Windows USB/DVD Download Tool

Overview

When you download Windows from Microsoft Store, you have two options: You can download a collection of compressed files, or you can download an ISO file. An ISO file combines all the Windows installation files into a single uncompressed file.

If you choose to download an ISO file so you can create a bootable file from a DVD or USB drive, copy the Windows ISO file onto your drive and then run the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool. Then simply install Windows onto your computer directly from your USB or DVD drive.

When you download the ISO file, you must copy it onto a USB or DVD. When you’re ready to install Windows, insert the USB drive or DVD with the ISO file on it and then run Setup.exe from the root folder on the drive.

This allows you to install Windows onto your machine without having to first run an existing operating system. If you change the boot order of drives in your computer’s BIOS, you can run the Windows installation directly from your USB drive or DVD when you first turn on your computer. Please see the documentation for your computer for information about how to change the BIOS boot order of drives.

Making copies

To install the software, you can make one copy of the ISO file on a disc, USB flash drive, or other media.

After you’ve installed the software and accepted the license terms that accompany the software, those license terms apply to your use of the software. The license terms for Windows permit you to make one copy of the software as a back-up copy for re-installation on the licensed computer. If you do not delete your copy of the ISO file after installing the Windows software, the copy of the ISO file counts as your one back-up copy.

If you need to download the software again, you can go to your Download Purchase History in your Microsoft Store account and access the download there.

Installation

To install the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool:

2. Click Download then Run.

3. Follow the steps in the setup dialogs. You’ll have the option to specify where to install the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool.

You must be an administrator on the computer on which you are installing the Windows USB/DVD Download tool. It requires the Microsoft .NET Framework version 2.0 or higher.

System requirements

Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit)

Pentium 233-megahertz (MHz) processor or faster (300MHz is recommended)

50MB of free space on your hard drive

DVD-R drive or 4GB removable USB drive

For Windows XP users

The following applications must be installed prior to installing the tool:

Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 must be installed. It can be downloaded here.

Microsoft Image Mastering API v2 must be installed. It can be downloaded here.

Using the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool

Before you run the Download Tool, make sure you have purchased the Windows ISO download from Microsoft Store and downloaded the Windows ISO file to your drive. If you have purchased Windows but have not yet downloaded the ISO file, you can download the ISO file from your Microsoft Store Account.

To make a copy of your Windows ISO file:

1. Click the Windows START button, and click WINDOWS USB/DVD DOWNLOAD TOOL in the ALL PROGRAMS list to open the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool.

2. In the SOURCE FILE box, type the name and path of your Windows ISO file, or click BROWSE and select the file from the OPEN dialog box. Click NEXT.

3. Select USB DEVICE to create a copy on a USB flash drive or select DVD disk to create a copy on a DVD disk.

4. If you are copying the file to a USB flash drive, select your USB device in the drop-down list and click BEGIN COPYING. If you are copying the file up to a DVD, click BEGIN BURNING.

When your Windows ISO file is copied to your drive, install Windows by moving to the root folder of your DVD or USB drive, and then double-click Setup.exe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I download .NET framework 2.0?

The .NET framework can be downloaded here.

Where can I download Image Mastering API 2.0?

The Image Mastering API can be downloaded here.

What size USB drive is required?

You need a USB drive with a minimum of 4GB of free space.

Can I use my newly created USB drive to install Windows on someone else’s computer?

No. The Windows ISO file on the USB drive is only intended to be used to install Windows on the licensed user’s own computer.

Can I back up to a CD-ROM?

No. The Windows ISO file is too large to fit on a CD.

Can I back up to a Blu-ray Disc?

Yes, as long as your DVD drive can write to a Blu-ray Disc.

IfI have other files on the USB drive will the Windows USB/DVD download tool delete them?

This tool requires the USB drive to be completely blank before the Windows files are copied. This helps ensure that the device is bootable after the copying has completed.

Can I backup to an external hard drive or other device with enough free disk space?

Yes, but this is not recommended. The device must be formatted in order for the device to be bootable. A dedicated USB flash drive would be a better option.

Can I use the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool to back up other files?

No. This tool is only for use with the Windows ISO file purchased from Microsoft Store.

Does the tool support dual-layer DVD discs for burning?

No. Currently, the tool does not support dual-layer DVD discs.

Troubleshooting

The tool is asking me to install the .NET framework and Image Mastering API before I install the tool

If you’re running Windows XP, you must install the .NET Framework 2.0 and the Image Mastering API 2.0 before installing the tool. You can download .NET framework here and you can download the Image Mastering API here.

A restart may be required after installing the .NET framework and the Image Mastering API.

When creating a bootable USB device, I am getting an error about bootsect

To make the USB drive bootable, you need to run a tool named bootsect.exe. In some cases, this tool needs to be downloaded from your Microsoft Store account. This may happen if you’re trying to create a 64-bit bootable USB device from a 32-bit version of Windows. To download bootsect:

1. Login to your Microsoft Store account to view your purchase history.

2. Look for your Windows purchase.

3. Next to Windows, there is an Additional download options drop-down menu.

4. In the drop-down menu, select 32-bit ISO.

5. Right-click the link, and then save the bootsect.exe file to the location where you installed the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool (e.g. C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Apps\Windows USB DVD Download Tool).

6. Once the file has been saved, go back to the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool to create your bootable USB device.

My USB drive is not in the list of available devices

If you don’t see your USB drive in the list of available devices, please make sure the drive is inserted in the USB port, and then click the Refresh button beside the list of available drives.

I inserted a blank DVD in my DVD-ROM drive, but the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool doesn’t recognize it

If there are multiple drives on the system, the tool will select the first one that is capable of burning DVDs. If you have multiple DVD-R drives, try inserting the blank DVD into another DVD-R drive. If that doesn’t help, please make sure that your disc isn’t damaged and that your DVD-R drive is operational. Contact Product Support if issues continue to arise.

I inserted a blank DVD in my DVD-ROM drive, but the tool won’t let me burn it

Make sure the disc isn’t a dual-layer DVD disc. Currently, dual-layer discs are not supported within the tool.

Install Windows from a USB Flash Drive

Here’s how to create a bootable Windows installation USB drive starting with a Windows .iso file or a Windows Setup DVD.

If you’re looking for an easy way to create a bootable USB Windows installation drive, use the media creation tool.

What you need

• Windows 10 install .iso or DVD
• USB flash drive with at least 5GB free space. This drive will be formatted, so make sure it doesn’t have any important files on it.
• Technician PC — Windows PC that you’ll use to format the USB flash drive
• Destination PC — A PC that you’ll install Windows on

Step 1 — Format the drive and set the primary partition as active

Connect the USB flash drive to your technician PC.

Open Disk Management: Right-click on Start and choose Disk Management.

Format the partition: Right-click the USB drive partition and choose Format. Select the FAT32 file system to be able to boot either BIOS-based or UEFI-based PCs.

Set the partition as active: Right-click the USB drive partition and click Mark Partition as Active.

If Mark Partition as Active isn’t available, you can instead use diskpart to select the partition and mark it active.

Step 2 — Copy Windows Setup to the USB flash drive

Use File Explorer to copy and paste the entire contents of the Windows product DVD or ISO to the USB flash drive.

Optional: add an unattend file to automate the installation process. For more information, see Automate Windows Setup.

Step 3 — Install Windows to the new PC

Connect the USB flash drive to a new PC.

Turn on the PC and press the key that opens the boot-device selection menu for the computer, such as the Esc/F10/F12 keys. Select the option that boots the PC from the USB flash drive.

Windows Setup starts. Follow the instructions to install Windows.

Remove the USB flash drive.

If your Windows image is larger than 4GB

Windows USB install drives are formatted as FAT32, which has a 4GB filesize limit. If your image is larger than the filesize limit:

Copy everything except the Windows image file (sources\install.wim) to the USB drive (either drag and drop, or use this command, where D: is the mounted ISO and E: is the USB flash drive.)

Split the Windows image file into smaller files, and put the smaller files onto the USB drive:

Open USB Drive that Cannot Open on Windows 10 and Access File

Cannot access USB drive on Windows 10? Here are step-by-step tutorials to show you how to open an inaccessible USB drive and restore files in Windows 10 in different situations. The data recovery software you are going to use is EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard.

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This page uncovers practical fixes for «can’t access USB on Windows 10» error, helping you to open USB flash drive and restore data with ease. Follow provided methods to resolve either issue that you are having on your computer without losing any data now:

1. Initialize unknown USB in disk management. Full steps
2. Create a partition on an unallocated USB. Full steps
3. Take USB to a local repair center. Full steps

1. Format RAW USB to make it openable. Full steps
2. Open access denied USB. Full steps
3. Fix inaccessible USB with I/O device error. Full steps
4. Repair file directory corrupted USB. Full steps

The provided methods also workВ to fix USB becomes unopenable, inaccessible, USB flash drive not showing, USB detected but not showing data, etc., errors on Windows 10/8/7.

Overview of Cannot Open USB Flash Drive in Windows 10 Issue

Usually, when you insert your USB flash drive or a pen drive, it will be quickly detected by your PC and show up in File Explorer.

But sometimes, Windows cannot recognize nor open a USB device if something goes wrong. For example, the USB drive is missing or corrupted, the flash drive is infected by a virus or damaged due to certain reasons. This issue frequentlyВ happened in Windows 8/7 and it has become increasingly severe in Windows 10.В

Searching on Google, you will find a large number of users are asking for help about how to access a USB flash drive and data in Windows 10.В

If you are one of the victims who can’t access USB drive on Windows 10 due toВ USB malfunction, stay here. Follow through this tutorial page and learn how to find USB and fix «can’t access USB» issue on Windows 10 without losingВ your vital data.

Part 1. Open Inaccessible/Unopenable USB and Restore Data

Works to: Restore data from inaccessible or inoperable USB flash drive on Windows 10/8/7, emergency data recovery.

When a USB flash drive becomes inaccessible, the most important thing is to open USB and restore data. The sooner you take action, the better chance you will get to bring all files back from the USB.

Here, we would like to offer a straightforward resolution for you to try. EaseUSВ hard drive data recovery softwareВ — Data Recovery Wizard enables you all to restore USB files in 3 simple steps.В

No matter what causes the USB inoperable or inaccessible, you can re-insert theВ USB flash drive to your PCВ and apply this software to bring all your files out. No data recovery experience or skill is required.

If your files saved in the USB drive is less than 2GB, try EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free Edition. It works the same as the pro version.

How-to-Tutorial: Recover Data from USB Flash Drive that Won’t Open in Windows 10

Step 1.В Choose the flash drive to scan.

Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard and choose your flash drive where you lost important files. Click «Scan» to start.

Step 2.В Check and preview found flash drive data.

After the scanning is finished, you can quickly locate a specific type of file by using the Filter feature as well as the Search.

• Filter: A quick way to your wanted files.
• Search: e.g. File name/file extension.

Step 3.В Restore flash drive data.

After checking and finding lost flash drive files, select them and click Recover to restore. You shall save the found files to a safe location on your PC rather than to your flash drive.

Note: Remember to save the USB data to another secure location in case of further data loss. Then you may continue reading and learn how to access and open USB with the following fixes.

Part 2. Find USB on Windows 10 that Is Not Showing in File Explorer

Applies to: Help you find USB drive on Windows 10, make USB that is not showing in File Explorer detectable and accessible again.В

According to some forum posts, sometimes, USB users may not be able to find their USB drive in Windows File Explorer. Mostly, when a USB doesn’t show in File Explorer, you can try to reconnect the USB or switch a USB port to see if the drive shows up or not.

It the USB still doesn’t display in File Explorer, you can go to Disk Management and check the USB state. According to the different states of USB displaying in Disk Management, we collected respective solutions toward each case.

Check out and find out your right solution to find your USB and make it usable again.

Case 1. USB Shows as UnknownВ

Symptom:В USB fails to show up in File Explorer but displays as unknown in Disk Management.

Causes:В USB is not initialized.

Solution:В Initialize USB

Tutorial: Initialize USB and Make It Accessible

Step 1.В Connect USB to your PC.

Step 2.В Right-click «My Computer» or «This PC», click «Manage» to open Disk Management.

Step 3.В Here, right-click the USB disk and click «Initialize Disk».

Step 4.В In the dialog box, select the disk(s) to initialize and choose MBR or GPT partition style.

After this, you can open USB flash drive on Windows 10/8/7 again.

Case 2. USB Shows as Unallocated in Disk Management

Symptom:В When there is no partition on the USB flash drive, you will not be able to access it. Usually, it will display as unallocated in Disk Management.

Cause:В Mistakenly deleted partition on USB, brand new USB doesn’t have a partition.

Solution:В Recover Data on USB First, Create New Partition on USB

Tutorial: Recover Data and Create Partition on USB

If you have data saved on the USB, revert to Part 1 and apply USB recovery software to restore all lost data first.

Step 1.В Connect or insert the USB to the computer.

Step 2.В Go to «This PC», right-click it and choose «Manage» > «Disk Management».

Step 3.В Right-click the unallocated space and choose «New Simple Volume».

Step 4.В Follow the wizard to finish the continuous steps.

Case 3. USB Shows NO Media

Symptom:В USB shows No Media in Disk Management, USB is not showing in File Explorer.

Causes:В Serious logical problem, physical damage on the USB drive.

Solution:В #1. Update USB driver (available in F2 in Case 3 Part 3); #2. Take USB to a local device repair center for repair.В

Part 3. Fix «Can’t Access USB Drive» Error in Windows 10

Applies to: Fix USB, SD card, external hard drive, etc., storage devices detected in Windows 10 File Explorer but not accessible error.

According to most ordinary users, when they cannot open a USB flash drive, it usually shows up in the Windows File Explorer but becomes unopenable or inaccessible.

In other words, you can see your USB displaying in the File Explorer but you can neither open the USB nor access the saved files on it. Check the following listed symptoms and if you are experiencing the same issue, go through the guidelines to open your USB.

Case 1. USB Becomes RAW, Windows Requires to Format USB

Symptom: USB file system becomes RAW, Windows warns «You need to format the disk in drive * before you can use it».

Causes: USB file system error, USB becomes not formatted, brand new USB flash drive that is not formatted.

Solution: Format RAW USB, Resetting File System to FAT32 or exFAT

How to Fix Windows 10 Won’t Open USB Flash Drive by Formatting

Step 1.В Press «Windows key + R» to bring up Run, and typeВ devmgmt.mscВ and hit Enter.

Step 2.В In Disk Management, right-click the USB flash drive or pen drive and select the «Format» option.

Step 3.В Follow the onscreen wizard to choose a file system, such as FAT32 or exFAT to the drive. Click OK.

Note that if your USB drive is 32GB or smaller, set FAT32 as its file system. If it’s 64GB or even bigger, set exFAT as its file system.

Case 2. Access Denied on USB Drive

Symptom: USB becomes unopenable, Windows warns that «Location is not available. Access is denied.».

Causes: USB permission issue, USB is outdated; USB contains internal errors, etc.

Solutions: #1. Take Ownership of USB; #2. Scan Hardware Changes; #3. Run CHKDSK to Fix USB Error

Follow through each tutorial to fix USB won’t open issue and make it accessible again on Windows 10/8/7:

Fix 1. Take Ownership of USB

Step 1. Open «Windows Explorer», right-click on USB and select «Properties».

Step 2. Go to Security and clickВ «Advanced», go to «Owner» tab.

Step 3. If you want to change the owner to a user or group that is not listed: Click «Change»В > «Other user and groups», and type the name of the user or group in «Enter the object name to select», then click «Check Names»В >В «OK».

Step 4. If you want to change a user or a group that is listed:

Click new owner in theВ «Change»В to box and make changes.

Step 5. If you want to change the owner of all sub containers and objects within the tree: Select «Replace owner on subcontainers and objects» box.

FixВ 2. Scan Hardware Changes

Step 1. Go to «This PC» > «Manage» > «Device Manager».

Step 2. Find and right-click your USB drive, then choose «Scan for hardware changes».

Step 3. Check whether your disk works properly again.

Fix 3. Run CHKDSK to Fix USB Error

Step 1. TypeВ cmdВ in Search, right-click Command Prompt, select «Open as Administrator».

Step 2. TypeВ diskpartВ and hit Enter. Click «Yes» to open Diskpart.

Step 3. TypeВ chkdsk /r drive letterВ and hit Enter.В

This command will repair the internal error on USB drive, making it accessible again.

Case 3. USB Is Not Accessible with I/O Device Eror

Symptom: USB cannot be accessed I/O device error, Windows warns «Location is not available. Drive is not accessible. The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error».

Causes:В USB connection error, USB driver issue, unreadable USB drive letter, faulty transfer mode, etc.

Solutions: #1. Change USB Port and Reconnect USB; #2. Update USB drive driver; #3. Chang USB drive letter; #4. Change USB transfer mode.

Follow each fix one by one until your USB turns openable again.

Fix 1. Change USB Port to Open USB in Windows 10

Step 1.В Eject USB properly

Move your mouse toВ the right-hand side of the taskbar of Desktop, right-click USB icon, and select «Eject USB Brand Name».В

Step 2.В Unplug USB and re-plug it to another USB port on your computer.

Step 3. IfВ you see a pop-up, choose «Open folder to view files».

If you see no pop-up, open the USB in File Explorer and access your files.В

Fix 2. Update USB Drive Driver and Reinstall USB Controllers, Make USB Accessible

Step 1.В Connect the USB flash drive to PC. Press «Windows key + R» to bring up Run, and typeВ devmgmt.mscВ and hit Enter.

Step 2. Click «Device Manager» then expand «Disk drives». Find and right-click the problematic USB drive and select «Update driver»

Step 3. Click «automatically search for driver software online».

Step 4. Wait for the driver to be updated, then reboot your computer.В

Afterward, you can try to reconnect your USB drive to PC and check whether the USB drive shows up or not.

Step 5.В Reopen Device Manager, find and expand «Universal Serial Bus controllers».

Step 6.В Under the list, right-click every device and then click «Uninstall» to remove them all at a time.

Step 7.В Restart the computer, and let the USB controllers get reinstalled.

After finishing all the operations, plug in the removable pen drive/ flash drive or other USB devices to check if it can be opened.

Fix 3. Open the USB Drive by Changing USB Drive Letter in Window 10

USB not showing up in Windows 10В is one of the symptoms of Windows 10 «cannot open USB» issue. Most times, the problem is caused by a drive letter confliction or USB driver issues.В

To fix the issue and to open USB on Windows 10 successfully, first try to give the USB a new path.В

Step 1. Right-click on «This PC», select «Manage». In the «Storage» menu, click «Disk Management».

Step 2. Here, locate the USB drive, right-click and select «Change Drive Letter and Paths».В

Step 3. Click the «Add» button, enter a location the USB drive will be accessible at, such as C:\USB.В Your flash drive will now be accessible at the new folder location you specified.

After this, unplug the USB and reconnect it back to your computer. There, you should be able to visit the drive and open all files on USB drive again.

Fix 4. Change USB Transfer Mode

Step 1. InsertВ your USB to computer, right-click on «My Computer» or «This PC».

Step 2.В Click «Manage», enter Device Manager.В

Step 3.В Expand the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers, right-click the IDE Channel where the appropriate drive is connected, and select «Properties».

Step 4. In the Transfer Mode box, select «PIO Only», and restart PC.

Case 4.В File or Directory Is Corrupted on USB

Symptom: When the file or directory of USB is corrupted and unreadable, it will become inaccessible. Windows will pop up with this warning: «Location is not available. USB is not accessible. The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable».

Causes: USB contains file system error or file system corrupted that makes USB unreadable.

Solution: Run CHKDSK /F /R Command to Fix USB File Directory

Sometimes, you ask for a solution to open the USB in Windows 10 when theВ pen drive not showing data. Most times, it happens when the device is damaged or infected with unknown viruses.В In this case, you can try toВ fix corrupted USBВ using CMD to regain access to yourВ device and data.

Step 1.В Press «Windows Key + X» button, in the power users menu, select the «Command Prompt (Admin)» option.В

Step 2.В ClickВ «Yes» when you are presented with a UAC window requesting permission to launch the Command Prompt as Administrator.

Step 3.В In the new Command Prompt window, typeВ chkdsk E: /f /r /x and hit «Enter». Here you should replace E with your drive letter.

This command will runВ chkdsk to check and repair any possible errors, bad sectors or corrupted files on the USB flash drive. When it is finished, exit the command prompt. Safely eject and reconnect the USB flash drive to see if it can be opened.

If you don’t have any technical know-how and want to minimize data risks, using third-party software could be a better choice. The Command line is suitable for computer professionals since wrong commands can cause severe problems. Therefore, we strongly recommend you try an automatic command line alternative.

EaseUS Tools M is a practical computer fixing tool that is safe and light-weighted. It’s a perfect alternative to CHKDSK command. Use this one-click tool to solve your computer issues.

To fix file system error or disk error:

Step 1: оњљ DOWNLOADВ EaseUS Tools M forВ Free and install it.

Step 2: Open the software and select the «File showing» option.В

Step 3: Choose the drive and wait for repairing. After the operation completes, click the «View» button to check the drive.В

Conclusion

When you can’t access a USB drive on Windows 10, 8, or 7, a quick way to fix this issue is to change the USB port and reconnect it to your computer again.

If the USB fails to show up or is still unopenable, you need to run a reliable data recovery software like EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard to scan and restore all USB data at first.

Then check turn to the right solution to make USB accessible again. If it’s showing in File Explorer, you can go to Part 1 and follow the right fixes for help. If the USB doesn’t show up in File Explorer but detected in Disk Management, try solutions in Part 2.В

By going through the listed resolution, your data will be safely restored and the USB will be openable again.

Workable Solutions	Step-by-step Troubleshooting
Part 1. Recover USB Data First	Run EaseUS recovery software > Scan USB. Full steps
Part 3. Find Missing USB Drive
Part 3. Fix «Can’t Access USB» Error