Windows 10 Media Creation Tool "We can't find a USB flash drive"
Using a suggestion from MC10 in the comments, I downloaded the ISO and used Rufus to configure the USB drive as bootable. The configuration and install worked fine and there was about 700 MB free on the thumbdrive after configuring it.
I still could not identify the cause of the failure, whether the Media Creation Tool incorrectly viewed the USB drive as too small or if there is another problem that makes the USB drive not appear to be valid to the tool.
The Sandisk Cruzer usb drives use drivers that install through windows 7 and 8 as if they were hard drives. They are not in the removable drives section and that is why it will not allow you to select it.
I suffered the same problem with a Sandisk USB.
To fix: I followed the standard USB install instructions, with one deviation. I used Rufus to create the bootable USB.
- download Microsoft MediaCreationTool
- use the tool to create an .iso
- use Rufus to create a bootable USB with the .iso