Windows 10: Using an SD card to install?

Is it possible to use a SD card to make a boot drive instead of a USB flash drive? None of my flash drives have the space for this but the SD card does, I've used this drive to dual boot linux once, so using it like it was a USB drive should work right? All my attempts do recognize the device.

:)

 

Trying to Format/Fix an SD Card using WIndows 7

Heres what I get using the CHKDSK on CMD

C:\Users\Vash>CHKDSK E: /V /R /X /F

The type of the file system is FAT32.

Volume Serial Number is 9016-4EF8

Windows is verifying files and folders...

0 percent completed.

\LOST.DIR

\.android_secure

\Android

\LGBackup

\DCIM

\DCIM\Camera

\DCIM\Camera\20150716_163610.jpg

1 percent completed.

\DCIM\Camera\20150716_163616.jpg

2 percent completed.

\Android\data

\Android\obb

\Android\obb\.nomedia

\Android\obb\com.explusalpha.Snes9xPlus

\Android\data\.nomedia

\Android\data\com.android.mms

\Android\data\com.cleanmaster.security

\Android\data\com.google.android.apps.magazines

\Android\data\com.google.android.tts

\Android\data\com.google.android.gms

\Android\data\com.google.android.youtube

\Android\data\com.android.chrome

\Android\data\com.magicjack

\Android\data\com.android.vending

\Android\data\com.facebook.orca

\Android\data\com.android.gallery3d

\Android\data\com.explusalpha.Snes9xPlus

\Android\data\com.google.android.apps.docs

\Android\data\com.android.browser

\Android\data\com.miniclip.eightballpool

\Android\data\com.facebook.katana

\Android\data\com.google.android.apps.maps

\Android\data\com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox

\Android\data\com.google.android.apps.plus

\Android\data\com.google.android.apps.plus\cache

\Android\data\com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox\files

\Android\data\com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox\files\download_cache

\Android\data\com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox\files\pending_blobs

\Android\data\com.google.android.apps.maps\files

\Android\data\com.facebook.katana\cache

\Android\data\com.facebook.katana\files

3 percent completed.

\Android\data\com.facebook.katana\files\Download

\Android\data\com.miniclip.eightballpool\cache

\Android\data\com.miniclip.eightballpool\files

\Android\data\com.android.browser\files

\Android\data\com.google.android.apps.docs\cache

\Android\data\com.google.android.apps.docs\files

\Android\data\com.explusalpha.Snes9xPlus\files

\Android\data\com.android.gallery3d\cache

\Android\data\com.facebook.orca\cache

\Android\data\com.facebook.orca\files

\Android\data\com.facebook.orca\files\Download

\Android\data\com.android.vending\files

\Android\data\com.magicjack\files

\Android\data\com.android.chrome\files

\Android\data\com.android.chrome\files\Download

\Android\data\com.google.android.youtube\cache

\Android\data\com.google.android.youtube\files

\Android\data\com.google.android.youtube\files\offline

\Android\data\com.google.android.youtube\files\offline\fegkZe431CPNkI7wpNb5Lw

\Android\data\com.google.android.youtube\files\offline\fegkZe431CPNkI7wpNb5Lw\st

reams

\Android\data\com.google.android.gms\files

\Android\data\com.google.android.tts\files

\Android\data\com.google.android.tts\files\download_cache

\Android\data\com.google.android.apps.magazines\cache

\Android\data\com.google.android.apps.magazines\files

\Android\data\com.cleanmaster.security\files

\Android\data\com.android.mms\cache

\.android_secure\com.magicjack-1.asec

17 percent completed.

\.android_secure\com.miniclip.eightballpool-1.asec

57 percent completed.

\.android_secure\com.explusalpha.Snes9xPlus-1.asec

61 percent completed.

\.android_secure\com.threed.bowling-1.asec

73 percent completed.

\.android_secure\com.pandora.android-1.asec

80 percent completed.

\.android_secure\com.facebook.orca-1.asec

98 percent completed.

100 percent completed.

File and folder verification is complete.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55041 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55043 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55048 corrected.

Lost chain cross-linked at cluster 55049. Orphan truncated.

Lost chain cross-linked at cluster 55050. Orphan truncated.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55054 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55057 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55058 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55061 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55062 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55063 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55072 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55082 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55086 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55087 corrected.

Lost chain cross-linked at cluster 55088. Orphan truncated.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55089 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55095 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55096 corrected.

Lost chain cross-linked at cluster 55097. Orphan truncated.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55100 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55105 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55107 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55109 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55112 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55115 corrected.

Lost chain cross-linked at cluster 55117. Orphan truncated.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55121 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55126 corrected.

Lost chain cross-linked at cluster 55127. Orphan truncated.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55129 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55130 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55132 corrected.

Lost chain cross-linked at cluster 55136. Orphan truncated.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55149 corrected.

Lost chain cross-linked at cluster 55151. Orphan truncated.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55153 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55154 corrected.

Lost chain cross-linked at cluster 55157. Orphan truncated.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55161 corrected.

Lost chain cross-linked at cluster 55172. Orphan truncated.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55174 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55184 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55186 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55189 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55191 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55192 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55194 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55197 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55203 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55212 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55214 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55215 corrected.

Lost chain cross-linked at cluster 55217. Orphan truncated.

Lost chain cross-linked at cluster 55219. Orphan truncated.

Lost chain cross-linked at cluster 55222. Orphan truncated.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55226 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55231 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55232 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55244 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55246 corrected.

Lost chain cross-linked at cluster 55247. Orphan truncated.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55255 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55257 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55261 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55267 corrected.

Lost chain cross-linked at cluster 55271. Orphan truncated.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55274 corrected.

Lost chain cross-linked at cluster 55277. Orphan truncated.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55284 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55291 corrected.

Bad links in lost chain at cluster 55294 corrected.

Convert lost chains to files (Y/N)? N

2304 KB of free disk space added.

Windows is verifying free space...

Free space verification is complete.

Windows has made corrections to the file system.

30,968,832 KB total disk space.

1,984 KB in 62 folders.

127,840 KB in 10 files.

30,838,976 KB are available.

32,768 bytes in each allocation unit.

967,776 total allocation units on disk.

963,718 allocation units available on disk.

A disk error occurred during writing of the file allocation table.

Shows that it got a ton of free space yet wont let me fully format even using SDFormatter.exe from www.sdcard.org doesnt work, it keeps indicating that the SD Card was write protected when I can actually write on it and stuff but everytime I delete stuff
it just keeps coming back. I don't know what to make of this and I'm really hoping I don't have to throw it away its a 32 Gig.

 

Using an SD card for Music in a Lumia 820

Hi Adrian.

The hard reset did the job.

Now rebuilding the personalisation.

Thanks

 

I've thought of that too, but so far haven't had the courage to try it. I would think the BIOS/UEFI would have to provide for the SD card to boot before it can happen.

I just checked my laptop's Boot configuration and I don't think it's likely to work for me:

Internal CD/DVD Drive
Notebook Hard Drive
USB Diskette on Key/USB Hard Drive
USB CD/DVD ROM Drive
Network Adapter (I have that disabled)
USB Floppy (That's disabled also)

It doesn't look like any of these qualify.

However, this particular laptop came with Vista installed (long gone), so it's a bit long in the tooth.

On the other paw, though, check your BIOS and see if the SD card is included in your boot options.

 

I've checked the BIOS ad I saw that it says USB and "removable devices" so could that technically mean the SD card slot? Because even though I moved the hard drive boot sequence to the very end of the chain it still boots windows 7,. I however have made a theory that I could just use a USB SD card reader in an actual USB port and run the SD card as a USB drive.

 

There was a recent thread in the Windows 7 or 8 forums about this, but I can't find it now. Bottom line is no, can't be done as BIOS/UEFI/Hardware does not support booting from SD.

 

Your machine is most likely to recognize anything in a card reader slot as a portable device.
You may try a micro SD with USB adapter and hope it gets recognized as a mass storage device, then it should work.
This is what I've used and it works:

 

Hi there

A Mobile phone with an SD (Micro SDHC) card in it can be recognized as a USB device - in fact it will be recognized as TWO discs if there's a micro SD card in it. You could try that !!! - Install from a PHONE !!!.

I don't think there's any way to BOOT from the INTERNAL SD card reader if you have one of those as it needs its own driver to be loaded by the OS. EXTERNAL card readers should be just fine if they work as standard USB devices - i.e the computer sees them as a USB device which has any software it requires within the firmware of the device.

Cheers
jimbo

 

It really depends on your hardware. I have a Lenovo X201 and created a recovery drive on a 512mb SD card (using an internal card reader) and can boot from that. Other can't so you just have to try it.

 

Thanks for all the replies, now just gotta manage booting with a broken screen, because it won't connect to my monitor in the setup phase. Basically my laptop screen is broke so I use it connected to a desktop monitor as a "projector" but since it can't connect before hitting the logon screen I get to try and maneuver everything.

 

Your title is Using an SD card to install?

But then you ask if you can use it as a boot drive, sooo which is it ?

 

I don't have a problem with what the OP is trying to say. He's a junior member which may or may not mean he's not as experienced as you or I.

We're here to help, not to pick apart the questions.

 

He said boot drive, but my interpretation is he meant bootable drive, like a bootable thumb drive. For installation purposes.

I've tried it on my laptop but the internal card reader does not show up in the boot selection list.

 

He said boot drive, but my interpretation is he meant bootable drive, like a bootable thumb drive. For installation purposes.

I've tried it on my laptop but the internal card reader does not show up in the boot selection list. Alpha, did you try it with a USB SD Card reader? Just curious.

 

He said boot drive, but my interpretation is he meant bootable drive, like a bootable thumb drive. For installation purposes.

I've tried it on my laptop but the internal card reader does not show up in the boot selection list. Alpha, did you try it with a USB SD Card reader? Just curious. No not yet. I may just to prove to myself that the SD card is bootable. Doing it that way defeats the purpose. At least that's the way I see it. If I have to put the card in a USB card reader I may as well just use a USB thumb drive. I currently do all my installs from thumb drives. I have just recently bought a couple of USB SD card readers. I bought them so I can prepare SD cards for my Raspberry PI on my desktop PC that doesn't have a card reader. That's my plan anyway. I haven't actually tried one of them yet, it might be time to give it a go though.