Solved I cannot create an ISO

Yet again: Did you try what Megahertz suggested? That method ALWAYS works, barring some other issue with the PC.

I have not had problems downloading the MCT from Microsoft then running it which opens a page giving some choices, usually download the .iso file that is used in a program like Roxio or in File Explorer to burn the bootable DVD+R or DVD-R disc but lately need to be the DVD+R/DL [Dual Layer] disc as the R discs have only 4.7GB space and the DL has 8.2GB space. I've found the RW discs to be very unreliable for booting. The other choice of creating a bootable USB drive of 8GB or larger will happen while still connected to the site. Any USB Thumb drive will work as it gets formatted as FAT32 but has a limit of 32GB.

Use this to download Windows 10/11 ISO's from Microsoft. It is the download tool that is built into rufus, it uses powershell and has a GUI

Fido/Fido.ps1 at master · pbatard/Fido

Although if you use Rufus as @glasskuter suggested, you will also be able to burn it to USB.

Just reboot if its giving you issues about another process, unless that remains persistent?

Megahertz said:

I have just downloaded the Windows 11 installation iso from MCT and install.wim is 6GB so the USB must have two partitions, one Fat32 and one NTFS


Download the Windows 11 installation iso from MCT to your main drive.

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I would say that I am sorry to ask so many questions, but I am not, as this entire process is entirely new to me, has (as must be very obvious) been causing me to waste a lot of time and caused consternation. I have only had to do this twice that I can recall, and they were long ago enough that it was very simple, unlike now which I assume has to do with the vastly increased complexity of Windows, etc.

Ergo, when you say to download the installation iso from MCT, am I correct that you are referring everything that is on the USB, the four folders and the other four entries? If not, something else of which I am not aware?

Later: I had a thought, but I quickly got rid of that... Seriously, it suddenly occurred to me why my earlier installs were much simpler, they did not take place on computers with ssd main drives, just simple mechanical ones.

I use the Microsoft MCT process to create the Win11 bootable USB drive, it is formatted as FAT32 and has only one partition of 7.27GB on an 8GB Thumb drive and shows 5.19GB of files. The process of creating the drive wipes anything off/reformats as FAT32 before writing it.

Berton said:

I use the Microsoft MCT process to create the Win11 bootable USB drive, it is formatted as FAT32 and has only one partition of 7.27GB on an 8GB Thumb drive and shows 5.19GB of files. The process of creating the drive wipes anything off/reformats as FAT32 before writing it.

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That is what I thought I was doing, but the USB does not boot the tv. How did you do that; that is, when MCT starts, what choice did you make? I checked my USB, which has 5,25///g of files.

I was again disappointed when I put the newly-created H-drive into the subject computer and restarted it; the USB was ignored. I had to have done something wrong, obviously.

Not Myself said:

That is what I thought I was doing, but the USB does not boot the tv. How did you do that; that is, when MCT starts, what choice did you make? I checked my USB, which has 5,25///g of files.

I was again disappointed when I put the newly-created H-drive into the subject computer and restarted it; the USB was ignored. I had to have done something wrong, obviously.

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Did you launch the one time boot menu during POST?
On a Dell the one time boot menu during POST should be F12.

Not Myself said:

That is what I thought I was doing, but the USB does not boot the tv. How did you do that; that is, when MCT starts, what choice did you make? I checked my USB, which has 5,25///g of files.

I was again disappointed when I put the newly-created H-drive into the subject computer and restarted it; the USB was ignored. I had to have done something wrong, obviously.

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After you hit the key to get the Boot Menu you can select the flash drive in the list which has the setup for Windows 11.

Here is what it looks like on my laptop. The Sandisk flash drive has the Windows 11 setup.

MisterEd said:

After you hit the key to get the Boot Menu you can select the flash drive in the list which has the setup for Windows 11.

Here is what it looks like on my laptop. The Sandisk flash drive has the Windows 11 setup.

View attachment 81351

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Perplexing, indeed, as I have at least twice chosen the H drive USB; I just inserted a different USB in place of the one identified as the H drive, and the process has started again. I wonder what will transpire this time. As before, it reports downloading Windows 11.

Quite a different end of the process from the last time, when I found something odd on the screen about whatever it was. I was watching this time, and I was told that my USB Flash Drive was ready.

I had to F5 the USB, which thereupon showed the same files as the key I had tried. This one does not boot, either, so I suspect that I need to use Rufus to create a bootable. I did that once, but that did not boot, an example of why I am so frustrated.

Next step?

Your My Computer shows an issue with your drives:
"Hard Drives1024GB SSD boot drive Internal 1TB mechanical data drive; WD My Passport (1Tb) external; My Passport Ultra (2Tb) external"
The Hard Drive {HDD=Hard Disk Drive] is a SATA connection, not an SSD [Solid State Drive, no moving parts] which can be either SATA or NVMe.

When working with the boot/system drive such as installing/reinstalling it usually is best to unplug External/USB drives.

Not Myself said:

Quite a different end of the process from the last time, when I found something odd on the screen about whatever it was. I was watching this time, and I was told that my USB Flash Drive was ready.

I had to F5 the USB, which thereupon showed the same files as the key I had tried. This one does not boot, either, so I suspect that I need to use Rufus to create a bootable. I did that once, but that did not boot, an example of why I am so frustrated.

Next step?

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Just to check, when you plug your USB flashdrive into the computer, are you putting it in a port on the front panel of your computer, or in a USB port on the back of the computer?

Also note whether the Thumb drive is being plugged into a USB 2 port [black center] or USB 3 port [blue center] as some BIOSes support only USB 2 booting but not USB 3 until the Operating System has loaded. Also note if there's a trident symbol, USB will have SS attached to. Some new machines may have combined ports, my latest couple weeks ago does but also has the USB-C port.

wordsworth said:

Just to check, when you plug your USB flashdrive into the computer, are you putting it in a port on the front panel of your computer, or in a USB port on the back of the computer?

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Moved from front to back, no change.

Berton said:

Also note whether the Thumb drive is being plugged into a USB 2 port [black center] or USB 3 port [blue center] as some BIOSes support only USB 2 booting but not USB 3 until the Operating System has loaded. Also note if there's a trident symbol, USB will have SS attached to. Some new machines may have combined ports, my latest couple weeks ago does but also has the USB-C port.

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Front panel black. First rear panel blue. Second rear panel black.

Perfect Record: Three for Three Failures.

Let's go back to the beginning because I'm not quite sure what you want as the background information isn't in your first post. Your Computer Specs say you have Windows 11 23H2 on this computer but I take it you don't as of right now; so do you have Windows 10 at the moment and wish to upgrade to 11? If so then you can put the ISO on your hard drive and mount it and perform an in-place upgrade quick and easy. Unless you want to do a clean install of 11 but at this point with your frustration I'd say just do the in-place upgrade.

Or is this a different computer you are trying to install Win 11 to?

Edit: I do see where you wanted a "fresh copy of Windows 11" so perhaps you want 23H2 rather than 22H2.

wordsworth said:

Let's go back to the beginning because I'm not quite sure what you want as the background information isn't in your first post. Your Computer Specs say you have Windows 11 23H2 on this computer but I take it you don't as of right now; so do you have Windows 10 at the moment and wish to upgrade to 11? If so then you can put the ISO on your hard drive and mount it and perform an in-place upgrade quick and easy. Unless you want to do a clean install of 11 but at this point with your frustration I'd say just do the in-place upgrade.

Or is this a different computer you are trying to install Win 11 to?

Edit: I do see where you wanted a "fresh copy of Windows 11" so perhaps you want 23H2 rather than 22H2.

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Thanks for asking; I hope this will clarify the situation.

I have had Windows 11 since it was released, and on my new computer, I have Widows 11 23H2. I even finished updating my computer specifications for this forum yesterday.

What I am unsuccessfully trying to do is to update my previous computer with a clean copy of Windows 23H2 on its ssd C:\ drive. I am not at all certain that I can do an in-place operation of that sort on an ssd, but that is based only on what I have seen on-line from various sources. My reason for needing a clean copy of 23H2 is that I am going to use Laplink to transfer her files from her rather old Dell Inspiron to the Dell XPS 8950 that I replaced with a Dell XPS 8960 about four months before the warranty expires to take advantage of an excellent sale price. Laplimk requires a clean, updated copy of Windows to make the transfer.

I am open to any advice that will let me finish what I thought would be a simple matter, and which I may have been approaching improperly.

Not Myself said:

What I am unsuccessfully trying to do is to update my previous computer with a clean copy of Windows 23H2 on its ssd C:\ drive.

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To update the current installation to Win11 23h2 you do an in place upgrade and not a clean install as a clean install will delete all partitions on the computer and you loose all the data you want to transfer to the new computer.

To do an in place upgrade you have to download the Win11 23h2 iso file using MCT

Once the Win11 23h2 iso file is on a folder on the main drive (not on a USB drive), right click on the Win11 23h2 iso file and select mount. On the virtual ODD (Optic Disc Drive) created, run setup.exe.
It will begin to upgrade the current installation to Win11 23h2.

You could download the iso directly and bypass the mct palaver.

Seriously, it suddenly occurred to me why my earlier installs were much simpler, they did not take place on computers with ssd main drives, just simple mechanical ones.

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What is the extra difficulty ssd pose ?