Recently I started to download the Windows 10 Anniversary Update onto one of my machines via the official tool provided by Microsoft.
With 100% of the actual update being downloaded, I wonder:
- If it is possible to copy the files to another (licensed!) installation for the intended purpose of a system upgrade?
- Where in the system (i.e., in which directory) the actual update files are stored?
Would be happy for official/verified answers, as I'd like to safe time prior to upgrading other machines as well, without the need to download all that data again (multiple times).
Edit-1:
It does not seem to be the directory C:/Windows10Upgrade as this contains only around 16MB of data. I would expect around 2-3 GB somewhere on my disk, as the Anniversary Update is known to download about 3 GB of upgrade files.
Edit-2:
I don't want to create or download an ISO. I'd like to know where the downloaded data is stored on my disk and if it is possible to reuse it for the purpose of system upgrades.
Best Answer
The setup file for Windows 10 Anniversary Update is in 'C:/Windows10Upgrade' as an ESD file format. While downloading the update through the tool, it keeps on saving the downloaded materials in the ESD file. So, don't worry if you had to cancel the download in between. It will always resume even after you cancel the download in the tool. If you are quite apprehensive of this then you can COPY the 'Windows10Upgrade' folder in an external storage device as a backup. When you start the download again, I'm sure it will resume again. But if it doesn't then you can paste the backed up folder in the C: and then the download will resume.
After you install the Update the ESD install file is usually treated as a temporary file by Windows. So, it deletes to allow more space. If you want to keep a backup then you should keep it before installing the updates.