Windows 11 installation on Nvme ssd inserted in an nvme Case

Riccardo · Aug 26, 2022

I bought an Nvme case where I inserted a 500gb nvme ssd. From an Nvme disk inserted on the computer with working windows 11, I made the clone of the disk on the one inserted in the Nvme Case. Now when I start the computer I choose to boot from the Nvme drive of the Case, but the operating system does not boot. How come?

cereberus · Aug 26, 2022

You cannot clone an bootable internal drive to an external drive. You have to create a "windows to go drive" - that is easy enough to do with tool like Rufus for a clean install but you have to go through some hoops to boot a clone of internal drive.

Spunk · Aug 26, 2022

To test whether the clone was successful replace the M.2 SSD inside the computer with the cloned one. If that boots, the clone was successful. But as stated, Microsoft makes it difficult to near impossible to boot Windows from an External USB drive. It's a little easier with a clean install.

bobkn · Aug 26, 2022

This isn't relevant to the original question, but:

Can you clone a boot drive to a drive in an external enclosure, then remove the drive in the enclosure, and replace the internal boot drive with it?

(I cloned an NVME drive last year, but I believe I used a second M.2 slot for that.)

NavyLCDR · Aug 26, 2022

bobkn said:
This isn't relevant to the original question, but:

Can you clone a boot drive to a drive in an external enclosure, then remove the drive in the enclosure, and replace the internal boot drive with it?

(I cloned an NVME drive last year, but I believe I used a second M.2 slot for that.)

Yes

bobkn · Aug 26, 2022

NavyLCDR said:
Yes

Thanks.

NavyLCDR · Aug 26, 2022

I think that the problem with trying to boot from it in the enclosure is the device driver for the NVMe disk controller. You would have to look at the differences in device manager to be sure. I wonder if it would work if you set Windows to boot into safe mode before cloning, then the first boot from the enclosure would be to safe mode.

Dang it. I have an NVMe in an enclosure. I might just have to try this out.

cereberus · Aug 26, 2022

NavyLCDR said:
I think that the problem with trying to boot from it in the enclosure is the device driver for the NVMe disk controller. You would have to look at the differences in device manager to be sure. I wonder if it would work if you set Windows to boot into safe mode before cloning, then the first boot from the enclosure would be to safe mode.

Dang it. I have an NVMe in an enclosure. I might just have to try this out.

This is the way I would do it probably.

1) Create a custom iso of Windows 11 installer with nvme drivers injected into install.wim and boot.wim

2) Use Rufus to create a WTG drive to nvme usb drive (only time I ever use Rufus)

3) set bios to boot from usb drive first, and test it boots ok

4) Make image backup of existing C drive

5) Restore C drive image over WTG C drive (assumes existing C drive has nvme drivers)

The tricky part is if it does not boot properly in step 5.

GarryG · Aug 27, 2022

Ricardo, you keep saying NVME - is it really an NVME? I'm thinking you are attaching an NVME drive into a USB enclosure - if so, what you are posting isn't correct. If I'm right, you are actually trying to boot Windows from a USB drive and that isn't supported (unless you want to get into Windows On the Go). An NVME drive in a USB enclosure is a USB drive - that is what it appears to be.