UEFI Install of Windows 10 on external SSD/Harddrive

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The question of installing Windows on an external harddisk has been answered here before. But the answers posted here go like this: create a single NTFS partition on the external disk (MBR partition table), mark it as active, and unpack install.wim from your installation media to the partition. Then run bcdboot.exe to make the partition bootable.

While that might work just fine, I'd like to see a guide that actually focusses on modern systems with UEFI firmware and CSM disabled. Assume that the external harddisk has been partitionened: GPT partition table, 128MB EFI system partionen, and a single NTFS partition.

How would one install Windows 10 on such an external drive?

Also, what can be expect from Windows 10 running off an external disk. What would happen if I put the system into suspend to RAM or hibernation mode. Would Windows resume just fine?

Sven

Posted 2017-01-28T01:03:49.290

Reputation: 141

"How would one install Windows 10 on such an external drive?" - I just use Rufus. – Ramhound – 2017-01-28T09:57:43.560

It seems Rufus is a tool to create installation media, that is, it allows you to create a bootable USB drive for installing Windows on a internal harddisk. I do not see how you would use Windows 10 to actually run Windows from an external disk. – Sven – 2017-01-28T14:36:49.980

Rufus has a "Windows to Go" feature when you run it on a Windows 8+ installation – Ramhound – 2017-01-28T18:50:37.387

Thanks for telling me about that Windows to Go Feature. I will give it a try. It would still be interesting to know the steps how such a USB drive could be created manually. – Sven – 2017-01-29T00:02:40.727

Using Windows 8+ Enterprise can create one also. – Ramhound – 2017-01-29T02:38:44.070

I should have added that the answer should work for Windows 10 Home/Pro users. – Sven – 2017-01-30T16:43:41.393

Which is the reason I suggested Rufus. Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Professonal do not official support the "Windows to Go` feature – Ramhound – 2017-01-30T16:46:39.877

Yes, I know that Windows Home/Pro does not officially support Windows to Go. That's why people have written guides to manually create external disks with Windows to Go on them. But these guides focus on MBR+BIOS booting only - not UEFI. My first try with Rufus has failed. When choosing GPT, an error message pops up about the drive not having the FIXED attribute. It could be because it's a USB flash drive? Selecting MBR partitioning for BIOS+UEFI didn't give an error message, just some kind of warning, but I'm waiting for my new laptop to arrive. I will properly test Rufus soon. – Sven – 2017-01-31T14:36:37.487

Answers

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So this answer is mostly due to Ramhound in the comments above. The solution is plain and simple: use Rufus available at https://rufus.akeo.ie/.

It allows to create a GPT partitioned NTFS formatted drive with an ESP partition that has Windows Home or Pro on it. When it booted, it required me to enter a Windows 10 Key for some reason, though my machine should have in its BIOS. I also couldn't test suspect to disk yet.

However, Rufus has several drawbacks. First of all, Rufus deleted all data on the attached drive. So even if you have spare unpartitioned space on the drive, you can't use Rufus to use it for a Windows installation.

To make Rufus list USB harddisks, you need to set one of the extended options which you can reach through the white triangle in the window.

I will try to figure out what Rufus is doing and that I might even put together a guide for the command line on Windows and (hopefully) Linux.

Sven

Posted 2017-01-28T01:03:49.290

Reputation: 141

Asked: 2017-01-28T01:03:49.290

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Active: 2020-01-30T04:05:30.690