Solved Install Windows 11 from USB Flash Drive in VMware Workstation Pro, Oracle VM VirtualBox

lr214 · Oct 21, 2023

Is it possible? I need to test my Windows 11 Bootable USB Flash Drive. I tried to install Windows 11 from this USB Flash Drive on my laptop and always got error at 45% installation. With other USB Flash Drive works fine (Ventoy, the same ISO). I create Windows 11 Bootable USB Flash Drive with Rufus.

I need to know if USB Flash Drive working if will i need to re-install Windows 11 on my PC with this USB Flash Drive or i will just use other USB Flash Drive for Windows 11 Installation.

glasskuter · Oct 22, 2023

To answer your question:
If you booted directly from the usb drive and performed a clean install, even though the install failed, that proves you can boot from the drive.
Yes you can attempt to install 11 as a virtual machine. If it installs correctly, that proves the validity of the data on the drive.

For us to help with the problem, you need to provide more information.
1. give us the specs of your laptop you attempted to install 11 on.

2. You say you tried to install windows using this drive. I want to clarify that you mean you attempted a CLEAN install on the laptop. Correct? Not an upgrade.

3. You say you got an error. What was the error.

4. Are you trying to install 11 on incompatible hardware? If so, did you use the Rufus options for incompatible hardware when you created the installation media?.
For incompatible hardware it should be created this way.

How to create Windows 11 bootable USB to bypass requirements with Rufus - Pureinfotech

To create a bootable USB to install Windows 11 bypassing system requirements use the Rufus extended option. Here's how.

pureinfotech.com

5. Did you download the iso directly from Microsoft? You should have used one of these 2 methods.

How to Download Windows 11 ISO

How to Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) How to Download Windows 11 ISO Using Official WebsiteNavigate to the download page for Windows 11 ISO.Scroll down..

techcommunity.microsoft.com

lr214 · Oct 22, 2023

glasskuter said:
To answer your question:
If you booted directly from the usb drive and performed a clean install, even though the install failed, that proves you can boot from the drive.
Yes you can attempt to install 11 as a virtual machine. If it installs correctly, that proves the validity of the data on the drive.

For us to help with the problem, you need to provide more information.
1. give us the specs of your laptop you attempted to install 11 on.

2. You say you tried to install windows using this drive. I want to clarify that you mean you attempted a CLEAN install on the laptop. Correct? Not an upgrade.

3. You say you got an error. What was the error.

4. Are you trying to install 11 on incompatible hardware? If so, did you use the Rufus options for incompatible hardware when you created the installation media?.
For incompatible hardware it should be created this way.

How to create Windows 11 bootable USB to bypass requirements with Rufus - Pureinfotech

To create a bootable USB to install Windows 11 bypassing system requirements use the Rufus extended option. Here's how.

pureinfotech.com

5. Did you download the iso directly from Microsoft? You should have used one of these 2 methods.

How to Download Windows 11 ISO

How to Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) How to Download Windows 11 ISO Using Official WebsiteNavigate to the download page for Windows 11 ISO.Scroll down..

techcommunity.microsoft.com

AMD Ryzen™ 5 5625U, 8GB RAM.

Clean install.

My laptop have TPM 2.0.

I download ISO using UUP dump.

POLYSIUS · Oct 22, 2023

I have no idea what you really mean. Are you talking about a VM-Installation or do you mean the Host-PC that is running the VM.

In case you want to prepare a VM, you don't need any USB.
Who told you to use UUP dump?

cereberus · Oct 22, 2023

I do not think it is possible to install windows in a vm from a usb flash drive.
You have to use an iso

Even if yiu could use windows from a usb drive in a vm, it is not a proper test as vm will not use same drivers as host OS.

A better approach is to install windows in a virtual hard drive feom a usb flash drive and add a boot entry to test it.

This properly tests the usb drive.

To do this, steps are as follows:

1) create a virtual hard drive at least 70 GB from disk management e.g.

c:\test\test.vhdx (must be vhdx file)

choose whatever name and path you like

2) boot from usb drive

3) at 1st screen, press shift+f10 to get to command prompt

4) attach vhdx using diskpart commands

diskpart

select vdisk file=c:\test\test.vhdx (using drive, name, path selected earlier)

attach vdisk

exit

5) exit command prompt and carry on installation as normal.

6) start in to normal windows and mount vhdx file as a drive and note drive letter (say E:)

7) Enter an admin connmand prompt and add boot entry using diskpart:

diskpart

bcdboot E:\windows /p /d

exit

8) reboot and select new boot option to vhdx file.

jimbo45 · Oct 22, 2023

cereberus said:
I do not think it is possible to install windows in a vm from a usb flash drive.
You have to use an iso

Even if yiu could use windows from a usb drive in a vm, it is not a proper test as vm will not use same drivers as host OS.

A better approach is to install windows in a virtual hard drive feom a usb flash drive and add a boot entry to test it.

This properly tests the usb drive.

To do this, steps are as follows:

1) create a virtual hard drive at least 70 GB from disk management e.g.

c:\test\test.vhdx (must be vhdx file)

choose whatever name and path you like

2) boot from usb drive

3) at 1st screen, press shift+f10 to get to command prompt

4) attach vhdx using diskpart commands

diskpart

select vdisk file=c:\test\test.vhdx (using drive, name, path selected earlier)

attach vdisk

exit

5) exit command prompt and carry on installation as normal.

6) start in to normal windows and mount vhdx file as a drive and note drive letter (say E:)

7) Enter an admin connmand prompt and add boot entry using diskpart:

diskpart

bcdboot E:\windows /p /d

exit

8) reboot and select new boot option to vhdx file.

I think you've made an error here

It IS possible to install Windows from a USB to a VM provided your VM HOST virtualisation software config for the guest allowes the Guest to boot from a USB which I'm sure HYPER-V can do too. I think even vmware wks allows it too.

1) set the VM config to boot from the USB device -- here's a USB device I made with RUFUS

And now the setup :

Just install to the "Virtual disk" -- Windows will just use the basic "Virtual hardware" - you might need "Guest additions, Open-vmware-tools or whatever to get better video, networking,mouse etc, VM paravirtualisation in the Guest will ensure the basic "virtual hardware" will enable Windows to run. You can even clone this to a physical machine - then just update with the physical drivers (although you might lose activation).

Nothing also to stop you going into REPAIR SYSTEM-->COMMAND Prompt and then using disk part to create vhdx files and install via dism /apply-image and then bcdboot as in the original post if you prefer to install that way.

The only thing you need is that the Virtualisation program you use can boot from a USB, and so long as you set the Virtual Disk for the windows install as SATA Windows install will recognize the virtual disk. If you are using eseoteric "virtual disk formats" then so long as you have also a driver disk in the VM's config windows install will prompt you for the directory to load a disk driver.

Cheers
jimbo

cereberus · Oct 22, 2023

jimbo45 said:
I think you've made an error here

It IS possible to install Windows from a USB to a VM provided your VM HOST virtualisation software config for the guest allowes the Guest to boot from a USB which I'm sure HYPER-V can do too. I think even vmware wks allows it too.

1) set the VM config to boot from the USB device -- here's a USB device I made with RUFUS

View attachment 75023

View attachment 75024

And now the setup :

View attachment 75025

Just install to the "Virtual disk" -- Windows will just use the basic "Virtual hardware" - you might need "Guest additions, Open-vmware-tools or whatever to get better video, networking,mouse etc, VM paravirtualisation in the Guest will ensure the basic "virtual hardware" will enable Windows to run. You can even clone this to a physical machine - then just update with the physical drivers (although you might lose activation).

Nothing also to stop you going into REPAIR SYSTEM-->COMMAND Prompt and then using disk part to create vhdx files and install via dism /apply-image and then bcdboot as in the original post if you prefer to install that way.

The only thing you need is that the Virtualisation program you use can boot from a USB, and so long as you set the Virtual Disk for the windows install as SATA Windows install will recognize the virtual disk. If you are using eseoteric "virtual disk formats" then so long as you have also a driver disk in the VM's config windows install will prompt you for the directory to load a disk driver.

Cheers
jimbo

Even so, testing a usb installation drive in a vm os not a proper test of installing on host, as drivers are different WHICH is my main point.

Even if it installs ok in vm, it is no guarantee it will work ok installing on host. Installing to a dual boot native boot vhdx file gives an identical installation as on main pc OS.

Installing via usb to a vm is a sledgehammer to crack a nut for what OP is wanting to do.

jimbo45 · Oct 22, 2023

cereberus said:
Even so, testing a usb installation drive in a vm os not a proper test of installing on host, as drivers are different WHICH is my main point.

Even if it installs ok in vm, it is no guarantee it will work ok installing on host. Installing to a dual boot native boot vhdx file gives an identical installation as on main pc OS.

Installing via usb to a vm is a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

That's another issue -- if you want a VM and use it as a VM then I can't see what the problem is -- If you need to run applications with specific hardware requirements then even as a VM if you can pass the hardware through to the VM you can run these'

I've no trouble running Photoshop, Office 2021, MariaDB (mySQL), apache (for web as alternative to IIS), VLC, and a slew of other things.

If you want to install Windows on a Host machine then unless you have specific issues then install it directly on the host. If you simply just want to test a Windows install directly in the host then the safest way without changing anything on the host is to install on an external ssd type of device as a Windows to Go system via dism /Apply-image to vhdx files and again bootloader with bcdboot - and then simply boot from the external device.

Sometimes also as Windows is getting more sophisticated in testing for "approved hardware only" then to install on legacy type / older hardware the only way is to install as a VM and clone back to a physical machine -- but even that methods isn't guaranteed to keep working indefinitely.

As in all these things it depends on what the users requirements are.

Cheers
jimbo

lr214 · Oct 22, 2023

I tried in KVM in Xubuntu on Internal NVMe SSD (Dual Boot - Windows 11 + Xubuntu) on my PC and installed Windows 11 from USB Flash Drive in KVM. I got the same error at 45% installation with the same USB Flash Drive like on laptop (can't install etc.). Then i create Windows 11 Bootable USB again with Rufus on the same USB Flash Drive (the same ISO) and installation works fine now. Nothing wrong with USB Flash Drive.

jimbo45 · Oct 25, 2023

lr214 said:
I tried in KVM in Xubuntu on Internal NVMe SSD (Dual Boot - Windows 11 + Xubuntu) on my PC and installed Windows 11 from USB Flash Drive in KVM. I got the same error at 45% installation with the same USB Flash Drive like on laptop (can't install etc.). Then i create Windows 11 Bootable USB again with Rufus on the same USB Flash Drive (the same ISO) and installation works fine now. Nothing wrong with USB Flash Drive.

There's a number of reasons why Rufus works while the "bog standard" Iso doesn't.

Secure boot on rufus is compatible with the secure boot from KVM in the VM's config when you install ovmf. The other issue is when you create the VDISK on the HOST for windows target storage space you need to ensure that it's SATA and has an EFI partition. Easy enough to check -- boot the Windows install media (in the VM), run repair system. selce cmd prompt, list disk and see if the target disk is recognized. Could be other issues such as the disk hardware not supported (unlikely since the host works).

cheers
jimbo