External USB boot without Windows2Go

Same difference, I think, but yes @aphanumeric, you are correct, sir. Thanks for pointing that out!
--Ed--

jimbo45 said:

Hi there

@alphanumeric

what happens if you now copy that old IDE laptop drive to a USB connected SSD via clone disk or whatever -- will the SSD boot !!!! SATA-->USB3 connectors ideal for this.

I'm testing copying a Win to Go system made on an old 2.5 inch 120 GB laptop HDD to a 500 GB SSD. Using copy disk from AOMEI partition assistant -- I suppose Macrium might work too -- don't though do the copy if you are running the OS from an external Win to Go device. Do it from regular Windows.

Note - I've had zero successes with skippy build 18219 on wintousb -- current insider ones work though. System starts to boot -- see the sign in logo --get the screen with the applications -- normal "post login screen" but after about 30 secs it bombs out with driver not shutdown before other process or some utterly unintelligible message.

Still itching for new insider builds --C'mon Microsoft we're getting bored -- too early to go to the "boozer" today !!!! before I get roped into some hideous supermarket shopping -- Please Amazon get food deliveries working here as good as your other stuff !!!!

@CountMike -- loved your Hammer idea -- that's what I feel like when dragged into supermarket !!!. and have to act as the Taxi Chaffeur.

Not long to wait now before trying external ssd boot. (Current Non insider build with latest updates).




Cheers
jimbo

No need to clone, I could install to an SSD in an enclosure same as installing to the hard drive in an enclosure. I just don't have one to use is all.

Good news is it booted up OK on my legacy desktop. Took forever to get through setup though. Very long delay on the Getting ready screen with spinning balls. At least 15 minutes. Then another painfully long delay after a reboot to the Just a moment screen. that was 20 minutes or more just staring at the one on screen message before anything happened.
Booted up to 10 Pro, ISO used was My MSDN 1803 Business ISO. Showed as not activated. I did a change key and entered my Enterprise MAK key. It then activated Enterprise with a Digital License.
Bad news is its basically unusable. clicking anything is meant with a minute or more delay before anything on screen happens. I noticed a big lag when entering data from my keyboard. I tried to post here from it but had to give up. I got a ten Forums is not responding and lost my post after recovering the page. Also a big delay while typing my post. Text didn't show up for 4 or 5 seconds after typing it.
USB 3 Hyper X thumb drive plugged into a USB 2 port. Took forever to shut down too. Just a blinking activity light on the thumb drive and no signal detected on my monitors for 5 minutes or so. I had non of this with the official WTG on that poky old hard drive. It was no speed demon but things happened in a reasonable time.

alphanumeric said:

Good news is it booted up OK on my legacy desktop. Took forever to get through setup though. Very long delay on the Getting ready screen with spinning balls. At least 15 minutes. Then another painfully long delay after a reboot to the Just a moment screen. that was 20 minutes or more just staring at the one on screen message before anything happened.
Booted up to 10 Pro, ISO used was My MSDN 1803 Business ISO. Showed as not activated. I did a change key and entered my Enterprise MAK key. It then activated Enterprise with a Digital License.
Bad news is its basically unusable. clicking anything is meant with a minute or more delay before anything on screen happens. I noticed a big lag when entering data from my keyboard. I tried to post here from it but had to give up. I got a ten Forums is not responding and lost my post after recovering the page. Also a big delay while typing my post. Text didn't show up for 4 or 5 seconds after typing it.
USB 3 Hyper X thumb drive plugged into a USB 2 port. Took forever to shut down too. Just a blinking activity light on the thumb drive and no signal detected on my monitors for 5 minutes or so. I had non of this with the official WTG on that poky old hard drive. It was no speed demon but things happened in a reasonable time.

You really need to use a usb3 port - flys along nicely on my port - about the same speed as an internal hdd.

BTW - I have written a guide - it is complete and suitable for Brinkifying (@Brink - just invented a new verb in your honour) to full tutorial status I hope.

Microsoft OneDrive - Access files anywhere. Create docs with free Office Online.

I have this in Word format as well.

That PC doesn't have a USB 3 port.

Hi folks
@alphanumeric and other interested parties.

If it doesn't boot Ist properly time use KYHI recovery disk and then in the Macrium program choose Fix windows boot problems. Ensure you select the windows installation on the external SSD -- you should see 2 if you still have Windows on a normal internal HDD.

Then the next time you boot you'll probably see 2 boot options - one from the Windows to Go Disk and the other from your "normal" windows.

Leave default -- next time you won't see that.

You might find possibly 1 more hang at login screen possibly no keyboard. Re-boot again and all's well.

"Alles In Ordnung" !!!! working perfectly.

You can also re-copy to your HDD / SSD in your basic system - boot, get error, macrium -->fix Windows boot problem -- and all works.

So "happy Camper here" -- a bit of work but it all comes good in the end.

Note -- you can create image of this and restore to your internal HDD -- again if boot fails first time use Macrium -->fix windows boot -- again "Alles in Ordnung". !!

happy with this as everything working now

BTW again - alphanumeric -- SSD with SATA-->USB2 connector isn't too bad either -- can even run a VM without too many problems -- obviously USB 3 is a zillion times faster but USB 2 is acceptable if using SSD with SATA-->USB 2 connector -- on a USB 2 thumb drive probably too slow.

BTW still can't get skippy 18244 to work with this stuff at all -- think MS must have changed the WIM file or something - otherwise other builds working just "AOK" !!

SSD with SATA-->USB3 connector works faster than the internal HDD I had the "bog standard" windows install on so I'll probably fix the SSD to one of the USB 3 ports on the back of the machine (2 X) also there's 2X on the front, and change BIOS to boot from that device as default.

I want to do this as I can now use all 4 internal HDD's in a Linux software RAID array (MDADM) running a Virtual Server without having to use 1 HDD for windows. I've assigned all 4 HDD's to a VM as RAW HDD's and formatted as XFS for Linux.

Running a Native Linux system on this machine has some hardware issues - but as a VM it's fine and server can serve multi media without any problems. The Windows boot SSD is just fine from USB3 port - even given it severe "Stress Test". !!!!

Cheers
jimbo

alphanumeric said:

That PC doesn't have a USB 3 port.

Is it a recent enough MB to have a PCIe slot that could take a USB 3.1 card?
They're pretty cheap these days.

Infrasonic said:

Is it a recent enough MB to have a PCIe slot that could take a USB 3.1 card?
They're pretty cheap these days.

The main PCIe has a video card in it. The only other one is a PCIe x2 or something. The smallest one. Running my WTG on this PC was just for a look see. I had to test it on something and my laptop was all packed away. It's running a full Windows 10 so no real need to run WTG on it other than for playing around and testing etc.