reinstall from scratch / over the top I can use Rufus / Heidoc.

cheers, Paul

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I’m really confused. One person advises to create and keep in ISO of the last working OS but hot use HeiDoc (Use Media Creation Toll instead) and you say use HeiDoc if the OS needs to be re-installed. If I’m having an OS issue, will I be able to get to the HeiDoc site to download an ISO?

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doneager wrote:

If I’m having an OS issue

Boot from your backup recovery USB.
Restore a known good image. (You should have more than one.)

No need to reinstall Windows except to fix an issue that you can’t manage in any other way and then you can download an ISO when required.
https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/6000015-repair-install-of-windows-10-22h2/

ECWS wrote:

Since the USB could be unreliable, would it be better to burn it to a DVD?

A USB stick stored properly is fine, but you should have a backup / be able to recreate the USB if you have a problem.

As always, test regularly to make sure the USB is OK, the easiest way is to copy the data on the USB – you can use a checksum program or my “data copy utility“.

cheers, Paul

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To  make matters more confusing, when I google “Windows Media Creation Tool” it takes me to this site: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 which has on it: “Windows 10 2022 Update | Version 22H2″ which I thought was no longer available?

Does this mean I am downloading the latest Windows ISO version 22H2?

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If you don’t have a second computer, having several already tested bootable media is very useful in case your computer ever won’t boot.The media you should have, 3 separate tested bootable USB drives are:

The recovery drive usb your computer creates when you run the “create a recovery drive”

A bootable version of the install media for the Windows version you are currently running, or worst case, a newer than that version.

A bootable version of your backup software’s restore disk.

To make recovery more likely, if you use Bitlocker be very careful about saving your key.

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How do you insure that your 8GB USB drives will not go bad?

Should you have multiple copies?

Can you copy contents of one USB to another if it is a bootable drive?

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