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The thread discusses difficulties in locating the "install.esd" file for creating a Windows 10 ISO, as it seems to disappear after updates or system changes. The original poster mentions upgrading from Windows 7 through various Windows 10 versions and having initially made an ISO on version 1607, but the files are now missing after subsequent updates. Contributors suggest that the "install.esd" and related folders like "$WINDOWS.~BT" are automatically removed during system updates or when the Windows.old folder is deleted, especially on newer Windows 10 versions, which explains the absence of the files now.
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Ayan

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I want to make a iso file of my current win 10 build but in my surprise, suddenly i can not find that "install.esd" file. It used to be in a hidden folder named "$WINDOWS.~BT". But neither i can find the Folder nor the esd file.

For information, I didn't do any disk cleanup and also i don't use anything like cCleaner.

If anybody can help me find that esd file, that will be very helpful. Thanks in advance.
 

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BIGBEARJEDI
This also is a situation with earlier versions of W10; such as v10240 and v1511. If your W10 is running either of those versions of W10 that means the W10 on your computer was installed between July 29th 2015 and July 29th 2016--during the 1 year free trial period of W10. Microsoft built in a 30-day automatic rollback capability into those 2 versions which provide a rollback capability if the users trying out W10 before they purchased a legit license for it did not like it and wanted to revert to an earlier version of windows that was on their machine prior to the W10 trial install. If you did have a W10 upgraded to your computer during that 1 year period of either version of W10 I mention above, that would explain why...
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Neemobeer

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#2
Just use the media creation tool. It will be the current build.
 

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Neemobeer

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#4
Well if the image file isn't there then there isn't much you can do about it. You'll either have an install.wim or install.esd or it was removed.
 

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MikeHawthorne

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#5
Hi

I'm not completely sure about this but I think that the folder can be removed in the process of getting rid of the Window.old file after updating, so if you've removed the Windows.old file then that may be why it's missing.

I used CCleaner to remove my Windows.old file and I know that I don't have a $WINDOWS.~BT folder on my computer anymore.

Mike
 

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Ayan

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MikeHawthorne said:
Hi

I'm not completely sure about this but I think that the folder can be removed in the process of getting rid of the Window.old file after updating, so if you've removed the Windows.old file then that may be why it's missing.

I used CCleaner to remove my Windows.old file and I know that I don't have a $WINDOWS.~BT folder on my computer anymore.

Mike
Click to expand...
I'm quite sure that i didn't remove the windows.old files, it had been done by windows itself, I think either windows removed the folder and files or it had been moved to any other location, i don't know, may be somehow my folder gets deleted, anyway i can't make the iso now, that sucks.
 

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BIGBEARJEDI

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#7
This also is a situation with earlier versions of W10; such as v10240 and v1511. If your W10 is running either of those versions of W10 that means the W10 on your computer was installed between July 29th 2015 and July 29th 2016--during the 1 year free trial period of W10. Microsoft built in a 30-day automatic rollback capability into those 2 versions which provide a rollback capability if the users trying out W10 before they purchased a legit license for it did not like it and wanted to revert to an earlier version of windows that was on their machine prior to the W10 trial install. If you did have a W10 upgraded to your computer during that 1 year period of either version of W10 I mention above, that would explain why the folder is gone and the files you are looking for are of course missing as alluded to by neemo.:waah:

If you have updated to the latest version of W10, which is v1607, that rollback capability is of course missing. I believe that Mike is correct that after applying a v1607 AU update (post Aug. 2nd, 2016), these folders are automatically removed by each successive AU update. This laptop that I am typing this post on here has had 10 AU updates since Aug. 2nd, and neither of those folders are on my machine either. I do however remember seeing them on the pre-v1607 version (v1511) since this laptop was upgraded from Vista->Win7-W10 legit. It is currently running v1607 OS Build 14393.321 [most current].

Hope that helps a bit. :nerdie:
<<<BIGBEARJEDI>>>
 

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Neemobeer

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#8
The Windows.old folder is automatically removed after 30 days I believe, so the $WINDOWS.~BT was probably also purged automatically.
 

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Ayan

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BIGBEARJEDI said:
This also is a situation with earlier versions of W10; such as v10240 and v1511. If your W10 is running either of those versions of W10 that means the W10 on your computer was installed between July 29th 2015 and July 29th 2016--during the 1 year free trial period of W10. Microsoft built in a 30-day automatic rollback capability into those 2 versions which provide a rollback capability if the users trying out W10 before they purchased a legit license for it did not like it and wanted to revert to an earlier version of windows that was on their machine prior to the W10 trial install. If you did have a W10 upgraded to your computer during that 1 year period of either version of W10 I mention above, that would explain why the folder is gone and the files you are looking for are of course missing as alluded to by neemo.:waah:

If you have updated to the latest version of W10, which is v1607, that rollback capability is of course missing. I believe that Mike is correct that after applying a v1607 AU update (post Aug. 2nd, 2016), these folders are automatically removed by each successive AU update. This laptop that I am typing this post on here has had 10 AU updates since Aug. 2nd, and neither of those folders are on my machine either. I do however remember seeing them on the pre-v1607 version (v1511) since this laptop was upgraded from Vista->Win7-W10 legit. It is currently running v1607 OS Build 14393.321 [most current].

Hope that helps a bit. :nerdie:
<<<BIGBEARJEDI>>>
Click to expand...
Yes, actually i did make an iso on the initial version of the 1607, but i think after 2-3 cumulative updates, the folder and files are gone, just like that. And also i did upgrade my pc from win7 to win10 v10240, Then to v1511 and finally to v1607, the folder was present through out all those times until now. That's why i am little surprised!
 

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