Windows 10 Created bootable USB with Win32DiskImager but Windows wants to format?

RodBarnes

Extraordinary Member
I've used Win32DiskImager in the past to create bootable Windows media on a USB. I am almost certain that, after completing the flash, I was able to insert the USB into an operating Windows10 system and the folders and files appear and look just like what I see if I mount the ISO directly in Windows (see attached image). But, this time, if I insert the USB into an operating Windows10 system, it requests to format it and thinks it is unreadable.

NOTE1: I've tried this with multiple known-good USB flash drives of various sizes, all large enough to contain the image. In all cases, it has resulted in the USB being unreadable. I can go ahead and format the USB drive to make it usable again.

NOTE2: I tried this with a new ISO image of Windows10 21H2 I just created with the MediaCreationTool21H2.exe. Then I tried it with an existing ISO of Windows10 20H2 which I know I've used previously to create a working Windows10 system.

What am I missing here?
 

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I've used Win32DiskImager in the past to create bootable Windows media on a USB. I am almost certain that, after completing the flash, I was able to insert the USB into an operating Windows10 system and the folders and files appear and look just like what I see if I mount the ISO directly in Windows (see attached image). But, this time, if I insert the USB into an operating Windows10 system, it requests to format it and thinks it is unreadable.

NOTE1: I've tried this with multiple known-good USB flash drives of various sizes, all large enough to contain the image. In all cases, it has resulted in the USB being unreadable. I can go ahead and format the USB drive to make it usable again.

NOTE2: I tried this with a new ISO image of Windows10 21H2 I just created with the MediaCreationTool21H2.exe. Then I tried it with an existing ISO of Windows10 20H2 which I know I've used previously to create a working Windows10 system.

What am I missing here?
Could you please record the video ( full process )through a mobile phone and then upload into the google drive, then paste shared link.
 
Well, maybe I was confused... I used the MediaCreationTool21H2 again and this time, rather than have it generate an ISO, I had it output directly to the USB. That resulted in a USB image that is readable and matches what I see when I mount the ISO.

It isn't clear to me why Win32DiskImager would not be able to use this ISO to successfully flash the image to the USB.
 
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