Set up a bootable Windows 10 drive using Ubuntu.
Set up a bootable Windows 10 drive using Ubuntu.
Hello! I checked the forum sections for possible solutions but didn’t find much useful. I’m using an old Dell Vostro 1000 with Ubuntu, downloaded a Win10 ISO (x64 version) and copied it to an 8GB flash drive. After some formatting hiccups, I switched to NFTS and everything transferred fine. Now the USB just sits there without booting. How can I make it a bootable drive? Thanks, sjFry
Additional Details: This shows the process when I try to boot from a USB in BIOS on Ubuntu 15.04.
The approach you used functions only on UEFI systems and requires the disk to be formatted with FAT32. For BIOS setups, you must also move the boot information from the MBR. TBH I’m not sure how you’d handle that on Linux; on Windows you could use tools like RUFUS to create the drive and copy the boot files. The file size issue occurred because the WIM file in your image exceeded FAT32’s limits. Where did you obtain the image from? Was it altered or the original? Is it a combined 32/64-bit ISO?
When dealing with an ISO file, you can copy it straight to the storage using dd. ISOs act as disk images, ensuring all partitions are written correctly. The command might resemble: dd if=/path/to/image.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress where /dev/sdX reflects your drive’s location as listed by df. For a device like /dev/sdb1, simply use /dev/sdb to target the full drive, not just the formatted section.
I didn’t choose FAT32 since the ISO was too big (5.4GB) for its 4GB limit. Now I’m trying WINE with Rufus to build the drive and transfer the necessary data for booting. The original image in the comments was completely untouched, and the Microsoft download was a 64-bit version.
You're attempting to duplicate everything directly onto the storage device? That approach won't function. The proper way is to mount the ISO first, then transfer all files and folders from it to the USB drive. Keep in mind this method works only with a FAT32 formatted stick and UEFI systems.
Check for UEFI boot support in the system settings or BIOS/UEFI menu. If it boots from an UEFI image, it’s UEFI-based.
Hello! You did it! I needed to use a different tool to run Rufus, and I had to switch back to Rufus 2.18 because the secondary system was using XP while the main one ran Ubuntu. Thanks for your support, and now you have a decent laptop for small tasks.