[SOLVED] How to boot from USB SSD?

Status
Not open for further replies.

The Electro Machine

Commendable
BANNED
Jan 28, 2021
163
2
1,595
Some time ago I indulged myself in this: https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...g-from-m-2-nvme-to-sata-ssd-any-more.3685533/

Long story short: I have and M.2 NVMe drive with Windows 10 on it - and the very same [but slightly older and inactive] OS on an SSD which is connected to the motherboard all the time. It serves as backup system ready to be use at a moment notice, without the necessity of taking out the main OS drive


However: despite taking a lot of time [in conjunction with these tests https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/ssd-sata-vs-ssd-usb-test-results.3721018/#post-22435297 ] I was unable to force my PC to boot from that SSD when it was connected via USB. I also went through all options available in my BIOS [version F30 on Gigabyte X570 Aorus Ultra rev. 1.2] but found nothing relating to this issue / USB boot settings, aside from the boot order [which was not a remedy]. I tried various slots on he mobo and various USB hardware connections methods but always failed - but the moment I connected that very same drive through SATA cable, the system was able to boot up from it once again


And so: how do I boot from USB SSD?
 
Solution

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Solution

The Electro Machine

Commendable
BANNED
Jan 28, 2021
163
2
1,595
So in other words:

it simply impossible [by the way of using images software] to copy Windows installed on a SATA connected HDD / SSD / NVMe to an USB connected drive of any kind?

[Or to be precise: it is possible to copy but it is impossible to successfully boot it up?]
 

The Electro Machine

Commendable
BANNED
Jan 28, 2021
163
2
1,595
You can't just "copy" it.

Did you look at that software?
From what I have read, this software probably could do the trick- so thank you

Although I did download it [for future possible usage] - I will not use it for the time being. Instead of that I will keep a usable copy of my OS on a SSD connected via USB [thus unusable in that way] - and [in time of need] connect that SSD via that one last SATA cable that I am leaving in my machine for my off-line HDD
 
Status
Not open for further replies.