installing windows 10 on external ssd

Hi. Im trying to to install windows 10 on an external.
I downloaded the tool form Microsoft. I went to win to go, but it didnt recognize an iso. I went back and clicked on the set up tool. It's not making an iso on my flash drive/memory stick. It wants to install windows on my computer.

Previously, I created an iso from my new copy of windows using my dvd player. I installed windows on the external. Then I couldn't find it on my pc. I unplugged everything (my hub) and plugged the ssd directly. on reboot, it started the installation process. However, I watched a vid about this that told me I would have an option to create an account with microsoft (or windows, or decline and create one later some other way. I didnt have the option while installing. It asked for personal information including my birthday. Is it serious? My birthday? I tried giving it a fake birthday, but I didnt get the option to continue. What would be on the next page? My SSN and bank account info? I stopped installation. Then neither my pc, nor disk manager would recognize the drive. It took alot of doing to find it, reformate. Something still isn't right with it. The pc only detects it if plugged directly into the C port, not my hub anymore. How do I go about setting up the SSD and downloading windows to install on the external? I intend to use it for virtual machine, as well as use on other pc's. Thanks for your help.

You could try aomei partition assistant. Or you can apply the image using dism or similar then add the boot critical files with bcdboot cmd. Or you could use winntsetup and select the external as both boot and installation drive.

Create Windows 10/8/8.1/7 Bootable USB with AOMEI Partition Assistant

I will definitely try both suggestions, especially the disconnect from internet prior to set up. Hopefully, the partition tool will work and I'll be thanking you guys from my newly installed windows tomorrow.
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Idgat. What do you mean by enclosure? Partition? Folder?

BuddyBoy said:

I will definitely try both suggestions, especially the disconnect from internet prior to set up. Hopefully, the partition tool will work and I'll be thanking you guys from my newly installed windows tomorrow.
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Idgat. What do you mean by enclosure? Partition? Folder?

He most likely means a separately purchased piece of hardware.

I bought one for 25 bucks and installed an M.2 2280 NVMe drive in it. It came with a short cable to connect to a USB port.

About a half inch thick; about an inch wide and 5 inches long. TDBT brand from Amazon. There's a bunch of brands, all work about the same.

Buy whatever SSD you want to put in it. Some won't accept NVMe drives and require SATA.

Member NavyLCDR can tell you how to install Windows on an external. I've never attempted it.

To install Windows 10 on an external drive depends on whether you are going to boot the device in legacy BIOS or UEFI or if you want it to be universally bootable. So, you connect both the external SSD or HDD and you boot the computer from your Windows 10 installation USB flash drive made from the Media Creation Tool. At the first setup options screen you press Shift + F10 to open a command prompt. You might need to press Fn + Shift + F10 depending on your keyboard/computer. Once you get the command prompt run:

Code:

diskpart
list disk
select disk # <-replace # with the actual number for the USB SSD or HDD

Next, if you want the SSD/HDD to be bootable only in UEFI mode run the following commands:

Code:

clean
convert gpt
select part 1
delete part override
create part EFI size=100
format fs=fat32 quick
assign letter=y
create part MSR size=128
create part PRI
format fs=NTFS quick label="WinToGo"
assign letter=z
exit <-this will exit diskpart only and leave you in command prompt

If you want the SSD/HDD to be bootable in legacy BIOS only, not UEFI the next commands would be:

Code:

clean
convert mbr
create part pri size=100
format fs=NTFS quick label="System Reserved"
active
assign letter=y
create part pri
format fs=NTFS quick label="WinToGo"
assign letter=z
exit <- this will exit diskpart and leave you in command prompt

If you want the SSD/HDD to be bootable in both UEFI and legacy BIOS modes then the next commands would be:

Code:

clean
convert mbr
create part pri size=100
format fs=FAT32 quick
active
assign letter=y
create part pri
format fs=NTFS quick label="WinToGo"
assign letter=z
exit <- this will exit diskpart and leave you in command prompt

Now that you have the partitions created - stand by. I need to get into a VM to figure out the next steps. We need to find install.wim or install.esd file and apply an image to the last NTFS partition, drive letter Z: that we created.

OK.... so before you enter "EXIT" above in the command sequences, run:

Code:

list vol
exit <- this will leave diskpart and leave you in command prompt

You are looking for the drive letter assigned to the Windows 10 installation USB flash drive, it could be D: or E:. Use the drive letter for the the USB flash drive in the next commands:

Code:

dism /get-wiminfo /wimfile:D:\Sources\install.esd <- change D: to the correct drive letter, and you might have install.wim rather than install.esd

Remember which index number matches the edition of Windows 10 that you want to install to the SSD/HDD. Then:

Code:

dism /apply-image /imagefile:D:\Sources\install.esd /index:1 /applydir:Z:\

Change the D:\ to match what you discovered with the list vol command. If you have install.wim, then use that instead of install.esd. Index changes to the real number of the version of Windows 10 you want to "install".

Finally, the last command will be:

Code:

bcdboot Z:\Windows /s Y: /f ALL
exit

Now you should be able to close the Windows 10 setup window and reboot the computer from the USB SSD/HDD.

Boy, this is alot more complex than I imagined it would be. I cant even figure out how to change my profile pic here. Can new members change their pic?
Both my computers ssd and external are Nmve. I'm pretty sure it boots with the one not called legacy. I image it would be advantageous to make it so it can boot both ways, but that requires the paid version of win to go. At least the on e I downloaded from hasleo requires a paid version. I'm not fond of the idea of buying all kinds of stuff to do something only once. Hopefully, I can find a way around that.

They always make this kinda stuff look easy on utube vids, but then again, what they showed didnt work for me. It almost worked. It looked like it was gonna work, but I ran into that personal info part and aborted. I had the darndest time finding and reformatting my ssd after that. In fact, I couldnt find it before the set-up attempt. I had to shut down and plug it in directly to my C-port. The pc booted straight to it when I did that.

I usually have to try so many things when I want to do anything, that when something finally does work, I cant remember what I did to succeed. Oh, that's a cute emoji

The commands that I posted rely only upon a Windows 10 USB flash drive created with the free Windows Media Creation Tool available from Microsoft:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...load/windows10

You only have to pay for a flash drive 8 GB or larger, and the external USB SSD or HDD you want to install Windows 10 on.

Also, I believe, the latest version of Rufus will do it as well:
Rufus - The Official Website (Download, New Releases)