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Boot from internal SD card to load Windows OS on to SSD


Hi there.

I'm sure it can be done - I'm sure there are some discussions on the blog over this but I can't find them or the topic is quite old.

I've got a Micro server with 4 HDD bays and the ability also to boot from an internal USB slot or micro SD card.

What I've done is added an SSD where I want my OS - there's a spare SATA connector so the SSD can be fitted in the space which was intended for a slimline DVD drive - and these days who needs a DVD on a SERVER !!!.

I saw somewhere that VHD's can be loaded at boot time and then you can run from the VHD. Is there a mechanism for getting the bootloader on to say the micro sd card which would then load the VHD on to the SSD which would run my OS.That way I can use all 4 HDD bays as data drives. The Microserver can only boot from internal (and 4 external) USB 2 ports, the micro SD card or the internal HDD bay1 or Bay 2. Can't boot from Bay 3 / 4, USB 3 ports or the internal spare SATA device if you run in AHCI mode - don't want RAID on this box.

Perhaps something like the old Grub4dos might do it -- anybody got an idea of how to get the boot to load the Windows OS on the VHD. I've no problem in creating the VHD to go on to the SSD.

Most Linux distros can start the bootloader anywhere and get it to load the OS to a specific drive but I really want to run Windows 10 or Windows 20012 server on this machine.

A windows to Go OS would work but I'd then have to plug the SSD into the internal USB port which rather negates the point of using an SSD in the first place !!!.

It must be doable as Windows PE often works similarly to this.

Cheers
jimbo

Hi there.

I'm sure it can be done - I'm sure there are some discussions on the blog over this but I can't find them or the topic is quite old.

I've got a Micro server with 4 HDD bays and the ability also to boot from an internal USB slot or micro SD card.

What I've done is added an SSD where I want my OS - there's a spare SATA connector so the SSD can be fitted in the space which was intended for a slimline DVD drive - and these days who needs a DVD on a SERVER !!!.

I saw somewhere that VHD's can be loaded at boot time and then you can run from the VHD. Is there a mechanism for getting the bootloader on to say the micro sd card which would then load the VHD on to the SSD which would run my OS.That way I can use all 4 HDD bays as data drives. The Microserver can only boot from internal (and 4 external) USB 2 ports, the micro SD card or the internal HDD bay1 or Bay 2. Can't boot from Bay 3 / 4, USB 3 ports or the internal spare SATA device if you run in AHCI mode - don't want RAID on this box.

Perhaps something like the old Grub4dos might do it -- anybody got an idea of how to get the boot to load the Windows OS on the VHD. I've no problem in creating the VHD to go on to the SSD.

Most Linux distros can start the bootloader anywhere and get it to load the OS to a specific drive but I really want to run Windows 10 or Windows 20012 server on this machine.

A windows to Go OS would work but I'd then have to plug the SSD into the internal USB port which rather negates the point of using an SSD in the first place !!!.

It must be doable as Windows PE often works similarly to this.

Cheers
jimbo
You might be able to create a wintousb drive which can put Windows on a standard usb flash drive in legacy bios mode (uses a vhd) using

Best Windows To Go Creator to create portable Windows 10/8.1/8/7!

I have done this on a fast cruzer extreme usb stick, with windows 10 Insider versions.

Boot from internal SD card to load Windows OS on to SSD