Windows 10: Using a SSD as a flash drive for installing windows.

So I know you can install windows through a Flash Drive. I wanted to know if there was anyway to use a extra SSD as a Multiple Partition "Containing Different Windows and standard drivers for that OS" as a bootable installer.

Mainly if I'm building a customers computer they have 7 and only want 7 but do not have disk. I build the system Select boot from SSD and select 7 then install on system and use there Serial to reactivate.

I'm also using a 2.5 to 3.0 USB as primary connection.

:)

 

Can a USB flash drive be formatted as a hard drive disk so its contents will be backed up with windows back up?

Thank you for responding. I am not using the flash drive for backup. I am using Windows 10 backup and want to include the files I have on my micro USB drive. I set up my libraries to save pictures and documents to save them to my USB flash drive which
windows named D: USB drive. I back up to a portable USB hard drive. I set up backup to include the D: drive but when backup completes it says it did not back up D: because it is an invalid drive. Thank you.

 

Nov Windows 10 upgrade wont install

I have a home make built computer that I built myself. My main HD is a SSD 500 gig drive. I installed Windows 10 flawlessly, but when I try to install the update from November it will not install. After hitting Fix issue 2 times, it comes up with Windows
10 can't be installed using a USB flash drive. Obviously I am not doing a USB flash drive, I know the SSD is considered a flash drive in a way. All other updates installed fine. How can I install this?

Thank You

 

Although you can use the whole SSD to put the Windows installation in it. It's better to create a small partition, say 8GB, format with FAT32 and follow this video.:
If not already done. Download the Windows ISO from: Windows 10 Download - Tech Bench
NOTE: The video is for creating Rescue disk but the same procedure applied to Windows Installation disk
[youtube]6NrjGnP1txY[/youtube]

 

The SSD won't be any different than an external hard drive. What I have done is create Kyhi's recovery drive on a small FAT32 partition:
Windows 10 Recovery Tools - Bootable Rescue Disk - Windows 10 Forums

Format the rest of the SSD as a NTFS partition and store multiple Windows and MS Office ISOs on the NTFS partition. Boot into Kyhi's recovery drive, mount the ISO you want to install, and run setup.exe from the virtual drive that appears.

 

Thank you I'll check it out when i get home

 

even though KYHI's recovery is a good tools but why complicate it if you can do it within Windows ? Anytime you want to boot another ISO, just unzip it to this partition then reboot. Note that you only create the partition once then next time just unzip the ISO for the new bootable media.

I also created my own Recovery Media, same as KYHI. However, I could not share it since all my apps are paid versions and I would violate the EULA if I do so. Besides, his Recovery contains all needed apps for trouble shooting.

 

If I want to reinstall my 64-bit Windows 10 Pro, I boot from the drive, right click on the 64-bit ISO file, mount and run setup.
If I want to reinstall my 32-bit Windows 10 Home, I boot from the drive, right click on the 32-bit ISO file, mount and run setup.
If I want to reinstall my Windows 10 insider, I boot from the drive, right click on the Insider ISO file, mount and run setup.
If I want to, I can store complete images on the drive, boot from the drive, run Macrium Reflect, restore the image.

To me, it doesn't get much simpler when I have 11 computers in my house running 3 different versions of Windows 10.

When the Anniversary update comes out - no problem. Just replace the ISO file on the drive.

 

My point is you don't need KYHI's ISO to boot from in his case. Just unzip the ISO then boot directly from it whether for Windows, Macrium or anything using WinPE and sure is shorter procedure than what you are trying to do.

 

We will have to disagree.

 

That's quite alright. I only answer directly to the question:

• Create a small partition and extract the ISO to it.
• If the SSD is MBR, set it to active then boot from it.

Please note that OP don't have 10 PC's like you do so booting from KYHI's recovery, mount the ISO then run setup is redundant.

 

You didn't answer directly to the question.

Now, where in the OP was he taking about installing a single OS on his single computer? The OP specifically asked about being able to install multiple operating systems from the same SSD. If the computer the OP is installing the operating system on does not currently have an operating system on it, in order to follow your suggestion the OP would need TWO computers - the first computer to extract the Windows ISO to the USB SSD drive before he could use it to install the OS onto the second computer. Using Kyhi's recovery drive - or other prestaged Windows PE environment, and multiple ISOs stored on the same drive, the need for the first computer to extract the Windows ISO file is eliminated and replaced with the single step of right clicking on the desired ISO file and selecting "Mount".

 

@NavyLCDR
LOL. Yes, you are correct. I must have read the title only then answered the question.
Silly me *Redface

 

No problem... Thanks for the tip on the profile.ini file when moving Firefox bookmarks in the other thread, that made it a lot easier/quicker!

 

You are welcome.