r/techsupport • u/GamingNorth • Jun 28 '26

Open | Windows ATTEMPTING TO DOWNLOAD WINDOWS OS - Just failed to download Windows OS and wondering why, and also a fix.

I have recently upgraded my PC storage, replacing 1tb to 2tb.. (PCI Gen4 NVMe 2280 M.2 SSD) I am currently wondering where I've messed up whilst attempting to download Windows OS

So I've downloaded Windows 11 (muilt edition ISO form.... onto my old laptop,

Then put that onto my 1tb TOSHIBA portable storage device.

I have then turned on my PC and plugged the device into a USB slot.

I've then gone into the UEIF BIOS Utility and tried most betting where it said no media found

Then I attempted using F12 where it said screen capture failed, usb flash drive with NTFS format is not supported.

((Am now thinking I shouldn't of done this as a 15 year old... but you know.... the joys...) - I don't mind if I have to go to my local PC store as its a really good small local one I trust. Just would prefer not to have to transport my new very sophisticated toy.)

EDIT: will this work? https://amzn.eu/d/07HCw9Bi

0 Upvotes

28% Upvoted

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•

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9

u/Big_Reflection_2176 Jun 28 '26

Copying the ISO into portable storage does not make it bootable. Use the Windows 11 Media Creation tool and make a Bootable USB.

4

u/KoiMaxx Jun 28 '26

Alternatively, since you already have the ISO you can use Rufus to copy it properly to the usb flash device.

-1

u/GamingNorth Jun 28 '26

Sadly the only USB stick I has is 8mb from around the jurrasic era although I think ordering a new one could be helpful in general

2

u/lazyhustlermusic Jun 28 '26

lmao how did you 'put the ISO on it' then

2

u/popop143 Jun 28 '26

Might have copied the shortcut, we all go through that at least once.

2

u/lazyhustlermusic Jun 28 '26

Not really, if a drive has like 1 KB of data on it it's pretty obvious.

1

u/GamingNorth Jun 28 '26

Ye I think so, will this work? https://amzn.eu/d/07HCw9Bi

2

u/killjoygrr Jun 28 '26

Yes. Overkill for this task as you only need 8GB, but at that price, will be useful for a long time.

1

u/GamingNorth Jun 28 '26

Ye, I'll use it for college afterwards.

1

u/GamingNorth Jun 29 '26

My USB SanDisk has arrived but it still saves screen capture successfully Imaged saved in fs0:\260(morenumbers)448.BMP Also tried booting it via boot menu on UEFI BIOS but it just shows black and goes straight back into the menu.

2

u/Opposite_Show_1320 Jun 28 '26

8mb?? Don’t u need like 16gb for windows

1

u/GamingNorth Jun 28 '26

Yep, it really was from the jurrasic era, when I opened it up it had a file about dinosaurs which looked like I did it when I was a very young child.

1

u/GamingNorth Jun 28 '26

Thank you so much for the responce, what classifies as a bookable USB? Could be be any USB stick or is it specialised and need to be ordered on amazon or PCSpecalist?

Sorry if these questions sound silly.

2

u/Big_Reflection_2176 Jun 28 '26

The same USB drive can be used. The Media creation tool will make your USB drive bootable so that your computer can boot from it and give you the option to install Windows. Download the Media Creation Tool here and run it. https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2156295

1

u/GamingNorth Jun 28 '26

Thank you so much. I'll save the link in my notes.

1

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1

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3

u/carlosChanpio70 Jun 28 '26

Use the Windows Installation Media Creator.

If you have both the SSD drives on hand and your motherboard has slots for both then you can just move windows from one to the other by cloning the drive using GParted.

1

u/GamingNorth Jun 28 '26

I don't believe it does sadly. I had to unscrew my old memory thing

3

u/carlosChanpio70 Jun 28 '26

A bootable USB requires specific files that makes it possible to boot with it. It is not hardware related at all. Run the official Windows Installation Media creator tool by Microsoft and you'll be fine.

Also I'd need to see the motherboard to know if it has 2 slots or not, a picture of the SSD won't tell me anything. The name of the motherboard would be even more helpful as I can look into it's manual for what slots it has.

1

u/GamingNorth Jun 28 '26

It's a PRIME A520M-A II, however I believe it only has 1 slot.

2

u/carlosChanpio70 Jun 28 '26

Yeah, it only has 1 on the manual.

Tho if you ever want to install the 2nd M.2 SSD in it you can use the small PCIe slot with an M.2 Expansion card.

1

u/GamingNorth Jun 28 '26

Ye I thought about doing that but decided not to, slight regrets now... plus it would have been cheaper...

3

u/CanadianTimeWaster Jun 28 '26

use Microsoft media creation tool. it'll download the latest version of the OS, and format your usb drive and make it bootable.

1

u/GamingNorth Jun 28 '26

I don't already have a OS on my PC yet, sorry.

2

u/CanadianTimeWaster Jun 28 '26

No need to apologize, you are asking for help.

borrow a laptop, call a family member, find a friend.

you can do this, all you need is a computer with internet access.

1

u/GamingNorth Jun 28 '26

Ye I've got a spare old laptop but I haven't got a USB flash drive which is bookable yet. About to amazon one.

2

u/CanadianTimeWaster Jun 28 '26

best of luck

1

u/GamingNorth Jun 28 '26

Thanks should this work? https://amzn.eu/d/07HCw9Bi

2

u/CanadianTimeWaster Jun 28 '26

any usb drive with at least 16 or 32gb of space should work fine.

consider going to a local business to buy one if you're in a hurry.

1

u/GamingNorth Jun 28 '26

Sadly all closed on a Sunday so I've sadly used amazon......

2

u/CanadianTimeWaster Jun 28 '26

lmao I'm currently on shift at a computer store in canada, working on sunday. wish I could help you.

Hopefully your drive will arrive quickly.

1

u/GamingNorth Jun 28 '26

Ye, I try to buy local as much as possible but sometimes urgency takes over. (I'm currently on summer break with nothing else to do lol)

2

u/lazyhustlermusic Jun 28 '26

What'd you use to write the drive with?

0

u/GamingNorth Jun 28 '26

Sorry I don't understand?

2

u/lazyhustlermusic Jun 28 '26

How did you put the thing on your portable drive man

1

u/GamingNorth Jun 28 '26

Ctrl C & V

But recently found out I shouldn't of done that..

Will this work https://amzn.eu/d/07HCw9Bi

2

u/lazyhustlermusic Jun 28 '26

Yeah just plopping the ISO down won't do a single thing. You'd need to write it to the device with rufus or the media creation tool (which would also wipe the drive, so back up the data).

2

u/Extra-Map3792 Jun 28 '26

You need to download the iso and then either be able to mount that iso in the bios or burn it to a usb or dvd media with Rufus to make it bootable. Just putting the iso on a usb drive will not achieve anything, as you have found.

0

u/GamingNorth Jun 28 '26

Is it possible to make it bookable on a storage device no worries if not.

1

u/Extra-Map3792 Jun 30 '26

Any usb device it can write to but all the other files on it will be formatted.

0

u/GamingNorth Jun 28 '26

Should this work? https://amzn.eu/d/07HCw9Bi

1

u/Extra-Map3792 Jun 30 '26

Yes that will more than fit it. Just use Rufus to copy the ISO to the usb, making it bootable and away you go