Windows (10) To Go on a USB 3.0 HDD not booting


  1. Posts : 1
    Windows 7, Windows 10 TP, Ubuntu 14.04
       #1

    Windows To Go on a USB 3.0 HDD not booting


    I've been trying to boot the Windows 10 Technical Preview (W2G) from a USB 3 attached hard drive with no success.

    My BIOS complies when I tell it to boot from the USB device, also, Windows starts to boot, and from the LED on my HDD I can tell that it is running at USB 3 speeds, but after a couple seconds the HDD just stops and the boot process is interrupted with the message "INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE".

    The weird thing here is that I can boot Ubuntu from the same device and port without any issue and the Windows installation boots fine on a USB 2 port, I haven't tried to use a USB 2 cable on the USB 3 port yet, since I don't have any available right now, but I suspect that it'll boot.

    I've tried this on an ASUS netbook with no luck either, it does exactly the same, altough it may have something to do with the fact that it has UEFI and my current machine doesn't. Also, the disk is MBR partitioned and not GPT.

    To me it sounds like a driver issue, thing is, when I boot into the installation in question via a USB 2 port, the driver for the USB 3 host controller is loaded and working fine (tested with USB 2 devices, since the only USB 3 device I have so far is this HDD). Maybe it is not being loaded on boot? if so, is there any way to make it do so?

    Thank you in advance.
    Last edited by Jhonyrod; 08 Oct 2014 at 07:33.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
       #2

    Hi there

    To create a Windows to Go follow (especially on a "Non Certified" device ) follow these instructions EXACTLY -- the procedure is identical to that outlined in the Link even though it's for an earlier version of Windows.

    Be VERY careful when creating the bootrec to use the commands as shown in the link.

    Creating a Non-Certified Windows To Go USB Drive » ADMIN Magazine

    Cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 15,027
    Windows 10 IoT
       #3

    I created an authentic Windows 10 Windows To Go on my ASUS laptop running Windows 10 Enterprise TP. It booted fine from the USB 3.0 port on that laptop. Haven't tried it on another PC yet though. It's a 256 GB SSD in a USB 3.0 external drive enclosure. There is no way to connect a USB 2 cable to this enclosure.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 1
    Windows
       #4

    You need to create VHD-based Windows 10 To Go drive, because VHD-based Windows To Go has best compatibility when using non-certified drives to create Windows To Go workspace.

    By far the easiest way to to create VHD-based Windows To Go is to use WinToUSB.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
       #5

    alphanumeric said:
    I created an authentic Windows 10 Windows To Go on my ASUS laptop running Windows 10 Enterprise TP. It booted fine from the USB 3.0 port on that laptop. Haven't tried it on another PC yet though. It's a 256 GB SSD in a USB 3.0 external drive enclosure. There is no way to connect a USB 2 cable to this enclosure.
    Hi there
    on some USB3 connections you CAN use a USB2 cable - just connect the USB2 cable to the larger of the USB3 slots -- same with a SAMSUNG S5 phone- you can use either a full USB3 connector or a USB2 one

    Works fine with those USB3 passport devices -- just leave the small connector (at the HDD end) empty -- plug the USB2 connector into the larger slot.

    Your HDD though will only work at USB 2 speed then. Fine when on computers with no USB 3 ports (older laptops etc).

    (The USB2 cable needs to be one with the MICRO not the MINI connector --the sort for example a Kindle uses when connected to the computer).

    Cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer


 

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