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Cannot boot windows from USB
posted in Hardware
1
#1
2 Frags +

SO after 10 hours of gruesomely trying to put together my PC, I finally finished. I ended the build without an optical drive because I knew I would never / barely use it, and I know that it was possible to boot and install windows with a USB. I already previously installed a bootable USB device ready to install windows. I went into my BIOS and set my boot option priority to "UEFI USB KEY". The first time I did this, it worked at windows asked me where I wanted to install my OS and I selected my SSD. Mid-way through the installation, it gave me a error message stating that some of the files may have been corrupted or missing and therefore could not complete the installation. Let's just say my copy of windows wasn't "genuine". I got another copy of windows and made it into a bootable USB drive again. This time, I did the same steps as before, but now I get the message, “Bootmgr is missing Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart”. Thinking I might have chosen the wrong priority boot in the BIOS, I checked again and it was the same. I've been trying over pretty much the entire day to try different boot options and multiple different copies of Windows but none of them are working. My boot options are: UEFI USB KEY, UEFI HARD DISK, USB CD/DVD, USB HARD DISK, UEFI HARD DISK, UEFI CD/DVD, UEFI USD CD/DVD and UEFI NETWORK. I asked some of my friends about this and one of them suggested that when I installed windows the first time, I chose to select it in the SSD and there might be a corrupt OS already on the SSD so it's trying to boot that instead of installing. I've googled searched multiple times, trying to figure out solutions to solving the "Bootmgr is missing" error and solutions to that require an optical drive and a Windows recovery disc. I don't think it's necessary for me to purchase an optical drive if the first time I tried to boot up windows with a USB, it worked, but all the times after that didn't. Has anyone encountered anything similar or know a solution to this? getting pretty frustrated as I've been really wanting to game on my new build. Add me on steam if you know a solution to fix my issue please, thanks.

General comp specs:
CPU: i5 3570K
GPU: MSI GTX 770
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-GD65 Gaming Series

If you guys need any more information, post on this thread and I will try and post asap.

SO after 10 hours of gruesomely trying to put together my PC, I finally finished. I ended the build without an optical drive because I knew I would never / barely use it, and I know that it was possible to boot and install windows with a USB. I already previously installed a bootable USB device ready to install windows. I went into my BIOS and set my boot option priority to "UEFI USB KEY". The first time I did this, it worked at windows asked me where I wanted to install my OS and I selected my SSD. Mid-way through the installation, it gave me a error message stating that some of the files may have been corrupted or missing and therefore could not complete the installation. Let's just say my copy of windows wasn't "genuine". I got another copy of windows and made it into a bootable USB drive again. This time, I did the same steps as before, but now I get the message, “Bootmgr is missing Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart”. Thinking I might have chosen the wrong priority boot in the BIOS, I checked again and it was the same. I've been trying over pretty much the entire day to try different boot options and multiple different copies of Windows but none of them are working. My boot options are: UEFI USB KEY, UEFI HARD DISK, USB CD/DVD, USB HARD DISK, UEFI HARD DISK, UEFI CD/DVD, UEFI USD CD/DVD and UEFI NETWORK. I asked some of my friends about this and one of them suggested that when I installed windows the first time, I chose to select it in the SSD and there might be a corrupt OS already on the SSD so it's trying to boot that instead of installing. I've googled searched multiple times, trying to figure out solutions to solving the "Bootmgr is missing" error and solutions to that require an optical drive and a Windows recovery disc. I don't think it's necessary for me to purchase an optical drive if the first time I tried to boot up windows with a USB, it worked, but all the times after that didn't. Has anyone encountered anything similar or know a solution to this? getting pretty frustrated as I've been really wanting to game on my new build. Add me on steam if you know a solution to fix my issue please, thanks.

General comp specs:
CPU: i5 3570K
GPU: MSI GTX 770
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-GD65 [b]Gaming[/b] Series


If you guys need any more information, post on this thread and I will try and post asap.
2
#2
3 Frags +

To me it looks like you did something wrong while trying to make the bootable USB-Stick.

The way I do it usually is I just open the iso-File with 7-zip and copy everything to the root of my USB-Stick. If that does not work I suggest using Rufus. It basically does the same as the thing stated above but automates it and forces you to format your USB-Drive, which makes sure there is nothing on it that might interrupt the boot routine.

To me it looks like you did something wrong while trying to make the bootable USB-Stick.

The way I do it usually is I just open the iso-File with 7-zip and copy everything to the root of my USB-Stick. If that does not work I suggest using [url=http://rufus.akeo.ie/]Rufus[/url]. It basically does the same as the thing stated above but automates it and forces you to format your USB-Drive, which makes sure there is nothing on it that might interrupt the boot routine.
3
#3
2 Frags +

Yea it definitely sounds like you didn't setup your usb right. Idk if you got to the step where you need your motherboard disk yet, but don't forget that either.

Yea it definitely sounds like you didn't setup your usb right. Idk if you got to the step where you need your motherboard disk yet, but don't forget that either.
4
#4
1 Frags +

Ive always used the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool. Worked every time for me.

win7: http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool

Ive always used the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool. Worked every time for me.

win7: http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool
5
#5
0 Frags +
disengageIve always used the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool. Worked every time for me.

win7: http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool

QFT. That + mydigitallife official ISOs works a treat every time.

[quote=disengage]Ive always used the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool. Worked every time for me.

win7: http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool[/quote]

QFT. That + mydigitallife official ISOs works a treat every time.
6
#6
2 Frags +
Let's just say my copy of windows wasn't "genuine". I got another copy of windows and made it into a bootable USB drive again

... No thanks, go find yourself a genuine copy plox. There are official microsoft installation disk images out there, you just need a valid license.

If you're in college, MSDNAA.

[quote]Let's just say my copy of windows wasn't "genuine". I got another copy of windows and made it into a bootable USB drive again[/quote]

... No thanks, go find yourself a genuine copy plox. There are official microsoft installation disk images out there, you just need a valid license.

If you're in college, MSDNAA.
7
#7
0 Frags +

Yea and save money by skipping the bad versions of windows which is every other. Just skip windows 8

Yea and save money by skipping the bad versions of windows which is every other. Just skip windows 8
8
#8
2 Frags +

solved! thanks.

solved! thanks.
9
#9
0 Frags +
jerryjigglerYea and save money by skipping the bad versions of windows which is every other. Just skip windows 8

they're starting to get stingy with the dx eleven versions for windows 7 now though. and they've made win 8 a lot cheaper. Aside from the stupid tablet menu's and other visual crap I'v been told it doesn't run badly, and you can get plugins to remove them.

All in all, If you already have win7 you're better off keeping it, but with the price difference it could be worth just getting win8 if you're buying new. (seen as it's not has the performance issues of vista or millennium edition, Both of which I'v owned in the past)

[quote=jerryjiggler]Yea and save money by skipping the bad versions of windows which is every other. Just skip windows 8[/quote]

they're starting to get stingy with the dx eleven versions for windows 7 now though. and they've made win 8 a lot cheaper. Aside from the stupid tablet menu's and other visual crap I'v been told it doesn't run badly, and you can get plugins to remove them.

All in all, If you already have win7 you're better off keeping it, but with the price difference it could be worth just getting win8 if you're buying new. (seen as it's not has the performance issues of vista or millennium edition, Both of which I'v owned in the past)
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