Failing to create a windows to go USB bootable disk

I have been getting multiple failures while trying to create a windows to go USB bootable disk.



I tried latest Windows 11 iso image as well as Windows 10 - 22H2 ISO file. What should I do create a bootable windows to go USB ? I am trying to access a dynamic partition from my old laptop which is inaccessible. I tried booting into Linux using a bootable USB but still that partition was inaccessible.






It is not booting into windows correctly for a very long time. It had windows in SSD which got corrupted and now the SSD is not showing up when I boot it into a PE type bootable environment. The windows were installed on SSD.


It has also has 1TB SATA disk which is a dynamic partition that shows up empty in that environment. I never made it a dynamic partition. It probably automatically got created way back in 2019 when I migrated the windows installation on it to a freshly installed SSD. After a long time and running into problems, I realized that dynamic partitions are a horrible options but it was too late and it would have taken me a long time to empty the data and convert into a regular partition. Also my laptop was running fine before I encountered the limitations of dynamic partitions.

Using a caddy, or external casing also doesn't allow me to access this hard drive on a normally functioning machine. I was using this disk for storing my documents, work, etc.

However, when I use a bootable USB drive with a windows installation for either Windows 10 or Windows 11, and I launch the installation setup, that dynamic partition shows up as filled and having 108 GB vacant space.

Is your ISO image possibly damaged?
Can you "open in" (context menu) the ISO file and see to file and folder structure?
is your USB memory stick of full integrity?
Have you at least chkdsk /f your SSD as well as the USB memory stick?
Have you, if possible run DISM and SFC?

3Bit said:

Is your ISO image possibly damaged?

I don't think so because I downloaded one of them yesterday and another one today

3Bit said:

Can you "open in" (context menu) the ISO file and see to file and folder structure?

Yes. It shows up perfectly fine.

3Bit said:

is your USB memory stick of full integrity?

No idea. How do I check the integrity?

3Bit said:

Have you at least chkdsk /f your SSD as well as the USB memory stick?

SSD isn't showing up in the laptop at all. Haven't ran a chkdsk on the USB stick yet.

3Bit said:

Have you, if possible run DISM and SFC?

I'll try to run but the laptop isn't booting at all. Should I run DISM in a Win PE bootable environment?

@archz2

archz2 said:

I don't think so because I downloaded one of them yesterday and another one today

A: that's no guarantee, it can get corrupted during the download.

Yes. It shows up perfectly fine.
A: can you open any folder and/or files?


No idea. How do I check the integrity?
A: do a search "USB test" and find aside some benchmark also testing software. I think Microsoft has one as well.


SSD isn't showing up in the laptop at all. Haven't ran a chkdsk on the USB stick yet.
A: how do you connect the SSD? does another computer [if available] do to same? Is a drive letter assigned?
(if needed you can assign one in disk management)


I'll try to run but the laptop isn't booting at all. Should I run DISM in a Win PE bootable environment?
A: explain, you try to boot from your external SSD? what Drive is in the laptop? Please elaborate more.

lastly, booting from an external drive you need to have a few things right, from settings in BIOS to the external drive being actually bootable configured all the way to the holy Grail of windows booting; the BCD (Boot Configuration Data). please present reasonably detailed your current set up/configuration and what you are trying to do.

DId you get any error messages, BSoD's? Be aware that these error messages are too often highly irrelevant and misleading, so I have learned over time.

Sharing the answers one by one below.

can you open any folder and/or files?
Yes. The ISO file is perfectly accessible. Every folder is accessible and all the files show up fine.


do a search "USB test" and find aside some benchmark also testing software. I think Microsoft has one as well.
The integrity test ran fine. No corruption was detected. I ran the default one available in windows that says 'check disk for errors.'


how do you connect the SSD? does another computer [if available] do to same? Is a drive letter assigned?

The SSD is connected via an internal PCI slot, the kind of that every laptop has.



explain, you try to boot from your external SSD? what Drive is in the laptop? Please elaborate more.

I tried booting from a bootable USB pen drive that had a Hiren's BootCD PE recovery environment on it. There are two drives in total in the laptop. One is the SSD on which windows were installed. The other one is SATA hard drive which is entirely a dynamic partition.

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Paul Black said:

Hello @archz2,

Have you looked at this ? > Create Windows To Go Workspace USB in Windows 10

I hope this helps.

I have downloaded the Windows enterprise ISO file as guided in the tutorial, but when I search for Windows to GO option in my control panel, I don't find anything.


My current machine is running
Windows 11 Home Single Language(Version 22H2) OS build 22621.2134

Trying to make a Windows to go using Rufus ended up in ISO image extraction failure.

Try3 said:

I suggest you try that again and this time use its command prompt to run Notepad to use it as a rudimentary file explorer to see if you can then see the problematic drive in order to rescue its contents.
Use InstallUSB Notepad as a rudimentary File explorer to backup files [post #33] - TenForums
The procedure seems awkward at first but, since your installation disk can see the problematic partition, it might well work.
I do not know about dynamic partitions so I do not know if this procedure is any more or less likely to succeed than a WindowsToGo but it would certainly be a lot less effort.


Best of luck,
Denis

Holy heavens!! The notepad method worked so perfectly! Managed to access the problematic drive and copied a folder that I've been wanting to copy for so many days!! Thanks a lot!

Haven't understood the process mentioned in post #7.

I'll read it multiple times to figure out what exactly it is.

Thanks a lot ser! You are a saviour!