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Question

Why do I need a 2nd PC to download Windows update to USB

Apr 9, 2018 1:45PM PDT

I'm having the common problem of "not able to update Windows because of low disk space" so I'm going to download it using a USB drive and the Media Creation Tool. It says I have to use another PC to download the update to USB. I don't understand why I can't just download the update to the USB on the computer I'm updating? Does the other PC have to have the update on it and that's why? I don't have access to another PC to download the update. But I do have a Samsung Galaxy 10.5S- could I use that to download the update to a USB?

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
So do you have low disk space?
Apr 9, 2018 1:49PM PDT

I see this all the time on low disk space or those amazing 32GB models.

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Any idea why I need the second PC to download the update?
Apr 11, 2018 5:28AM PDT

Yes, I have low disk space and need to update my Windows version to 1709. I was wondering why I needed to download the update to the USB on a different PC? Why can't I just use the PC I'm updating to load the USB drive? The instructions say to use another PC to download the update to a USB drive then put the USB drive into the PC I'm updating. Any ideas why I need the second PC?

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Re: other PC
Apr 11, 2018 8:24AM PDT

Surely it can be done on any PC, including the PC you want to update. The only requirement is that it runs Windows and has 4 GB of free disk space to download it to. And maybe even 8, because many downloads first go the the cache (temporary internet files, cache) and only then to their final folder on the hard disk, from which it's copied later to the bootable USB-stick the Media Creation Tool makes.

Where does "it" say you need another PC? I never use another PC to download the .iso file. But I have enough free space on this one.

I just this week installed Windows 10 on a new PC. When all was done, including the drivers, 2 users and a few programs, it occupied more than 32 GB. Those amazing 32 GB models come with a lot of compressed folders, but your standard Windows install does everything uncompressed.

To be on the safe side, make an image backup of your current system to go back to if the new install fails due to lack of disk space. Otherwise it's totally useless (the old OS is deleted and the new is not installed). Then all you can do with it is install Linux on it. That's smaller.