Boot from external USB hard disc bigger than 137Gb

I have USB external hard disc 320Gb that I use to try Windows 8 since Developer Preview until the latest PreRelease.
I boot from this USB HDD to keep internal HDD intact and protected with end point encryption.
It went very well until at some point suddenly I cannot boot from it anymore. All the file is in perfect condition when accessed from other system.
I try to recover with Recovery disc, but found nothing. I delete bootmgr to force corrective action. But still problem not solved.
Later I read that Grub cannot boot if boot loader and file required for boot is beyond 137Gb (128x1024x1024x1024 bytes). But I never read that Windows has same limitation. Anyway I would like to prove that.
I find UltimateDefrag that can move certain files to beginning of the disc. I select bootmgr, boot folder, and Windows folder to be placed in front.
Thankfully it works. I can boot again from my external USB HDD.
I just wonder how to keep those file in 128GiB boundary, it won't happen again?

Nugroho said:

I have USB external hard disc 320Gb that I use to try Windows 8 since Developer Preview until the latest PreRelease.
I boot from this USB HDD to keep internal HDD intact and protected with end point encryption.
It went very well until at some point suddenly I cannot boot from it anymore. All the file is in perfect condition when accessed from other system.
I try to recover with Recovery disc, but found nothing. I delete bootmgr to force corrective action. But still problem not solved.
Later I read that Grub cannot boot if boot loader and file required for boot is beyond 137Gb (128x1024x1024x1024 bytes). But I never read that Windows has same limitation. Anyway I would like to prove that.
I find UltimateDefrag that can move certain files to beginning of the disc. I select bootmgr, boot folder, and Windows folder to be placed in front.
Thankfully it works. I can boot again from my external USB HDD.
I just wonder how to keep those file in 128GiB boundary, it won't happen again?

Click to expand...

Hi there
not sure I understand the question here

1) Boot from external HDD -- is this a FULL Windows system or just a recovery / install disk. The only way to boot completely and RUN a windows system from an external HDD is to use a Windows to Go system which is now only available in Windows Enterprise.

(You Can actually boot a VHD Windows system from an external HDD but it does require a boot loader on the PC - wheareas the Windows to Go system can boot even if the target PC doesn't have an internal HDD in it at all).

2) Which version of W8 are you running -- W8 previews etc have expired now and only W8 Enterprise has the Windows to go feature.

3) you can get a 90 day free evaluation of W8 enterprise from Ms : Download Windows 8 Enterprise Evaluation

4) For just creating a Multi-boot system from a USB etc or creating bootable external HDD's for recovery / installation then there are tutorials all over the place. I think this is what you are using and it looks like you've solved the problem. Using GRUB / other Linux type loaders usually can work.

Cheers
jimbo

Hi Jimbo,

You are right that MS doesn't allow Windows to be installed on external USB HDD. I follow article on internet how overrule this limitation. I really boot from USB HDD and work (actually play ) with it.
I have one bootable WinXP USB HDD because I still some old SW that only run on true XP, not in XP mode nor VM. I have another USB HDD bootable Win8. I really like it. Boot really fast although from USB. Login page in 20 second and land on desktop 20 second later.
Now I still use WP8 PreRelease which will automatically reboot every two hours. It fine with me that I cannot play too long .

My only problem is I cannot be sure next time I still able too boot. Windows always do silly things in background. Actually I can make two partitions and keep boot partition smaller than 128Gb, but I don't want waste any space.
May be I should rephrase my question "How to configure built in defragmenter to always keep Windows system file in beginning of the disc"

Cheers
Nugroho