Windows 10 Unexpected Install.esd File on Windows 8.1: What Could It Mean?

Trouble

Noob Whisperer
Joined
Nov 30, 2009
Messages
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I could be mistaken but.....
I noticed that my computer seemed to be acting oddly, a little slower than normal, not much just a little.
I wondered what the heck was going on.... could it be??
Seems I have a brand new folder on my C drive dated today and within that folder, a brand new install.esd, also dated today.
Hmmmmmm



This is on my Windows 8.1 computer.
 
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In Windows 8 here:



Well played, Microsoft. Well played.
 
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Code: 
============================================================
                      ESD File Info
============================================================

       OS: Windows 10 Pro
     Arch: x64
 Language: EN-US
  Version: 10.0.10240
 
So off I go to Control Panel, Windows Update, just to see if I could trigger the thing "check for updates".... nada.
Stills says Windows 10 upgrade reserved...... We'll let you know.....
 


Link Removed

 
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Trouble said:
So off I go to Control Panel, Windows Update, just to see if I could trigger the thing "check for updates".... nada.
Stills says Windows 10 upgrade reserved...... We'll let you know.....
Click to expand...
Can you right-click properties on the c:\$Windows.~BT folder and get a readout of the file size (not file size on disk)? Here it is 6.10 GB (6,554,844,434 bytes).
 
Yep... this is what I see.
 
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Interesting the file size discrepancy .... wonder what might account for that?
And the number of files??
 
Trouble said:
Interesting the file size discrepancy .... wonder what might account for that?
And the number of files??
Click to expand...
No idea. Well, good thing I backed up all of my files
 
So.... OK....
You or me??
Who's going to be the first one to run Setup.exe from the root of the new folder.
 
I am reluctant to hit the button! However, here is something interesting:

C:\$Windows.~BT\Updates\GDR\598642fd-3d3d-4551-a84d-f50f144b6e4e\windows10.0-kb3074683-x64.cab

This appears to be the staging update for KB3074683, which, numerically speaking, would coincide with what WinBeta says will be the large update to this build that is being included with the installer.
 
I say both try it... Doesn't seem to have come across the pond yet unless someone else in the UK say's different.
 
Evidently, it is triggering itself somehow, maybe somewhere in scheduled tasks.

And failing.
 
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I just checked that now. Also it is important to note that trying to copy the entire $Windows.~BT folder WILL fail, as there appears to be a NTFS-encrypted SafeBoot area in that folder that can not be read by even a user with SYSTEM permissions. I had hoped to copy it and give the update a try in a virtual machine to see what would happen, but it is not possible.

 
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I think it keeps looking for the next bit of the download... As soon as they release it your machines will grab it?
 
You must be referring to a non-Insider system. From what I read on the reserve a copy banner, it will be downloaded in the background, and at some appointed time a message will appear asking to install. Many folks are seeing the downloads already.

I suppose the build number puts the confusion over the RTM to rest...
 
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