Split install.wim
into install.swm
and install2.swm
sources\install.wim
in recent releases of Windows 10 has exceeded FAT32’s maximum filesize of 4 GiB. If you only boot UEFI systems and you want to use memory sticks for better performance while installing, you must split sources\install.wim
into smaller files. Luckily, the dism
command can do this for you.
- Start by creating a new temporary directory, say
C:\W10-EN-20H2-splitted
. - Mount your
.iso
file in a virtual DVD drive by doubleclicking the file in Windows’ File Explorer. - Copy all files and directories from the virtual DVD drive to the temporary directory.
- Launch
cmd.exe
with elevated privileges, e.g. Win+R, type incmd
, and hit this key combination Ctrl+Shift+Enter. - Enter
c:
and hit the enter key. - Enter
cd \W10-EN-20H2-splitted\sources
and hit the enter key. - Enter
dism /Split-Image /ImageFile:install.wim /SWMFile:install.swm /FileSize:4095
and hit the enter key. This will create the two filesinstall.swm
andinstall2.swm
. Additional files might be created for future releases of Windows 10. - Enter
del install.wim
and hit the enter key. - Enter
exit
and hit the enter key. - Use ImgBurn or your favorite tool for creating
.iso
files and create a new.iso
file for this new distribution. Ensure you only include the contents of theC:\W10-EN-20H2-splitted
directory. - Use Rufus or your favorite tool for creating bootable memory sticks and point it to the newly created
.iso
file. You’ll notice Rufus now allow us to use FAT32 as the main filesystem, and not only NTFS. - Delete the temporary directory created in step 1 at your own discretion.