Error encountered while attempting to boot from USB device.
Error encountered while attempting to boot from USB device.
I was experimenting with Linux on a single hard drive when I removed Windows 10 and wiped the drive after installing Linux Mint. My games are crashing because of Visual Studio, Unity3D, and TS3. I want to revert to Windows 10. The issue began when I created a bootable USB from Windows 10, but after uninstalling it, BIOS no longer allows USB booting. It only shows two Ubuntu drives, even though I have just one. Also, after Mint loads, the setup file is an .exe, which might cause problems with Wine. I’m unsure if moving my HDD to another PC and wiping it would help.
Get Windows 10, 8, 7 or XP ISO files. Set up Virtual Box to start the ISO inside a virtual machine. Install necessary plugins for USB support in Virtual Box. Plug your USB into the VM. Run the Windows installer inside the VM to generate a bootable USB drive for Windows 10. I’m not sure how your Linux installer organized the storage space. To confirm it’s working properly, I often use GParted to wipe the drive and then follow the installer steps. You should still be able to boot from the BIOS. Are you using UEFI or legacy BIOS? If UEFI, you might need to turn off Secure Boot. Also, adjust the boot sequence and press the designated key during startup if available. There should appear a USB port listed—even if it doesn’t boot, that’s unrelated to the BIOS.
If you're not sure about using Virtual Box, try connecting your USB to another Windows machine and creating a bootable Windows USB there. I haven't managed to get the USB driver working in Virtual Box yet. It seems Windows isn't recognizing the USB device for now.
The same topic was covered just over a week ago. Refer to the initial search results for details about WoeUSB, which is the necessary software (note: using another PC to create a bootable USB is another approach MS might suggest or assume users are doing EDIT2). The main concern is that Windows 10 ISO files from Microsoft aren't bootable from USB drives when written with DD, unlike many Linux distributions. Avoid virtual machines for this task—they add unnecessary complexity. This likely stems from a misunderstanding about how ISO images behave on USB storage.
P.S. I’m not trying to be rude, but practicing effective search could save you time. Edited February 8, 2018 by Wild Penquin — corrected reference!
WoeUSB is a modified version of WinUSB that hasn't been updated since 2012. You can expect it to be similar in ease of use to WinUSB, though it has received maintenance updates. (My most recent Windows experience was with Windows 7, where copying the ISO to USB using dd functioned perfectly—so I haven’t tried either version directly.)