Windows 10: How can i fix a window system that runs from my external usb drive

Hello I was installing windows 10 on my pc and i think i accidentally passed the installing part and now i don’t have any thing after it open the system. I meant I can’t see my storage and when i unplug the usb drive i used to install the windows it stops working . So when ever i start my pc it just run the windows from the usb like linux and when i unplug the usb drive everything stops. Please in need someones help!!

:)

 

Toshiba External USB drives not showing in Explorer or Disk Management Plug-in

Thank you for the update.

Looks like your system is unable to detect your external hard drive. Let's see if scanning for new hardware will fix the issue. Follow these steps:

• Press the Windows key to launch the Start menu.
• Type in Device Manager and press Enter.
• Under Device Manager, select Action tab > Scan for hardware changes.
• Wait for your system to install the generic driver for your device and follow the on-screen instructions.

If the issue still persists, we suggest that you perform the following recommendations below:

• Plug in your external USB drives to other USB device port of your system.
• Use other USB cables for your external device to connect to your system.

Keep us updated and we will be glad to assist you further.

 

External drives and Windows 10 issue

Since you are having multiple issues with Windows 10, we suggest you to run a System File Checker (SFC) and Deployment Image Servicing (DISM) to look into the system for possible corruption. To do so, kindly follow the steps below:

• Press Windows key + X
• On the menu which should pop-up on the lower-left side of your screen, click
  Command Prompt (admin)
• Type the following on Command Prompt (wait for the SFC scan to finish before running DISM):
  
  sfc /scannow
  
  dism /online /restorehealth /cleanup-image
  
  

Check the result of the scans, and if it states that it was able to fix some corrupted files, simply restart your computer to apply the fix and check if the issue persists.

Regarding your external hard disk, we suggest you to update your USB Hard Disk drivers. To do so, follow the steps below:

• Press Windows key + X.
• Click Device Manager.
• Find the disk drive for your external hard disk.
• Right-click your disk drive.
• Click Update Driver Software.
• A new windows will prompt, click Search automatically for updated driver software.

Let us know how it goes.

 

Error: "Scan the drive now and fix it", Linux named folder with special characters are not accessable in Windows 10 using external hard drive

Hi,



Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.



May I know the file partition format type of your external drive?



As Linux and Windows they work on different file system, when the files are migrated from Linux base system to Windows OS, most of the files that are not supported could be hidden, I suggest you to follow the steps below to further
narrow down the root cause of the issue.



Method 1: Check the hard drive in different computer.



I suggest you to check the hard drive in a different computer and check if you still face the issue.



If the same issue persists on different computer then the issue might be with the hard drive itself, I suggest you to contact the local tech and get the drive checked.



Method 2: Run Check disk.



Run the check disk command to repair the hard drive and fix the bad sectors.

1. Search for Command Prompt on the start menu.
   
2. Right click and Run as Administrator.
   
3. Type in chkdsk C: /f /r /x where
   C: represents the drive letter for the hard drive change the drive letter according to your system and hit enter.
   

Disclaimer: While performing chkdsk on the hard drive, if any bad sectors are found on the hard drive then chkdsk tries to repair that sector if any data available on that might
be lost.



Method 3: Automatically diagnose and fix Windows USB problems.



I suggest you refer to this article
Automatically diagnose and fix Windows USB problems
download and run the troubleshooter to fix the issue with USB detection.



Method 4: uninstall USB drivers.

1. If you still face the issue and the hard drives throws the error again, you can refer the article
   
   USB devices may stop functioning correctly when multiple devices connected to the same USB hub go into selective suspend and check if this helps you.
   
2. Reboot the computer once after the steps are completed.
   

Method 5: Backup your data on Linux OS.



As the drive is compatible with Linux system, I suggest you to backup your data on any Linux computer first.



Method 6: Check for hidden files.



Some Linux files that are not readable by Windows are sometimes hidden in Windows, you can follow the below steps to unhide them and access the data.

1. If you are able to read the hard drive, I suggest you to navigate to the drive partition and
   
   unhide all the hidden folder and check.
   
2. If you are still not able to see the data, uncheck
   Hide protected operating system files.
   
3. After you have found your files, I suggest you to undo the changes.
   

If you still face the issue, reply to this post with more information.

Hope it helps.

Amit Sunar

Microsoft Community – Moderator