[SOLVED] Basic question on bootable USBs and UEFI

Daughter needs Windows back on one of these boxes for school - needs Autocad.


Problem is that I can't make a bootable Windows stick - or else all three boxes here have some BIOS/UEFI setting that is preventing the Windows stick from being seen.


Bootable Linux sticks made the same way boot up fine.


What am I doing wrong?

how are you creating your bootable windows stick? i was able to make one in a windows 10 virtual machine.

Ubuntu Disk Image Mounter
Mint's USB Image Writer
SUSE Image Writer
Popsicle
Rufus

Tried them all, they all make a Linux stick that boots just fine. The Windows sticks are undoubtedly fine, too, so why don't they boot?

this article lists a couple of different methods it sounds like you might not have tried yet: https://itsfoss.com/bootable-windows-usb-linux/

Thanks, but that's where I started.

More info - found that the USBs I'm using are being

excluded from the boot order

What's that about and how do I fix it?

where are you seeing that?

In the BIOS under Startup

I've tried changing every setting in the BIOS, and the best result is that grub can't find any thing to boot.

if you have access to a system running windows, i would try using windows programs to solve what sounds like a windows problem.

Writing the image changes the Windows file system on the USB to UDF

Is that what's wrong here? Because grub says it's an unknown file system.

What's happening here - why is it changed to an unknown FS?

Most linux live ISO files are actually ISO9660/hybrid filesystems. When you write them to USB they still look like a CD.

For those ISO writing utilities other then those that use syslinux that write files to USB they get totally overwritten by the contents of that ISO.
As an example:

file lubuntu-19.10-desktop-amd64.iso
lubuntu-19.10-desktop-amd64.iso: # ISO 9660 CD-ROM filesystem data 'Lubuntu 19.10 amd64' (bootable)

UDF is a filesystem that was supposed to replace ISO9660 and Microsoft defaults to it when you burn CD/DVDs. It is the filesystem used for video DVDs. It does have linux support but read only for UDF version 2.6. So basically the same thing happens when writing the Windows file to USB as does a linux ISO file.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Disk_Format

As far as I know grub can only boot ISO files.

That's not telling me , as far as my knowledge goes, why I can't install Windows after Linux.
But he whole point is moot; this became such a hassle my daughter just bought a $1600 Windows laptop.


Marking this as "Solved" is a lie.
We need a "Not Solved YET" flag.

Have now created Windows 10 Boot USB from neighbour's Windows box, after creating them in a Windows VM also failed.

Neither box will recognize it still.

Have reset BIOS both machines, made sure Secure Boot is disabled. Still no go.

I also found my old Windows 7 DVD; the boxes will boot from it, but after the files are copied, both boxes hang after showing the "Starting Windows" screen.

Both boxes still have no issue with any Linux USB, and even tried a CD - oll korrect.

Have I somehow managed to make these boxes "allergic" to Windows?

binkyd,

Using GParted or diskpart, format the drive as GPT and then boot from the W10 flash drive in UEFI mode.

Did you try woe usb, Ive had good success with it

Yes, thanks, I tried woeUSB, no luck.

and re

then boot from the W10 flash drive in UEFI mode.

Format which drive as "GPT" - do you mean the flash drive? If that's the answer, Marvel should do a movie about you.
But I'm not understanding what you mean by "in UEFI mode". Back in the Bios? I can't boot from the flash drive at all so far - the BIOS can only see them sometimes if they are "Windows 10 Bootable USBs" and even then won't boot from them.

I disconnected all the other drives from one box. Then I reset the BIOS, and went back in and turned OFF Secure Boot. There was a blank 1 TB HDD, and the Windows 7 optical disk.

Got it to boot from the Win 7 opt.disk, but once again, a total hang after "Starting Windows...."

Remember, this is 2 different completely boxes that had previously had Windows installed with no issues.

[snork - is there a future in "Windows Resistant Boxes" (if only I knew what I've done)]