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Windows 11 Installation Media

Anonymous
2022-07-31T15:17:52+00:00

Hi.
I am currently trying to create installation media for windows 11. I have a 128GB USB drive, so I wanted to make a partition of only 8GB to make the installation media on, however the tool deleted all partitions and made it's own, 32GB partition formatted as FAT32.

Thankfully, the drive is pretty new and I didn't have anything important whatsoever on it, but I am frustrated by the fact that there are now 32GB missing from my drive for something that only requires less then 6GB. Additionally, since it is formatted as FAT32, I cannot shrink the partition.

I also read that the installation media contains files larger then 4GB, which FAT32 does not support, and I am confused as to why it is formatted as such despite that.

Can someone help me please? Thank you in advance.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Install and upgrade

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  1. Anonymous
    2022-07-31T17:36:18+00:00

    You could copy the install files to another location then create a smaller FAT32 active partition and copy the install files back on that partition.

    The reason it can use FAT32 is because the Install.esd file is split so each part of that is less than 4 GBs.

    On my newer systems, I use an NTFS drive with an active partition and download the .iso, then mount it and copy the install files to that. Since the size of the install.esd file is no longer relevant it boots fine on a UEFI system. This only works on some newer systems and both my 10th and 11th Gen Intel Processor systems work this way.

    I have never tried to shrink that partition but if it would work, leave it at 16 GBs for safety. But the way the partition is configured, you may not be able to shrink it. The rest of the drive may be write protected anyway.

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  1. Anonymous
    2022-07-31T16:31:10+00:00

    I see. Thank you for your help regardless.

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  2. DaveM121 872.6K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2022-07-31T16:24:11+00:00

    Hi eran113,

    No, that is not possible, the Media Creation Tool or any other method like Rufus cannot do that the whole drive will always be deleted, including all partitions, to create the bootable drive, it is not possible to do on a partition.

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  3. Anonymous
    2022-07-31T16:21:54+00:00

    Hello Dave.

    Thank you for your reply, however I already know how to do what you described. What I want to know is weather or not it is possible to create the installation media on a smaller partition.

    Can you help me with that?

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  4. DaveM121 872.6K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2022-07-31T15:53:57+00:00

    Hi eran113,

    I am Dave, I will help you with this.
    1
    When creating Windows installation media, the whole drive will be deleted, there is a notification for this, but in my opinion that notification is to small and most people miss that notification and some people have lost a lot of data due to this.

    2
    Please note, this process will fix that drive, but will delete all data from that drive.

    Open Disk Management (accessible by ight clicking your Start Button)

    Right click the 32GB partition on that drive and select 'Delete Volume'

    When the whole drive is marked as 'Unallocated Space' right click that and select 'New - Simple Volume'

    Ensue that is set to NTFS and accept the defaults.

    You will then have access to that full drive again.

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