Solved Windows install from EXTERNAL USB HDD (NOT USB STICK) !!

jimbo45

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Hi there

I've got an older SSD 120 GB. I was wondering if by partitioning it I could create a BOOTABLE Windows install disk. I've no problem with USB STICKS but using a bootable reserve SSD would be great IMO as I could then also have all my various other programs on it like Ms OFFICE and PHOTOSHOP so re-installing Windows together with the applications should be a breeze.

Perhaps the Bootable USB STICK procedure could be used as on boot the computer thinks it's a Disk anyway ( says USB 2.0 LEXAR HDD) for the USB STICK.

Note I'm not talking here about RUNNING Windows from an external HDD -- that can be done easily enough with Windows Enterprise (Windows to GO) but simply creating a Windows install media that will boot off an external SSD (NOT a USB STICK). I have the ISO's.

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Linux Centos 7, W8.1, W7, W2K3 Server W10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 X LG 40 inch TV
    Hard Drives
    SSD's * 3 (Samsung 840 series) 250 GB
    2 X 3 TB sata
    5 X 1 TB sata
    Internet Speed
    0.12 GB/s (120Mb/s)
The same diskpart procedure you use for thumb drives should work. Should be easy enough to try/test. I just wish my laptop could boot from the SD card slot. That's the way I'd like to go but the BIOS won't do it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
The same diskpart procedure you use for thumb drives should work. Should be easy enough to try/test. I just wish my laptop could boot from the SD card slot. That's the way I'd like to go but the BIOS won't do it.

Thanks -- worked a treat - and booting with SSD with SATA==>USB3 adapter - really fast - created 8GB partition for the Windows install and the rest (110 GB) where I've got Ms Office and all the other stuff I want to install.

Saves messing around looking for CD's / DVD/s / places on HDD's for software, updates, serial nrs etc.

I like the SD card approach -- pity laptops don't seem to allow this - however LINUX can write the GRUB bootloader to my SD card on a laptop - /dev/mmcblk0p1 so I might play around with that - use Linux GRUB bootloader to load up and attach a Windows VHD and then boot from it -- I'm bored today so I might have a go with this.

Another possibility -- does your computer at boot time recognize your PHONE as an external device -- you could also try booting from that if it does -- although some phones might need the drivers to be loaded in Windows first so it won't work.

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Linux Centos 7, W8.1, W7, W2K3 Server W10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 X LG 40 inch TV
    Hard Drives
    SSD's * 3 (Samsung 840 series) 250 GB
    2 X 3 TB sata
    5 X 1 TB sata
    Internet Speed
    0.12 GB/s (120Mb/s)
The problem for me isn't making the SD card bootable, at least I don't think that's the issue. Its just that there is no boot from SD card option in the BIOS. The SD card never shows up as a boot option no matter what I try. If you actually try it and get it to work please post back with the results.

The only CD/DVD's I use these days are DRM protected game disks. Everything else I have on thumb drives. My laptop and desktop PC's each have separate Data drives for my music and videos etc so its usually just Windows that has to be reloaded. I can usually get it done with 3 or 4 thumb drives. I could put it all on one thumb drive but I like having different drives for different stuff. One for the Windows install, one with any required drivers, one with office, MDoP etc. My Data drives are backed up to external media just in case the drive actually fails or gets corrupted. It's all stored on multiple PC's anyway. SDCards are just so much smaller and easier to carry around in your laptop bag. Plus you can write protect them.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
I'm also keen on SD card boot to restore from SD card.

I have resigned myself to having to mod the bios - I have a few old Thinkpads to experiment with (apparently the X200 bios has this option - thus just a matter of comparing modules of my T6x series bios with that)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    PC-DOS v1.0
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    IBM
    CPU
    Intel 8088, 4.77MHz
    Memory
    16K, 640K max
    Graphics Card(s)
    What's that?
    Sound Card
    Not quite
    Screen Resolution
    80 X 24 text
    Hard Drives
    dual 160KB 5.25-inch disk drives
That's above my skill level. I defiantly wouldn't be using my laptop as a test bed anyway. I may have another go and just try all the boot options, like boot from USB hard drive etc. One kink is I have no way of knowing if my SD card is actually bootable. I don't have another device to test it in. The only thing I have that will boot from an SD card is my Raspberry Pi and that's ARM based so trying to load Windows on it is a no go. I'd love to try and run RT on it but that's another story for another thread. I guess one could setup a Micro SD in a USB adapter as a test to whether its bootable? I have a couple of Micro SD cards just no USB adapter to plug them into. Assuming that will work without having to install a driver for the Micro SD to USB dongle. I'm starting to remember why I put this on the back burner.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
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