Question Is Windows 11 preventing booting from pendrive?

[Perene]

I created a bootable pendrive with Windows 11, through Rufus. And am using Windows 11 after updating my Win 10. Computer is i7 4770, Bluecase BMBMH81-T (this MB AIDA64 says it's a Intel Lynx Point H81, BLUECASE is a local company which just rebranded the Haswell chipset).

The problem is, even if I tell my BIOS to boot from pendrive first, it will go directly to Windows everytime.

Do you know if for a fact Windows 11 makes our computer BIOS reject these pendrives, or it could be some issue with the pendrive itself? I created using Rufus from Windows 11 downloaded from MICROSOFT itself. When I restart the system it should go to this pendrive and ask if I want to install Windows from there.

Also, before updating Windows 10 I converted from MBR to GPT, using AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard
https://www.diskpart.com/articles/free-mbr-to-gpt-converter-7201.html

 

[MadScientist]

Maybe its me, but are you saying you already installed Windows 11 or you are trying to install it from a flash drive (pen drive)?? If the later you don't need to use Rufus to make a bootable Windows 11 flash drive. You can do it from here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11
Does your computer support Windows 11? Did you run the PC Health Check App? Scroll down to the bottom of the page, download it, and run it. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11
I also suggest that you read this article: How to upgrade to Windows 11, whether your PC is supported or not

 

[Perene]

Windows 11 is already installed in my unsupported PC. I did this to allow the installation:

How to Install Windows 11 to Unsupported PC (Released Version October 5) - Tips 2 Fix

This trick will allow you to run Windows 11 unfettered on unsupported hardware and still get future updates. All you need to do is : Download Windows 11 Here Extract Win11_English_x64.iso in the Folder with the same name Copy appraiserres.dll Modified and replace in the folder...

tips2fix.com

The problem I am experiencing is this:

- Rufus used Windows 11 ISO and created a bootable pendrive;
- When I restart PC and want to boot from said pendrive it doesn't work.

I am going to check now if booting from a 2nd pendrive with Windows 10 there will work. Because if it does, then this means I need to use Rufus to create a Windows 10 bootable pendrive (for installation purposes) and only then dowmload Windows 11 again to make another installation.

In the future I'll format the entire SSD and will need to have Windows in a bootable pendrive.

What I can't have is a single bootable pendrive with Windows 11, then I ask my PC to boot from it, and does nothing.

 

[MadScientist]

Ok, so you already have Windows 11 installed on your computer. So you are checking if your computer will boot again from your Rufus Windows 11 installation pen drive. I'm assuming you have the pen drive selected in your bios as the first drive to boot from. As I said, you don't need to use Rufus to make a bootable Windows 11 flash drive. You can do it from here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11

 

[Perene]

Ok, so you already have Windows 11 installed on your computer. So you are checking if your computer will boot again from your Rufus Windows 11 installation pen drive. I'm assuming you have the pen drive selected in your bios as the first drive to boot from. As I said, you don't need to use Rufus to make a bootable Windows 11 flash drive. You can do it from here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11

You don't, but in my case the idea is to format the entire hard drive.

So unless you can get Windows in a bootable flash drive or DVD you will not be able to install.

From the looks of it I need to put Windows 10 in this pendrive, install, and only then download Windows 11.

What I wanted was to put Windows 11 there (in the bootable pendrive) and not 10. Otherwise you'll need to do 2 installations.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Did you read the burb on Rufus, when you made the pen drive? Unlike MS MCT-created USB sticks, UEFI-bootable Windows installers done using Rufus use a secondary partition, with a UEFI chain-load bootloader. (This is NOT part of the original ISO image.) If you read the docs on their open-source UEFI chained bootloader, it is NOT signed. So, you need to disable Secure Boot to boot off of a Rufus-created (ISO mode) USB stick.

Once the USB install stick re-boots the system, then you need to quickly go back into BIOS and re-enable Secure Boot.

 

[Perene]

Did you read the burb on Rufus, when you made the pen drive? Unlike MS MCT-created USB sticks, UEFI-bootable Windows installers done using Rufus use a secondary partition, with a UEFI chain-load bootloader. (This is NOT part of the original ISO image.) If you read the docs on their open-source UEFI chained bootloader, it is NOT signed. So, you need to disable Secure Boot to boot off of a Rufus-created (ISO mode) USB stick.

Once the USB install stick re-boots the system, then you need to quickly go back into BIOS and re-enable Secure Boot.

What? There is no re-boot. You go to BIOS (press DEL on startup) and then select the pendrive as 1st option. Then after restarting it will be ignored.

Also, I think Secure Boot is currently disabled here and has always been. In fact I installed Windows 11 while Windows 10 was running. RUFUS also says Secure Boot may be completely ignored for Windows 11:

FAQ

The Reliable USB Formatting Utility. Contribute to pbatard/rufus development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

I don't get it why this pendrive is being 100% ignored. You don't even get to enter the default installation screen. Unless I am doing something wrong...

 

[OlyAR15]

I don't understand why you just don't use MS windows media creation tool. Far easier than going through whatever you are doing.

 

[MadScientist]

I don't understand why you just don't use MS windows media creation tool. Far easier than going through whatever you are doing.

And if he wants to make a bootable Windows 10 pen drive he can also do that the same way. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

 

[Perene]

I don't understand why you just don't use MS windows media creation tool. Far easier than going through whatever you are doing.

Windows 10 is 100% confirmed to be working using a pendrive to boot, here. Just checked minutes ago.

It's Windows 11 which is not, perhaps due to some corruption or I am not understanding yet how to enable the installation process after restart. Unless this is fixed I'll have to install Win 10 first after formatting.

 

[OlyAR15]

It's Windows 11 which is not, perhaps due to some corruption or I am not understanding yet how to enable the installation process after restart.

I can confirm that the USB drive created with the MS creation kit is bootable and can do a clean install of Win11. So either your USB drive is damaged/corrupted or something went wrong when you set it up.

 

[MadScientist]

I can confirm that the USB drive created with the MS creation kit is bootable and can do a clean install of Win11. So either your USB drive is damaged/corrupted or something went wrong when you set it up.

I totally agree with you.

Getting a bit OT here, but while I was on the My Digital Life forum I came across this that was posted by the author of Rufus in the Application Software/Rufus USB section.
https://forums.mydigitallife.net/threads/update-rufus-usb-tool.50859/page-25 You must be a forum member and login to see the post.

Rufus 3.16 BETA #2 has just been made available.
This pre-release brings the following updates:

• Fix ISO mode support for Red Hat 8.2+ and derivatives
• Fix BIOS boot support for Arch derivatives
• Fix removal of some boot entries for Ubuntu derivatives
• Fix log not being saved on exit
• Add Windows 11 "Extended" installation support (Disables TPM/Secure Boot/RAM requirements)
• Add UEFI Shell ISO downloads
• Add support for Intel NUC card readers
• Improve Windows 11 support
• Improve Windows version reporting
• Speed up clearing of MBR/GPT

I guess the change that might be of interest for most people is that Rufus 3.16 provides the ability to install Windows 11 on computers that don't meet the TPM 2.0 + Secure Boot + 8 GB RAM or more official requirements (can't do much about unsupported CPUs though).

You will see this new feature if you select a Windows 11 ISO (which Rufus can also conveniently download through its split SELECT/DOWNLOAD button), as the Image option dropdown will list the following options:

• Standard Windows 11 Installation (TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, 8GB+ RAM)
• Extended Windows 11 Installation (no TPM/no Secure Boot/8GB- RAM)

If you choose the second option, Rufus will edit the relevant registry hive from sources\boot.wim and create the relevant BypassTPMCheck, BypassSecureBootCheck and BypassRAMCheck keys in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\LabConfig, that allow to bypass the installation restrictions.

 

[Perene]

I totally agree with you.

Getting a bit OT here, but while I was on the My Digital Life forum I came across this that was posted by the author of Rufus in the Application Software/Rufus USB section.

Wait, let me get this straight.

This is what I did:

I downloaded the Windows 11 ISO corresponding to my actual Win 10-64 bit language. From Microsoft's website.

Then I replaced this file from this ISO:

appraiserres.dll

In the folder \Win11_English_x64\sources

This DLL has been modified and you can download from here:

How to Install Windows 11 to Unsupported PC (Released Version October 5) - Tips 2 Fix

This trick will allow you to run Windows 11 unfettered on unsupported hardware and still get future updates. All you need to do is : Download Windows 11 Here Extract Win11_English_x64.iso in the Folder with the same name Copy appraiserres.dll Modified and replace in the folder...

tips2fix.com

Once I did this replacement I then proceeded with the installation, from Windows 10, just click on the setup.exe from the mounted ISO.

Now, what I wanted to do was different:

- Format the entire SSD. So no OS to boot anymore;
- Create an ISO with this modified appraiserres.dll
- Save such ISO into this pendrive, using Rufus.
- Boot from said pendrive.

This 2nd idea apparently isn't working. Because booting from such pendrive is being ignored.

Here's the problem: I am only trying this with Windows 11 installed in my computer. I am not trying with the SSD 100% erased/formatted.

Also, I don't think Secure Boot is enabled in this old computer (i7 4770, Bluecase BMBH81-T motherboard).

What is really odd is the fact if I change the boot order and explicitly tell my motherboard to check the contents from this pendrive, it isn't doing so, it's going to Win 11 currently installed in this SSD directly.

So the only possible reason would be corrupted ISO or I need to do something else I have no clue.

Any ideas? And that's right, I need to install Win 11 without TPM and other new requirements.

Should I try this BETA version from Rufus? And still copy the modified appraiserres.dll as I mentioned before?

What I wanted to avoid was installing Win 10 and only then 11, I wanted 11 from the beginning. After, of course, formatting the entire hard drive.

 

[VirtualLarry]

- Create an ISO with this modified appraiserres.dll
- Save such ISO into this pendrive, using Rufus.
- Boot from said pendrive.

This is likely NOT going to work. I remember, for making modified bootable W2K install CDs, you had to inject a bootsect.bin of 2048 bytes, to get it to boot properly.

Look up "W2K SP4A slip-stream guide".

 

[MadScientist]

If you have a computer that has Windows 10 on it then I would download Rufus 3.16 BETA #2, run it with Check for Updates enabled in Settings, from DOWNLOAD options pick:

• Extended Windows 11 Installation (no TPM/no Secure Boot/8GB- RAM) and continue to make the boot disk. Do NOT copy the modified appraiserres.dll to the pen drive.

I know from trying (see previous post) that you will not get these DOWNLOAD options in Windows 11.

• Standard Windows 11 Installation (TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, 8GB+ RAM)
• Extended Windows 11 Installation (no TPM/no Secure Boot/8GB- RAM)

This will work within Windows 11. Download the Windows11 iso. Download I downloaded the Win11_English_x64.iso. Click on Select, choose the iso and it will give you the 2 choices in the drop down Image Option menu.

 

[OlyAR15]

Wait, let me get this straight.

This is what I did:

<whole bunch of unnecessary steps>

So the only possible reason would be corrupted ISO or I need to do something else I have no clue.

Any ideas? And that's right, I need to install Win 11 without TPM and other new requirements.

Should I try this BETA version from Rufus? And still copy the modified appraiserres.dll as I mentioned before?

What I wanted to avoid was installing Win 10 and only then 11, I wanted 11 from the beginning. After, of course, formatting the entire hard drive.

Again, why aren't you using the media creation tool and saving yourself a lot of headaches? You can even copy the modified dll after you created the USB drive to allow you to install to unsupported PCs. I just used that modified dll with my already-created install USB drive that I used to upgrade my other PCs to do a clean install of my last PC to Win11. That one is unsupported because it has a 6500T cpu and only TPM1.2, but it worked fine. Wiped the drive and did a clean install.

 

[MadScientist]

Again, why aren't you using the media creation tool and saving yourself a lot of headaches? You can even copy the modified dll after you created the USB drive to allow you to install to unsupported PCs. I just used that modified dll with my already-created install USB drive that I used to upgrade my other PCs to do a clean install of my last PC to Win11. That one is unsupported because it has a 6500T cpu and only TPM1.2, but it worked fine. Wiped the drive and did a clean install.

Thanks for letting us know that this works, definitely easier than messing with Rufus, and you can make the Windows 11 bootable installation flash (pen) drive from within Windows 11. Going to pass this on to friends and relatives with old computers who having been asking about updating to Windows 11.

 

[MadScientist]

On the Windows 11 forum Try3 has posted a method using the modified appraiserres.dll to do a Windows 11 upgrade within Windows 10. In the same post he also provided links to other upgrade guides. https://www.elevenforum.com/t/lets-run-windows-11-on-an-incompatible-hardware.133/post-39089