Windows 10: Booting from USB stick or DVD

**johngalt** · 25 Apr 2017

Stevekir said:

cereberus:

Thannks for your help.

When I click on that button and navigate to the folder where I keep my Macrium backed up image files, it is empty, despite the fact that it has four images when I open that same folder in file explorer. I think the problem is that images made by Macrium Reflect have their file type is .mrimg WinToUSB lists the files it recognises (I assume) at the slot at the bottom of its open Explorer folder and these are .iso, .wim, and .esd. I have never heard of the last two.

> Do you (or anyone else watching) know if Macrium's image files can be converted to one of these three types? There is nothing on Google. Perhaps Macrium image files are a proprietory type, and there seems no option to get Macrium to produce .iso, .esd or .wm files. So it seems I am sunk.

> Does anyone recommend a backup software that will produce an .iso, .esd or .wim image file of my C: drive?

I think you're mistaken about what that utility does. See the quotation below with the boldfaced red-colored font.

NavyLCDR said:

Next to the image file: box is a button that allows you to browse for an image. I would assume that would be what you would click and select the Windows 10 ISO file as the image. It might also be the install.wim file or install.esd file inside the \sources folder in the ISO file, I am not sure. After you select that image, then the box below that should populate with the different Windows versions and architectures available in that image. Architecture just means 32-bit or 64-bit.

WintoUSB creates a bootable Windows installation that runs off the USB directly

See Best Windows To Go Creator to create portable Windows 10/8/7 USB drive! for more information.

**cereberus** · 26 Apr 2017

Stevekir said:

cereberus:

Your method looks attractive, but I'm stuck already at your step 2. Please see the attachment. There is nothing there to select either an image, or to specify the Operating system (its Creators).

And how do I find out the architecture?

Thanks.
Attachment 131913

click on icon at end of image file entry box and navigate to where iso is.

**Stevekir** · 26 Apr 2017

Thanks folks, but the makers of WinToUSB say that Macrium's mrimg images are a propriatory type and WinToUSB cannot read .iso, .wim and esd images. I have searched but cannot find anything that would convert a Macrium image to one of these file formats. So WinToUSB is not for me.

Thanks for the help.

**cereberus** · 26 Apr 2017

Stevekir said:

Thanks folks, but the makers of WinToUSB say that Macrium's mrimg images are a propriatory type and WinToUSB cannot read .iso, .wim and esd images. I have searched but cannot find anything that would convert a Macrium image to one of these file formats. So WinToUSB is not for me.

Thanks for the help.

I am sorry but you are getting totally confused between win2usb and Macrium. they are totally unrelated and fulfill totally different functions.

**johngalt** · 26 Apr 2017

Stevekir said:

Thanks folks, but the makers of WinToUSB say that Macrium's mrimg images are a propriatory type and WinToUSB cannot read .iso, .wim and esd images. I have searched but cannot find anything that would convert a Macrium image to one of these file formats. So WinToUSB is not for me.

Thanks for the help.

Are you trying to build a second Windows installation that you can boot from another drive, or are you trying to make a backupof your existing installation that you can boot into if your primary one fails?

For the former, you can use WintoUSB. For the latter, you're better off at looking at making a .VHD of your existing system in order to be allowed back into it, or else look into Macrium's other features whereby you can boot one of their images directly.

See Macrium Reflect Free | Macrium Software fro more information about being able to boot Macrium backups via their own PE, under the restore section.

EDIT:I do not believe that this will allow you to boot the image itself, but rather, that you will be able to restore the image from the bootable PE environment that Macrium can make.

**AddRAM** · 27 Apr 2017

Yes, why are you trying to use an image file to create a Live W10 usb stick ????

Just use the link given in reply #11

Your best backup plan would be to create an image file of Windows 10, as already suggested.

And just use a live linux distro as a rescue device.

**jimbo45** · 30 Apr 2017

AddRAM said:

Yes, why are you trying to use an image file to create a Live W10 usb stick ????

Just use the link given in reply #11

Your best backup plan would be to create an image file of Windows 10, as already suggested.

And just use a live linux distro as a rescue device.

Hi folks

The live Linux Distro idea is actually very good --especially if you have an older SSD with a SATA-->USB connector.

What you can then do is create a Windows virtual machine on your Linux device - SAMBA etc will ensure that you can get access to any HDD's you need on your main computer. With an external SSD even on USB2 the response of the Windows VM will be perfectly OK. Loads of people have older 128 GB SSD's around -- ideal for this purpose.

You can also use the Windows VM as a tool for repairing / recovery of your main Windows installation. Don't worry about activation of Windows if you are simply using the VM as a recovery tool -- a W7 installation gives you 30 days and W10 will work for long enough to fix any problems before giving those activation nags.

The advantage of this is that the Windows VM will run on ANY machine !! - Linux boots easily and the overhead is very small.

Use VMWARE PLAYER or VBOX for creating the VM's.

If you merely want a bootable copy of your existing Windows system simply create the Macrium bootable media and either save the backup image on the same device or when running Macrium .

I think there's also an option to make the image file itself bootable so you can recover that way.

When creating the Linux system though I'd suggest ensuring it works in MBR mode --that way it will boot both on older machines and newer UEFI ones. Some Linux installs will give you the option but others will use the boot system it finds on the machine used to install the OS.

I have W10, W7 and XP as 3 VM's on a 250 GB SSD with CENTOS 7 as the Linux distro. On USB3 I can run these 3 VM's all concurrently with decent response even on an 8GB laptop.

The W7, W10 X-64 VM's only need 2 GB and XP will run easily in 1 GB.

Very useful tool .

Cheers
jimbo

**cereberus** · 30 Apr 2017

jimbo45 said:

Hi folks

The live Linux Distro idea is actually very good --especially if you have an older SSD with a SATA-->USB connector.

What you can then do is create a Windows virtual machine on your Linux device - SAMBA etc will ensure that you can get access to any HDD's you need on your main computer. With an external SSD even on USB2 the response of the Windows VM will be perfectly OK. Loads of people have older 128 GB SSD's around -- ideal for this purpose.

You can also use the Windows VM as a tool for repairing / recovery of your main Windows installation. Don't worry about activation of Windows if you are simply using the VM as a recovery tool -- a W7 installation gives you 30 days and W10 will work for long enough to fix any problems before giving those activation nags.

The advantage of this is that the Windows VM will run on ANY machine !! - Linux boots easily and the overhead is very small.

Use VMWARE PLAYER or VBOX for creating the VM's.

If you merely want a bootable copy of your existing Windows system simply create the Macrium bootable media and either save the backup image on the same device or when running Macrium .

I think there's also an option to make the image file itself bootable so you can recover that way.

When creating the Linux system though I'd suggest ensuring it works in MBR mode --that way it will boot both on older machines and newer UEFI ones. Some Linux installs will give you the option but others will use the boot system it finds on the machine used to install the OS.

I have W10, W7 and XP as 3 VM's on a 250 GB SSD with CENTOS 7 as the Linux distro. On USB3 I can run these 3 VM's all concurrently with decent response even on an 8GB laptop.

The W7, W10 X-64 VM's only need 2 GB and XP will run easily in 1 GB.

Very useful tool .

Cheers
jimbo

IMO this is a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

If you want a rescue enviroment, use Kyhi's tool

Windows 10 Recovery Tools - Bootable Rescue Disk - - Windows 10 Forums

If you want to boot from a usb with full windows, use tutorial in tutoria section or use wintousb (http://www.easyeufi.com). I do not know why OP says it does not accept isos as that is exactly what it does.

Running Windows 10 in a VM does not use native drivers of pc and no matter what anybody thinks, you do get a performance hit.

You state "The advantage of this is that the Windows VM will run on ANY machine !!".

Unless pc can be enabled for virtual technology, then this is not accurate. I believe it is possible to run vmware on pcs not vt-x enabled but they will run so slowly on old devices to make it almost impossible to use.

Also older devices may not have enough RAM and may not be possible to add extra RAM.

A "windows to go" install will run on any pc, provided there are suitable drivers.

**jimbo45** · 30 Apr 2017

cereberus said:

IMO this is a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

If you want a rescue enviroment, use Kyhi's tool

Windows 10 Recovery Tools - Bootable Rescue Disk - - Windows 10 Forums

If you want to boot from a usb with full windows, use tutorial in tutoria section or use wintousb (http://www.easyeufi.com). I do not know why OP says it does not accept isos as that is exactly what it does.

Running Windows 10 in a VM does not use native drivers of pc and no matter what anybody thinks, you do get a performance hit.

You state "The advantage of this is that the Windows VM will run on ANY machine !!".

Unless pc can be enabled for virtual technology, then this is not accurate. I believe it is possible to run vmware on pcs not vt-x enabled but they will run so slowly on old devices to make it almost impossible to use.

Also older devices may not have enough RAM and may not be possible to add extra RAM.

A "windows to go" install will run on any pc, provided there are suitable drivers.

Hi there

actually any 32 Bit OS can run as a Virtual OS on a machine - even if not VT enabled -- if VT enabled a 64 bit VM OS can also run on a 32 bit HOST. Note though if running a 64 bit GUEST on a 32 BIT HOST max RAM that can be allocated for Host + Guest is 4GB regardless of how much physical RAM is installed on the machine.

Running VM's on older hardware will of course present a challenge if the hardware isn't up to the job - but then so was running some base native apps like VISTA. Lack of RAM and really poor I/O (HDD's even today can be terrible performers) usually were more of a hindrance than actual CPU power. I doubt you'd want to run say a Windows 2012 server VM on a 1GB old Netbook for example !! even if you could find a way to do it.

As to performance -- I think if you wanted to repair a system performance isn't the first objective when trying just to fix a machine so it will boot.

If a machine is broken the first thing is to get it to BOOT --the VM can fix your machine (in nearly all cases ) so it will boot. Then you can install all the other stuff you need including new drivers which you can use the VM or external Linux system to download for you if the "Broken machine" doesn't have Internet access at that point..

Meanwhile the VM option - or even a Linux base system can help you browse the internet and look for solutions while the other PC is inoperative.

The VM idea could be regarded as a "Sledgehammer" to crack a nut with - but it's nice having 7 or 8 different Language versions for Windows and even more languages for Office --- If you work in as many different countries and locations as I do then it's a perfect solution. (I have office 2016 --VL version so no re-activation required when booted up on to a different machine).

There's no way I would be allowed to boot an "Unofficial" Windows to go from any sensible corporate network - especially if you are working as an external consultant.

All these solutions just give people the option of more choices - and actually the overhead of running a VM from an OS booted from a USB 3 device is pretty minimal compared with a HOST OS running from a typical spinner !!!!!

Like most of these things there's no "One size fits all" --that's what's great about these Forums - there's loads of ideas around people can read up about --some better than others of course but a great place as an "Ideas Factory".

BTW the wintousb nethod fails on the latest CU update (1703) with the extra updates applied -- I haven't tried creating a new ISO --I'll have a go with that later.

Note also the wintogousb while a good get around is an unofficial non Ms supported system so if you use it there's no guarantee it will keep working -- especially with the whole slew of fixes / updates and releases Ms has in the pipeline.

Creating a WINPE environment seems probably the most stable way of getting a decent bootable external Windows system - but that's for recovery --it wouldn't be any good for running applications like say OFFICE.

Cheers
jimbo

**Kyhi** · 30 Apr 2017

Creating a WINPE environment seems probably the most stable way of getting a decent bootable external Windows system - but that's for recovery --it wouldn't be any good for running applications like say OFFICE.

Interesting theory ...

Windows 10: Booting from USB stick or DVD

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