Windows 10: Booting from USB stick or DVD

Imagine a computer where W10 is running on an SSD. I have a USB stick and/or a DVD which contain a bootable version of W10 (probably made from Microsoft's Media Creation Tool). After a fault, the plan is that after tickling F12 (in my case) the above bootable version could be selected and would run Windows 10.

Q1: Would that work?

I will need to test this even when the W10 on the SSD is running normally.

Q2: When I test this, would the version of W10 on the SSD remain unaffected (not overwritten partly or wholey) so that when afterwards rebooting normally (on the SSD) I would return exactly as I was before with programs and settings preserved?

(I am asking this because I am planning a recovery plan where the Windows on the SSD goes bad, as happened recently. When testing the plan, before any fault, obviously I don't want to mess my OS on the SSD which, at the moment, is running properly).

Thanks.

:)

 

I can have Windows 10 as a standalone download for free, which can be burnt onto a DVD to be used an a Windows 10 installation disc.

1) I don't think it matters but, I would suggest English (as that is what you are upgrading)

2) if you download the ISO you can burn a (bootable) DVD yourself, have a look at

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/windows-usb-dvd-download-tool for creating USB drive

if you let the Media Creation Tool burn the DVD for you, you may be able to copy it to a USB stick (never tried it) but, you wont be able to boot from it.

If you use the Media Creation tool to create a bootable USB stick you wont be able to copy that to a DVD but most modern devices that allow booting from DVD will also boot from a USB stick

 

Reboot

You will likely need installation media (DVD/USB stick) to boot from and install from scratch.

 

Best recovery method is this:-

Install Macrium Reflect Free and create image backup of ssd to another drive.

Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect - Windows 10 Backup Restore Tutorials

 

Yes. I know, I have Macrium, but I want another way to recover. Eggs in baskets etc.

 

Yes, there is a method to run Windows 10 off of USB - generally referred to as Win to Go.

Take a look at this tutorial for more information:

Setup and Run Windows 10 on USB Flash Drive - Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials

I would highly recommend using USB over DVD - the read speeds are phenomenally faster for USB over DVD, even USB 2.0 devices.

 

Another Idea is to Use this tutorial to make a .VHD of your existing system that you can add to another Windows 10 installation to boot off of, from another HD, for example.

Hyper-V - Create and Use VHD of Windows 10 with Disk2VHD - Windows 10 Virtualization Tutorials

 

Then use another image tool eg AOEMI Backupper.

If you do want to create a bootable flash drive, you can now do it as a UEFI install assuming you are running version 1703.

This is very easy using wintousb version 3.5 (UEFI boot manager, Windows To Go Creator, Free Data Recovery, All-in-One Microsoft Windows Setup software).

1) Install winto usb

2) select iso and version of windows

3) select flash drive (recommend fast usb3 32+GB eg San Cruzer Extreme)


4) choose mbr for bios or gpt for uefi (can only do latter if running version 1703)

5) click on button legacy (mbr bios or gpt EUFI)


That's it - just let it do job - say 30 mins.

 

cereberus:

Your method looks attractive, but I'm stuck already at your step 2. Please see the attachment. There is nothing there to select either an image, or to specify the Operating system (its Creators).

And how do I find out the architecture?

Thanks.

 

"Yes. I know, I have Macrium, but I want another way to recover. Eggs in baskets etc..." stevekir
I feel eggactly the same way, that's why I also use Image for Windows on a rotating basis. Of course, you can use any other backup/restore/clone program, free or pay-for, that you feel comfortable with. And, I have two dedicated pancake-sized usb 1B HDs for each computer, to head off any temporary "logical" error in any one HD out of two.

 

Next to the image file: box is a button that allows you to browse for an image. I would assume that would be what you would click and select the Windows 10 ISO file as the image. It might also be the install.wim file or install.esd file inside the \sources folder in the ISO file, I am not sure. After you select that image, then the box below that should populate with the different Windows versions and architectures available in that image. Architecture just means 32-bit or 64-bit.

 

cereberus:

Thannks for your help.

When I click on that button and navigate to the folder where I keep my Macrium backed up image files, it is empty, despite the fact that it has four images when I open that same folder in file explorer. I think the problem is that images made by Macrium Reflect have their file type is .mrimg WinToUSB lists the files it recognises (I assume) at the slot at the bottom of its open Explorer folder and these are .iso, .wim, and .esd. I have never heard of the last two.

> Do you (or anyone else watching) know if Macrium's image files can be converted to one of these three types? There is nothing on Google. Perhaps Macrium image files are a proprietory type, and there seems no option to get Macrium to produce .iso, .esd or .wm files. So it seems I am sunk.

> Does anyone recommend a backup software that will produce an .iso, .esd or .wim image file of my C: drive?

 

I think you're mistaken about what that utility does. See the quotation below with the boldfaced red-colored font.

WintoUSB creates a bootable Windows installation that runs off the USB directly

See Best Windows To Go Creator to create portable Windows 10/8/7 USB drive! for more information.

 

click on icon at end of image file entry box and navigate to where iso is.

 

Thanks folks, but the makers of WinToUSB say that Macrium's mrimg images are a propriatory type and WinToUSB cannot read .iso, .wim and esd images. I have searched but cannot find anything that would convert a Macrium image to one of these file formats. So WinToUSB is not for me.

Thanks for the help.