installing windows on a non-bootable drive


  1. Posts : 10
    7
       #1

    installing windows on a non-bootable drive


    there are some very nice enterprise PCI-E SSD drives ( for example Micron ) that have only one problem - they are not bootable

    so i was wondering - is it possible to put the boot partition on a small bootable SSD ( say 16 gb Intel Optane, which i'm not sure is bootable though ) and then the actual system on say a 800 GB micron PCI-E HHHL SSD ?

    edit: or actually since this is a dual 7 / 10 boot but the 7 is only for backup perhaps first install 7 on a regular 250 GB m.2 drive then plug in that Micron HHHL drive and install 10 on it while the boot partition will remain on the 7 drive this way it would boot from the M.2 but run from the non-bootable HHHL drive ???

    am i insane ?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 14,022
    Win10 Pro and Home, Win11 Pro and Home, Win7, Linux Mint
       #2

    am i insane ?
    Debatable.

    I'd use a 32GB or larger SSD drive for C:/boot/system/Windows drive then use one of the larger drives for data storage and installing programs on, about like most 32GB Tablets can do with a 64GB or larger MicroSDXC memory card for the data drive.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 10
    7
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Berton said:
    Debatable.

    I'd use a 32GB or larger SSD drive for C:/boot/system/Windows drive then use one of the larger drives for data storage and installing programs on, about like most 32GB Tablets can do with a 64GB or larger MicroSDXC memory card for the data drive.
    storage is on a separate 3.5" drive.

    i don't want to put windows on a slow drive. i want windows and program files on the same fast drive ( at least 500 GB )
    however the drive in question:

    Micron 9100 - solid state drive - 800 GB - PCI Express 3.0 (NVMe) - MTFDHAX800MCE-1AN1ZABYY - Solid State Drives (SSDs) - CDW.com
    !

    says the following in the manual:

    "The 9100 is not intended to be a bootable device. Boot functionality is not validated byMicron, and any use in this manner is done at the user's own risk. Please visit Micron.comto find other SSD products that are recommended for boot."

    so i'm wondering if there is a workaround ? what exactly makes it not bootable ? could i make it bootable by putting MBR on another small drive ? or does windows have to already be running in order for the computer ot see this drive because it relies on windows to load the driver for the controller or something ?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 18,432
    Windows 11 Pro
       #4

    What makes it bootable or not is the UEFI firmware ability to read and write from the drive without needing any additional drivers to do so during the initial boot stages.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 10
    7
    Thread Starter
       #5

    NavyLCDR said:
    What makes it bootable or not is the UEFI firmware ability to read and write from the drive without needing any additional drivers to do so during the initial boot stages.
    in that case i guess the location of MBR partition would not make any difference ...
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 14,022
    Win10 Pro and Home, Win11 Pro and Home, Win7, Linux Mint
       #6

    I'm of the "old school" of building computers where the MBR resided on each HDD with at least one partition on it.
    Master boot record - Wikipedia
    As mentioned in that article a non-partitioned drive is a floppy, optical, Zip drive.
      My Computers


 

  Related Discussions
Our Sites
Site Links
About Us
Windows 10 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 10" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

© Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 18:09.
Find Us




Windows 10 Forums