Running windows on external hdd

[bmdkks]

Hi

I've installed an SSD in my laptop and am using the HDD as an external now. I kept the windows 8.1 on the HDD after cloning to the SSD. I also made two partitions on the HDD, one of 50Gb, which keeps the windows on, and another one with the remaining space, to use as external storage.

I'm am trying to run windows from the externall HDD now, because I want to upgrade it to windows 10 so I can use Directx 12. I don't want to upgrade the windows on the SSD and want to use it as my main OS. Windows 10 will only be used for DX12 games.

I can't get the laptop to boot Windows from the HDD. It's connected via a USB 3 port. In boot manager it detects two EFI partitions on the HDD. One is a recovery partition and the other I suspect is the Windows, but when I select it shows the windows loading screen and then "Preparing Automatic Repair" which it then takes me to the blue screen where I can select "continue to windows", which then loads the SSD Windows, or "boot from EFI device" (something like that). When I select EFI USB, it again takes me to the loading screen with the automatic repair message and back to the blue screen with before mentioned options.

I've tried enabling Lagacy support in BIOS, but then it doesn't even detect the HDD as bootable.

Is there something I'm missing? Or is the boot partition of the HDD windows corrupt? Is there a way of fixing it or would it be easier to just make a clone of the SSD onto the HDD and then try again?

For clarification, SSD always refers to the internal storage and HDD to my external, USB HDD.

 

[CountMike]

Except for "Windows on the Go", windows can't run from external drive.

 

[bmdkks]

Except for "Windows on the Go", windows can't run from external drive.

I see.
I've read that one can't do a clean install of Windows 10 with a Win 7/8 OEM key if you haven't upgraded from Win7/8 at least once.
So then I'll make a Windows on the Go of Windows 8.1, since that's what I have. Will I be able to upgrade that to Windows 10 like one would normally do?

Does Windows on the Go function like a normal windows?

 

[CountMike]

Real Win on the go needs to be made from Enterprise windows version and requires special USB memory with special security, can't make it out of just any one.
If you can do without CD/DVD drive in the laptop, you can install HDD instead of it and make dual boot with w10.
You can still upgrade to W10 for free: http://www.howtogeek.com/272201/all-the-ways-you-can-still-get-windows-10-for-free/
If you want to, you can upgrade your old windows to W10, just make sure it's activated and than you can do clean install without having to enter registration. Works best if you have MS account (hotmail).

 

[bmdkks]

The laptop I have didn't come with a cd drive so they could make it thinner. Good idea though. I would partition my SSD and put an OS on each if it weren't only 256 Gb. I'm considering whether it is worth upgrading to Win 10 just so I can use directx 12. I don't like all the draconian invasive elements of Win 10 that I've heard of.

 

[USAFRet]

I don't like all the draconian invasive elements of Win 10 that I've heard of.

1. You can turn almost all of that off
2. The exact same functions are being backported into Win 7 & 8.1

What drives are in this system?
How many can you put in there?
What OS do you currently have?
What OS would you like to use?

 

[bmdkks]

1. There is one 256Gb SSD in.
2. It can only fit one.
3. I am using Windows 8.1
4. Windows 8.1

If the extra juice that DX12 can squeeze out of my GPU is significant, then I might just upgrade to Win 10.

Are you using windows 10?

 

[USAFRet]

1. There is one 256Gb SSD in.
2. It can only fit one.
3. I am using Windows 8.1
4. Windows 8.1

If the extra juice that DX12 can squeeze out of my GPU is significant, then I might just upgrade to Win 10.

Are you using windows 10?

Yes, using Win 10 Home and Pro across all my systems in the house here.
Give up the idea of running the OS from that external. If you do get it running, it will be noticeably slower than from an internal drive.

 

[bmdkks]

I gave up the idea after the first response. Thanks for your input.
I did some more research and it turns out very few games actually use DX12. The number of up and coming titles that will have DX12 support is also very few.
I think for now I'll stick to Windows 8.1. I think by the time that there are enough games that can use DX12, I'll be upgrading my system or just get a desktop and by that time all of them will have Windows 10 on anyway.

 

[Luminary]

I was under the impression that Windows can quite successfully run off of an esata external drive without any issue, and without much loss of throughput. Has that changed in Windows 10 USAFRet? I'm aware Windows doesn't like to boot from USB, but if bmdkks has an esata port on the motherboard and has access to an esata enclosure would that not be a possible solution as well?

 

[ArtPog]

In your initial post you mentioned about the possibility of cloning your SSD boot drive (containing Win 8.1) to the HDD and then booting to that latter drive while it's installed as a USB external HDD. That is a possibility. While, as you have heard, Windows will balk at booting to an OS installed as a USB external device when the OS has been DIRECTLY installed onto that disk, it's entirely possible that the USB external drive will boot when it has been the recipient of the cloned OS contents of the system's internal drive. We routinely achieve this type "bootablility" using our preferred disk-cloning program - Casper. (I believe other disk-cloning programs also possess this capability). We're generally successful with generic PCs (user-built or custom desktops) and frequently successful with OEM machines such as your laptop. Obviously there's no guarantee here, but it's worth a try if using a USBEHD is your only option given your specific objective.

However,

With your last post you've considerably simplified achieving your objective. As long as you have an eSATA external device you can install the HDD in that enclosure and that HDD containing a viable OS (directly installed or a clone) should boot without incident since the system will treat the drive as an internally-connected disk. It's best not to refer to the HDD installed in an external eSATA device as a "external drive". For all intents & purposes the drive is treated as an internally-connected drive.