How do I burn the Windows 10 ISO to a USB?

Question

I did the dd method and it wrote the iso to the USB drive, but I'm not sure that's all I have to do because it is Windows and may not have GRUB and I'm not sure so I'm asking the experts.

winusb does not work for Windows 10 so this is different from earlier questions.

Which dd method did you use? Also where did you get the ISO? — Wilf, Mar 22 '15 at 03:48
@wilf i got it from the official windows 10 site (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preview-iso) — SakuraKaminari, Mar 22 '15 at 03:54
@Wilf i used sudo dd if=/home/sakurakami/Downloads/Windows.iso of=/dev/sdf bs=4M — SakuraKaminari, Mar 22 '15 at 03:56
@Wilf the operation was successful and i even verified the SHA-1 hash with openssl sha1 Windows.iso — SakuraKaminari, Mar 22 '15 at 04:01
@Wilf I still don't know how. I've gotten a lot of advice but none of it seems to work. — SakuraKaminari, Mar 22 '15 at 14:35
sry, quickly read 'the operation was sucessful' - how have you checked that it doesn't work, have you tried a Virtual Machine, or rebooting and booting from the USB. dd I though would of worked fine, as it just copies the iso's contents. What format (ext4, fat32, etc) and make is the USB stick? — Wilf, Mar 22 '15 at 15:08
@Wilf "quickly read 'the operation was sucessful" what is that? I tried booting from it haha and it didn't work. I thought dd would work two and its whatever format i want but it was ntfs and it's a kingston data traveler 3.0. i've used it as a bootable before plenty of times haha just cant get windows to work haha — SakuraKaminari, Mar 22 '15 at 15:14
@wilf i tried a virtual machine but it didnt work but it looks like i have advice on that one second haha — SakuraKaminari, Mar 22 '15 at 15:14
@alb3rtano0012 im on a computer that came with windows 7, so BIOS. — SakuraKaminari, Mar 22 '15 at 15:17
To be honest WinUSB (1.0.11) somehow worked for me. Needed to wait for some time to let it finish the task though. — kcpr, May 24 '16 at 14:43
Possible duplicate of How can I create a Windows bootable USB stick using Ubuntu? — wjandrea, Mar 03 '17 at 03:58
See this answer specifically on the duplicate I just flagged. I've confirmed it works for Windows 10, MBR and GPT modes. — wjandrea, Mar 03 '17 at 04:00
A quick comment about boot usb - may not be applicable. On my CPU, when I choose 'restart' and plug in a USB, I often do not see it if the EFI, and I actually have to power off the computer to be able to see and boot from USB. — Charles Green, Apr 19 '19 at 19:41

Jean-Michaël Celerier · Answer 1 · 2018-04-29T11:38:54.430

40

I tried all the ways in this thread and none worked (and seriously, the question is about specifically writing to an USB key, why would people propose copying the ISO to another partition instead ??).

The solution that did the trick for me (assuming your USB drive is /dev/sdc):

Run gparted
Create a new partition table on sdc, type msdos
Create a NTFS partition, set the boot flag on it
Extract the iso (can be done with 7z x windows10.iso)
Copy the content (via cp, rsync, a GUI, whatever) to the mounted NTFS partition (certainly /dev/sdc1)
The last, critical step, taken from this post : https://superuser.com/a/817656/248812 is :

sudo ms-sys -7 /dev/sdc.

ms-sys is available in a ppa : https://launchpad.net/~lenski/+archive/ubuntu/ms-sys

Without ms-sys, blinking cursor on boot when the USB key is inserted.

With it, windows logo shows up.

edited Apr 29 '18 at 11:38

answered Oct 23 '16 at 12:39

Jean-Michaël Celerier

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4
6

8

This worked for me for Windows 10. About ms-sys, I downloaded the deb directly from https://launchpad.net/~lenski/+archive/ubuntu/ms-sys/+files/ms-sys_2.2.0-1ubuntu1_amd64.deb and installed it with dpkg -i <deb_file>. – Vincenzo Pii Nov 19 '16 at 22:07
This worked and it booted, although it throws a blue screen of death... – Lilian A. Moraru Jan 09 '17 at 09:05
3

For Fedora users, ms-sys packages can be found here: https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/coprs/scorpionit/ms-sys/ – Maxim Egorushkin Jan 12 '17 at 23:36
5

For Arch users, ms-sys is on the aur – alecdwm Mar 28 '17 at 00:17
This works if you have a MBR partition, if you are having a GPT partition scheme, try this instead https://askubuntu.com/a/487970/80788 – HVNSweeting Apr 15 '18 at 18:20
"Copy the content" - what content? It's an ISO file? – Chris Stryczynski Apr 28 '18 at 14:15
@ChrisStryczynski yes, copy what's inside the ISO – Jean-Michaël Celerier Apr 28 '18 at 16:39
ms-sys gives an apt update error about security, doesnt work. ubuntu 18 – don bright Sep 03 '18 at 01:07
@donbright I installed it from source from GitHub, random web search... I had to move a char[] array in file.c - it's defined only for FreeBSD otherwise, but then it built. – Prof. Falken Apr 19 '19 at 19:02
I'm using gparted 1.0.0. I do not see how/where to set boot flag as per this answer. – a coder Nov 12 '20 at 15:43
The above did not work for me, but this did: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick/post – a coder Nov 12 '20 at 17:00
@a coder , open your device in gparted by selecting it in the top-right corner, right-click on of the partitions listed in the center of the screen, select manage flags, check Boot, and then close – Keychain1 Dec 13 '20 at 00:30
I found it was also necessary to write a separate EBR to the individual partition with ms-sys -n /dev/sdX1. Once I'd done that the USB just worked. – Brian Borchers May 12 '21 at 23:37

score 15 · Answer 2 · edited Nov 26 '16 at 13:50

15

You don't need a USB, DVD or other external medium to install a Windows 10 Install Disk (ISO) starting from a Ubuntu only installation. It is possible to extract the image or ISO file to a partition of one your hard disks, preferable not the one your will use for a new Windows installation, and use it.

For the following steps, a working GRUB configuration should be present:

Make sure you have a bootable and formatted NTFS partition present. Below, the partition will identified by (hd0,5) where hd0 is the containing hard disk with MSDOS or MBR partition table layout.
Mounting the image will make it easier to extract it's contents. If Disk Image Mounter refuses to mount the iso file you can always use this command to mount any iso file:
```
sudo mount -o loop [Image_Path] [Mount_Point]
```
Copy the contents of new loop device to the NTFS partition.
Now add a GRUB entry for Windows 10. This will make it possible for the bootloader GRUB to find install disk contained in the partition. Open /boot/grub/grub.cfg in text editor as root and add these lines
```
menuentry 'Windows 10 Install Disk' {
set root=(hd0,5)
insmod part_msdos
insmod ntfs
insmod ntldr
drivemap -s (hd0) ${root}
ntldr /bootmgr
}
```
change the root if needed, accordingly.
Save and restart computer. Boot into the right item of your updated GRUB menu.

Watch this Youtube tutorial https://youtu.be/1Y4JXv9r5Ug

edited Nov 26 '16 at 13:50

David Foerster

36,264
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answered Sep 09 '15 at 22:01

Suman

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It will not work if you're installing to the same partition or drive that you're booting from. – Conor Patrick Jul 03 '16 at 19:40
5

@ThisNameBetterBeAvailable How is this the correct answer? It doesn't even put the data on USB. – jbo5112 Sep 14 '16 at 23:08
@jbo5112 The answer mentions that extracting to a USB is unneccessary, and that extracting directly to a partition on the hard drive works too, as long as the correct code is added to grub.cfg – x13 Sep 15 '16 at 06:37
7

@ThisNameBetterBeAvailable How is extracting to a USB unnecessary to "burn the Windows 10 ISO to a USB," as the original asker was requesting. They might be wanting to use this on multiple computers. – jbo5112 Sep 16 '16 at 05:02
1

@jbo5112 That wasn't mentioned in the question, so assuming his goals and trying to help him with that is what happened. – x13 Sep 16 '16 at 06:33
5

@ThisNameBetterBeAvailable It's in the title of the question. – jbo5112 Sep 17 '16 at 11:13
@Sumna: I followed the instructions, all fine until , on the "step 1 - Select the driver to install" of the installation, an error message pops up: "A media driver your computer needs is missing". Apparently, it refuses to use the data from the hard disk, wants a USB or DVD. – tokland Nov 01 '16 at 17:09
that's a solution I didn't think about and actually shortcuts the way to a windows installation and hence that's what we actually want, it's a viable answer. I also can reuse this last partition of the drive everytime I need – sgohl May 05 '18 at 07:06

score 7 · Answer 3 · edited May 01 '17 at 05:35

7

You can copy all the ISO contents to the flash drive and make it bootable.

So, first of all, install GParted from software center or from terminal:

sudo apt-get install gparted

Then, open it from dash or terminal:

gksudo gparted

After that, choose the flash drive from the menu in top right corner. There should be one partition. If you haven't any data to backup, reformat it as ntfs (bootmgr doesn't work right on fat32), click Apply (the tick in the header menu). Right-click the partition, choose Manage flags and check boot.

Then, you can mount it through your file manager (nautilus is default for GNOME and Unity).

Mount the ISO file:

sudo mount -o loop [path to iso] [mountpoint]

Then, you can copy all contents from the ISO mountpoint to the flash drive via the file manager.

Reboot your computer and set the USB Flash Drive to boot first.

edited May 01 '17 at 05:35

Zanna

70,465

answered Mar 22 '15 at 06:59

aastefanov

1,391
12
16

Yeah I tried booting it but it appears to have not worked. Can you give me the list of commands you used? – SakuraKaminari Mar 22 '15 at 14:32
I have just copied from the file manager and enabled the boot flag from GParted. – aastefanov Mar 22 '15 at 14:59
@SakuraKaminari - could you add more details as to how it has appeared not to work? – Wilf Mar 22 '15 at 15:09
@wilf it didn't boot. – SakuraKaminari Mar 22 '15 at 15:15
@alb3rtano0012 how can i mount it? It doesn't want to mount. it's currently on /dev/sdf – SakuraKaminari Mar 22 '15 at 15:15
I'll edit my answer. – aastefanov Mar 22 '15 at 15:18
This solution doesn't work. My computer booted with a blinking cursor... I down voted but my rep is too low for it to matter. – Layton Everson Aug 29 '16 at 04:50
Perhaps this also needs adding a new MBR? I can imagine that some USB sticks have it and some don't (editing the partition table does not clear the MBR). To add the MBR, run sudo dd if=/usr/lib/syslinux/mbr/mbr.bin of=/dev/sdc (replacing sdc with your usb stick cdevice) as suggested by Kjeld's answer below. – Matthijs Kooijman Mar 29 '18 at 14:35

score 4 · Answer 4 · edited Jul 22 '23 at 01:45

4

I managed to do this with WoeUSB. To install the WoeUSB command line tool snap package in all currently supported versions of Ubuntu open the terminal and type:

sudo snap install --edge woe-usb  
sudo snap connect woe-usb:removable-media

To launch the woe-usb snap package command line tool run the following command:

/snap/bin/woe-usb.woeusb

If you get a permission denied error click the Permissions button on the woe-usb screen in Ubuntu Software and toggle the permissions options from OFF to ON as shown in the below screenshot.

edited Jul 22 '23 at 01:45

karel

114,770

answered Apr 29 '18 at 10:54

Chris Stryczynski

526

worked perfectly, thank you! :) – Geeocode Mar 13 '19 at 02:38
This was the easiest solution for me. For Windows 10, you'll have to select NTFS as the file system. – rgov Sep 18 '19 at 01:40

score 2 · Answer 5 · answered Oct 13 '17 at 22:51

2

The ms-dos package is quite old an unmaintained. It does not load on ubuntu 16-04. Instead use the syslinux package which most likely already is installed: http://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/2013/08/repair-windows-mbr-from-ubuntu/

Also cp to an ntfs partition is slow. Extract the iso directly to sdc1

Run gparted
Create a new partition table on sdc, type msdos
Create a NTFS partition, set the boot flag on it
Copy the iso

sudo dd of=/dev/sdc1 if=Win10_1703_English_x64.iso bs=4M
Create MBR

sudo dd if=/usr/lib/syslinux/mbr/mbr.bin of=/dev/sdc

answered Oct 13 '17 at 22:51

Kjeld Flarup

437

worked perfectly, should be the accepted answer. Thanks. – Jan 30 '18 at 16:06
I just tried this (using Win10_1709_Dutch_x64.iso downloaded from MS) and it did not work for me. Booting the resulting USB stick failed with Missing operating system (which I think is printed by the MBR), booting on an actual system shows a similar message from the BIOS (which probably hides the MBR message). I wonder how this is supposed to work? A .iso does not contain NTFS? – Matthijs Kooijman Mar 29 '18 at 14:29
Should be an accepted answer - it is the easiest and does not require any external dependencies. dd'ing the .iso did not work for me though - it still created ufs filesystem instead of existing NTFS, but simple cp followed by dd'ing MBR worked like a charm – avtomaton Nov 15 '22 at 21:17

score 1 · Answer 6 · answered Apr 19 '19 at 19:31

1

I tried with the ms-sys, it ran but I could not get the USB to boot. However, this worked:

sudo apt install woes
sudo woeusb --target-filesystem NTFS --device Win10.iso /dev/sdX

where the /dev/sdX must be your USB key.

answered Apr 19 '19 at 19:31

Prof. Falken

409

score 1 · Answer 7 · answered Mar 22 '15 at 04:03

1

If you weren't sure, then how can you say that the dd method worked? Also, that ain't the way. You have to use Rufus to make the USB drive bootable;not that I discourage the dd practices, since it is Windows we are talking about, I believe it is best to use Rufus to handle this for you.

If you have a Windows installation already, then boot into it and follow the steps below or else, use virtualbox.

PROCEDURE:

According to: http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-install-windows-10-technical-preview-from-a-flash-drive/

you'll need at least 4GB flash drive (8GB for 64-bit).

--> Download and run Rufus, then insert your flash drive, making sure it doesn't contain any important data. (It's about to get wiped.) Rufus should automatically detect the drive and list it in the Device field. (If not, select the drive manually.)

--> Notice the check box marked, "Create a bootable disk using." Click the drive icon at the far right, then navigate to wherever you saved the Windows 10 ISO file. Select it, and then click Start. (All the other default settings in Rufus should be fine.)

--> This will take some time, perhaps as long as 20-30 minutes. Don't be alarmed (or confused) if an Explorer window appears for the flash drive; just leave it alone until Rufus reports "DONE." Then you can close the program and drive window and remove the drive.

--> Now it's time for the old PC. Plug the flash drive into a USB port, then power up the system. Most likely, it won't be configured to boot from an external drive by default, so you may need to jump into a startup menu or the BIOS during the POST. Ultimately, you need to force the machine to boot from the flash drive. Once you've done that, reboot, then follow the Windows installation instructions.

All the best!

answered Mar 22 '15 at 04:03

Surya Teja Karra

498
2
8

but I don't have windows. the reason i want windows 10 is because my windows 7 doesn't work so I can't burn with rufus. is what i did ok? – SakuraKaminari Mar 22 '15 at 04:05
Then, install Windows in VirtualBox. Or, download WinUSB as suggested in: http://askubuntu.com/questions/289559/how-can-i-create-a-windows-bootable-usb-stick-with-ubuntu
The link shows how to regarding Windows 8 but I bet it would work with Windows 10.
– Surya Teja Karra Mar 22 '15 at 04:10
well it seems that winusb didnt work reliably and idk ill try it but – SakuraKaminari Mar 22 '15 at 04:15
Well, then it is best to use VirtualBox now. If you are trying to use Windows, then it is best to host Windows (virtually for the time being). – Surya Teja Karra Mar 22 '15 at 04:17
I got this from WinUSB: Installation failed ! Exit code: 256 Log: Formating device... Error: /dev/sdf: unrecognised disk label – SakuraKaminari Mar 22 '15 at 04:21
i have no idea how to run windows virtually :/ – SakuraKaminari Mar 22 '15 at 04:21
It is very simple. Open the terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and type: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install virtualbox-qt -y.
After the installation is successful, type 'virtualbox' WITHOUT sudo.

Now, create a virtual machine in the virtualbox and place a Windows installation disc into the DVD Drive of the laptop (OR) the windows 10 preview iso would suffice.

Now follow the on-screen instructions and create the virtual machine. On first time run, it will prompt the CD/DVD source. IF you had the disc in DVD drive, choose it or browse for the Windows 10 ISO file.
– Surya Teja Karra Mar 22 '15 at 04:26
I got from VM on first boot: Failed to open a session for the virtual machine Windows 10. AMD-V is disabled in the BIOS (or by the host OS). (VERR_SVM_DISABLED). – SakuraKaminari Mar 22 '15 at 04:58
It says the error right. Reboot the PC, enter the BIOS setup and look for anything which starts with "Advanced" except in Power management or with anything of such context.
"Virtualisation" should be the word you would be looking for and any option you find relating to that would suffice! Just be careful not to tamper any OTHER settings.
– Surya Teja Karra Mar 22 '15 at 10:58
I'll try that if nothing else works but i'd rather not mess with bios – SakuraKaminari Mar 22 '15 at 15:16
@Surya:You cannot install Windows that way. Windows pairs with hardware as soon as you install it. No-DRM OSes work just fine. I have transerred Ubuntu installation twice from a virtual machine. – Erkin Alp Güney Mar 22 '15 at 17:16
@erkin you don't understand, I asked the OP to install Windows( if he doesn't have it) so that he could run rufus. – Surya Teja Karra Mar 23 '15 at 17:29
I understand from my own experience that Rufus is the best tool on windows. But this is not the best answer as it’s best to solely use Ubuntu to get the work done. Ubuntu may be running on old hardware, which makes the use of VirtualBox totally irrelevant. – tno2007 Dec 28 '17 at 03:53

score 1 · Answer 8 · edited May 01 '17 at 05:36

1

Found a much easier solution. Mount the ISO with loop etc and -t udf. Copy everything in a spare NTFS partition. Mark this partition as boot in gparted. Run sudo update-grub and reboot.

edited May 01 '17 at 05:36

Zanna

70,465

answered Nov 03 '15 at 21:40

d3rdon

194

Note that you will be able to boot this usb drive only from the computer you were running the "update-grub" – ozma Mar 26 '16 at 12:39
2

@ozma This answer doesn't concern a USB drive. – forresthopkinsa Aug 17 '16 at 15:19
@forresthopkinsa You are right, my comment was meant to prevent such an error – ozma Aug 18 '16 at 06:23
This method worked until the Windows 10 Installer complained about booting from a ntfs partition and aborted. – Layton Everson Aug 29 '16 at 04:51

How do I burn the Windows 10 ISO to a USB?

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