Cant boot from a USB even though it's in device manager

Ukdodger · 22 Mar 2018

I'm running W7 home on a Samsung RV510 laptop.

I have a HDD plugged into a USB port

I can see all the files and folders on the HDD.

It has a copy of W7 home on it and if I install it directly into the laptop it boots up fine.

But not from a USB

I've been into Bios, Put it at the top of the boot order disabled Legacy (SSD) OS and enabled USB (HDD) OS.

But it still boots into the SSD OS.

Also tried the other USB port.

Trolled the net for answers without success.

Anyone have any ideas?

mrjimphelps · 22 Mar 2018

Your computer has to be set up to be able to boot from a USB ("external") device. There are two ways to do this:

As the computer is booting up, start tapping on the F10 key. You will soon get a boot menu, from which you can select "external device".
Go into the computer's setup. Go to the Boot Order. Make sure that "external device" is ahead of "hard drive" in the boot order. I suggest that you also put "CD/DVD" (or maybe "Optical Disk") ahead of "hard drive" in the boot order. Now, with the hard drive plugged in, boot the computer, and be watching for the message to "hit any key to boot from the external device" - it will show only for a second. When you see it, hit a key.

I always put external device and CD/DVD ahead of hard drive in my boot order, because there are occasions that I will want to boot from one of these devices, and this makes it easier to do so.

samuria · 22 Mar 2018

Normally Windows 7 won't boot from external HD

Megahertz07 · 22 Mar 2018

Please explain what you have on the external USB HDD.
Is a copy of Win7 installation disk? If so, how did you transfer it to the USB HDD?

USB Windows 7 Installation Key Drive - Create - Windows 7 Help Forums

Barman58 · 22 Mar 2018

The running of any windows 7 installation over USB is specifically prohibited by Microsoft who hardcode this into the OS itself, There are some ways reportedly that that have been used in the past to allow this but this sort of hacking of the OS is in breach of the End user licence and so is not a matter for discussion here. The OS may run from an external enclosure if the enclosure is connected via an eSATA connection

You would also need a separate licence key for the OS loaded on the System itself and on the USB as you can only use a licence with a single install (there are specialist licences available that allows multiple use but these are not available to regular users

mrjimphelps · 22 Mar 2018

You can run newer versions of Windows from an external USB drive. Beginning with Windows 8.0, Enterprise versions of Windows had a feature called Windows To Go, which provided for this. (Also, Windows 10 Education version.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_To_Go

Barman58 · 22 Mar 2018

mrjimphelps said:

I always put external device and CD/DVD ahead of hard drive in my boot order, because there are occasions that I will want to boot from one of these devices, and this makes it easier to do so.

Strangely enough I used to do this in the good old days, but for many years now I always have my System drive as the first boot device, reason for this is that my way means that no unknown USB drive left in the USB ports either accidently or maliciously is able to boot and potentially unleash some malware payload

Unlikely maybe but safer is best :)

mrjimphelps · 22 Mar 2018

Barman58 said:

Strangely enough I used to do this in the good old days, but for many years now I always have my System drive as the first boot device, reason for this is that my way means that no unknown USB drive left in the USB ports either accidently or maliciously is able to boot and potentially unleash some malware payload

Unlikely maybe but safer is best :)

Sounds like a safe plan. Not sure why I don't do that; I tend to be very OCD about computer security.

Barman58 · 22 Mar 2018

There was a surge of USB and to a lesser extent Optical disk transferred malware, back in the late 20th and early 21st century, that took over from dodgy floppies and has since been replaced by the drivebys and email malware.

There was also the user based crapware, that I used this system to prevent. If the user could not boot from a CD, DVD, or USB stick then they could not do anything to the system, (the access was always tied down tightly once the user was logged in, with admin credentials required to access any external data

Ukdodger · 23 Mar 2018

mrjimphelps said:

Your computer has to be set up to be able to boot from a USB ("external") device. There are two ways to do this:

As the computer is booting up, start tapping on the F10 key. You will soon get a boot menu, from which you can select "external device".
Go into the computer's setup. Go to the Boot Order. Make sure that "external device" is ahead of "hard drive" in the boot order. I suggest that you also put "CD/DVD" (or maybe "Optical Disk") ahead of "hard drive" in the boot order. Now, with the hard drive plugged in, boot the computer, and be watching for the message to "hit any key to boot from the external device" - it will show only for a second. When you see it, hit a key.

I always put external device and CD/DVD ahead of hard drive in my boot order, because there are occasions that I will want to boot from one of these devices, and this makes it easier to do so.

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately I dont have those options in my Bois which is accessible only though F2. Maybe you're referring an older W7 version. But thanks anyway.