Windows 11 24H2 Install - From UEFI+GPT+Secure Boot - Single NTFS partition - Without Rufus

Using this page : Append, apply, and export volume images with a Windows Image (.wim) file

Figured out the 2x "dism commands". to extract the 2x following wims, creating new install.wim:

• Windows 11 Pro
• Windows 11 Pro for Workstations

Result was still approx 4.6gb, so not much point going on with this, really.
May as well just stick with, splitting install.wim on 3.8GB boundary, WMCT does similar, and Linux script for it, is easy.

Silvio said:

Using this page : Append, apply, and export volume images with a Windows Image (.wim) file

Figured out the 2x "dism commands". to extract the 2x following wims, creating new install.wim:

• Windows 11 Pro
• Windows 11 Pro for Workstations

Result was still approx 4.6gb, so not much point going on with this, really.
Unless someone can be bothered, to figure out, how to remove 1gb of the AI crap, from the download iso, without breaking anything.

I'll just stick with fat32+ntfs partition on usb, as already have Linux script tested for this.

Click to expand...

I just made a conversion from install.wim of size 5.74 GB to install.esd of size 4.33 GB. A size reduction of 1.41 GB but it is still not enough to fit into FAT32 file system. I am not sure if FAT32 file system is a must for clean installation of Windows on UEFI systems. I will check if NTFS formatted disk is okay for UEFI install.

suatcini54 said:

I just made a conversion from install.wim of size 5.74 GB to install.esd of size 4.33 GB. A size reduction of 1.41 GB but it is still not enough to fit into FAT32 file system. I am not sure if FAT32 file system is a must for clean installation of Windows on UEFI systems. I will check if NTFS formatted disk is okay for UEFI install.

Click to expand...

Have a look earlier in this thread, I made UEFI/Secure mode bootable usb, with gpt table, fat32 BOOT part, and ntfs INSTALL part.

"Sources" on the NTFS part, no wim splitting, no additional efi drivers or apps needed.

Just would be nice and neat, for everything to fit in 1x gpt/fat32 part, with just reducing install.wim".

Have you tried booting to NTFS formatted USB flash disk for Windows installation on your UEFI system ?

I now tested NTFS-formatted USB flash drive on my PC.

The flash drive had install.wim file of size 7.76 GB.



I restarted my PC and got to boot priority page in BIOS. This is what I got:





I did not go any further than this. But I guess if I continued I would be able to install from NTFS-formatted USB flash drive.

My motherboard is ASUS H97-Pro Gamer. I bought it late 2014 or early 2015. It is an incompatible motherboard by Windows 11 system requirements.

Yep,

On 1st page I detailed, I created gpt usb, with single NTFS partition.

2x of my 8th Gen laptops identified the USB as UEFI, in Secure Mode, booted and started install, my 8th Gen desktop, did not identify the USB key as UEFI boot option.

Don't think I tried, msdos partition table, ntfs partition, to see if UEFI boot would work with Secure boot on.

Sorry sometimes I forgot what was written on first page when I come to last page.

You said you couldn't boot when secure boot was on. Have you made any certificate update in UEFI firmware as to Windows CA 2023 ? Could it be a reason for not being able to boot to USB flash disk if it contained CA 2011 certificate ? When I download iso files from UUPDUMP, I always have updated boot files because I updated Windows CA 2023 certificate and revoked CA 2011 certificate in firmware.

@Silvio, if you have not already done so, take a look at option #3 in this tutorial:


This will allow you to create your bootable in a way that has these advantages:

- Requires no third-party software.
- Works with both BIOS and UEFI systems
- Has no 4GB file size limitation. You can have as many large files as you want.
- Doesn't care if a machine cannot boot from NTFS media but still leverages NTFS to its advantage.
- I have never ever had this method not work and I've been using it for years.

If you try it and like it, let me know. I have a batch file that can automate this procedure for you.

While I'm at it, I also just finished a batch file that can generate answer files to automate Windows installation. It will

- Bypass Windows 11 system requirements
- Prevent automatic device encryption
- Prevent download and installation of quality updates during installation
- Allow for complete customization of partition sizes
- Create a local account and skip the need for an MS account during setup
- Works for both BIOS and UEFI systems
- more

UEFI booting a usb with single ntfs partition, is down to vendor providing that support in BIOS, nothing to do with certs.

Will work on some machines. not on others.

Yep, I already created working UEFI bootable usb, using fat32 and ntfs partitions.

Silvio said:

UEFI booting a usb with single ntfs partition, is down to vendor providing that support in BIOS, nothing to do with certs.

Will work on some machines. not on others.

Click to expand...

Yeas and no. The vendor has to support bootable media formatted as NTFS but certs also make a difference. When I first patched my systems for Blacklotus, I had to regen all my boot media with updated WinPE also patched for Blacklotus. This is well documented.

hsehestedt said:

Yeas and no. The vendor has to support bootable media formatted as NTFS but certs also make a difference. When I first patched my systems for Blacklotus, I had to regen all my boot media with updated WinPE also patched for Blacklotus. This is well documented.

Click to expand...

If your mainboard's BIOS has "buggy" UEFI ntfs boot code, your machine is not booting that UEFI usb key with single ntfs partition, regardless of updated certs.

Did another test today, this time HP Z440, built before my 8th Gen PC, but does have 2023 bios, and it booted the USB.

So also, "not just" dependent on the age of the machine, just the quality/"recentness", of the BIOS version.