I am having the same problem when I try to create the second partition, and I am using a normal USB 3.0 flash drive. I have researched the internet and there is no clear answer about that. The only hint seems to be related to 'removable' status of the USB flash drive. If anyone has any hints to share of how to get beyond this, I would really appreciate that. Dan
I have the same problem with step 6 on a USB stick, and I know I applied step 4 for sure. Pisthai, have you tested your steps on USB stick or on USB drive (disk)? If you have tested the USB stick scenario, did it work?
I meant to say, the diskpart throws out the same message as for him, when I try to create the second partition on a USB stick: No usable free extent could be found. It may be that there is insufficient free space to create a partition at the specified size and offset. Specify different size and offset values or don't specify either to create the maximum sized partition. It may be that the disk is partitioned using the MBR di sk partitioning format and the disk contains either 4 primary partitions, (no more partitions may be created), or 3 primary partitions and one extended partition, (only logical drives may be created).
The USB stick is seen as removable storage in Windows and trying to convert it to GPT (with diskpart) fails with: ================ Virtual Disk Service error: The specified disk is not convertible. CDROMs and DVDs are examples of disks that are not convertable. ================
Microsoft's concept is Win-2-Go, it is not Win-2-Carry that you have to carry external hard drive with you. All you need is just a small UFD in your pocket, isn't it? My USB2.0 Apacer 8GB is enough for my Win-2-Go.
Just testing via USB 2.0 (external HDD 320GB)Windows 8 Pro to Go on an Asus MB M2N68 with 4 GB Memory, AMD Athlon X2 CPU,no any other drive (HDD,CD/DVD/Floppy) is connected and have to say that it's quite slow. If USB 3.0 is available, you hardly feel a speed difference compare to an normal desktop with SATA HDD. OK, it works but now I understand my staff while they were complaining about the speed. That said, I would not recommend to use USB 2.0 for Win2Go!
Microsoft has never recommended or suggested USB 2.0, The USB 2.0 Apacer 8GB is my test run. The spec. for Windows-2-Go personal use is 1. USB 3.0 Flash Drive 32GB : So that you could run OS as fast as possible and there will enough free space for other thing. 2. No Windows RE or uninstall Windows RE in Windows-2-Go : This is to protect the host computer from being auto-repaired by WinRE in your Windows-2-Go that may cause damage your host computer OS. 3. Set SAN Policy to "4" : This is 2-way protection. It will protect your Windows-2-Go from undesirable thing comming from host computer and protect host computer from undesirable thing comming from your Windows-2-Go. However, you would lost communication with host computer storage media. You may set to other policy. Every time you plug Windows-2-Go UFD into a new host computer, Windows-2-Go have to detect and config new hardware which will take more and more space in your UFD. Recommendation is using Windows-2-Go with not more than 4 host computers, one at home and the rest at your work place. Forget main concept not that Windows-2-Go is not Windows PE. It is designed for using in the office and home. ☺
I know all that quite well!! Work since several moth with Win2Go now, using external HDD's in USB 3.0 Enclosure which works quite well. Fortunately connected with USB 2.0 the speed isn't good but to bad! ALL USB Sticks I had checked would either not work (not supported) or just to much to slow. Maybe the Problem is Thailand related because till now, there just a few USB 3.0 Sticks are available and some of them, special the Kingston Sticks, are just China Copies, sold to an terrible high cost and didn't working! Others like Apacer, Transcend, PQI, SAN just to name some, are not supported by MS/Windows 8! All those you listed, are not available in Thailand, or let tell it this way, I haven't see them or find them on the List's of my Suppliers! Anyway, I need those Win2Go for service warks and here I need to use HDD's instead of Sticks! On the oldest HDD (Acer 500 GB USB 3.0) with Win2Go Enterprise, the system folders already exceeding an size of 50GB! And the total used Space (NO data) is more than 120GB
Why is that SO BIG! I assumed that you connected to several host computers and Windows-2-Go had to detect and configure new hardware every time connecting to a PC. I suggested (not recommend, it is your decision) to make Windows-2-Go VHD. After finishing installation, at first boot from PC, create a 2-3 CHILDs and make an entry to those CHILDs. When you connect to a new PC then... 1. In Boot Manager Menu, select CHILD's entry you created. Now everything happened beyond this point will go to your CHILD, NOT PARENT VHD. 2. After logon to Windows-2-Go, rename that CHILD's entry to be the name you preferred. 3. Create another new CHILD from original Windows-2-Go VHD for using with another PC with another CHILD's entry. Now when you plug to PC you have once connect just select the CHILD's entry you renamed for that PC. Once you connect to a new PC, just follow the step 1. and 2. To create more entry, boot to PARENT VHD from your first boot Windows-2-Go. The entry is limited to 256 entries. This would save boot time and HDD space. However, the Windows-2-Go performance would drop 3-5 per cent under VHD environment. ☺
I think you are taking about diffrencing VHD... Few questions. How you configure USB to boot from WIndows2Go VHD? According to my knowledge VHD boot is only possible from WIndows7 & above installation. So you need os that support VHD boot. How to configure diffrencing VHD & add that too USB boot menu?
I don't need to save space, I still have much enough available for a few years for the work I do with Win2Go! I would be a problem if I would use USB Sticks for my work, I wouldn't even be able to have enough space on an 64GB Stick! If I would use VHD as you explain above, I would even have less space available!! It also would complicate the work. As I wrote, I use that drive already several month, nearly 6 to be precise! Do you really think that I would change anything because all is just working as I need?! If I would take your "advice" that would require a work of min 3-4 day's to get all back and working, if it would work anyway! And I'm not that stupid just to "crash" a very well working system because someone suggest a change and claim things will work better! How you could? You even don't know what I'm doing for work and what all need to be installed! Get real Mister!
This is the modified one of my script in batch file for Windows-2-Go in Parrent VHD... .......... @Echo Off ::=== Create, attach and format VHD === Set /P VFILE=Create full path with new VHD file : Set /P VMAX=Maximum VHD size in MB : Set /P VTYPE=VHD type (Fix or Dynamic) : Set /P VLAB=VHD drive label : Set /P VLTR=VHD drive letter : Echo CREATE VDISK FILE="%VFILE%" MAXIMUM=%VMAX% TYPE=%VTYPE% > vhdscpt Echo SELECT VDISK FILE="%VFILE%" >> vhdscpt Echo ATTACH VDISK >> vhdscpt Echo CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY >> vhdscpt Echo FORMAT FS=NTFS LABEL="%VLAB%" QUICK >> vhdscpt Echo ASSIGN LETTER=%VLTR% >> vhdscpt Echo ACTIVE >> vhdscpt Diskpart.exe /s vhdscpt del vhdscpt ::=== Apply Wim or Swm File to VHD === Set /P SRCFILE=Full path with Installation file (.wim or .swm) : Set /P INUM=Input index number of image to install : Set /P PROC=Input product key for installation : FOR /F %%i In ("%SRCFILE%") Do Set SWMNAME=%%~dpni& Set SWMEXTN=%%~xi If "%SWMEXTN%"==".swm" Set SWMPTTN=/SWMFile:"%SWMNAME%*%SWMEXTN%"& Goto :install Set SWMPTTN= :install Dism /Apply-Image /ImageFile:"%SRCFILE%" %SWMPTTN% /Index:%INUM% /ApplyDir:%VLTR%:\ If Not "%PROC%"=="" Dism /Image:%VLTR%:\ /Set-ProductKey:%PROC% bcdboot %VLTR%:\Windows /s %VLTR%: bootsect /nt60 %VLTR%: /force /mbr ::=== Configure ability to boot Windows-2-Go VHD from USB === For /F %%i In ("%VFILE%") Do Set VROOT=%%~di bcdboot %VLTR%:\Windows /s %VROOT% bootsect /nt60 %VROOT% /force /mbr .......... After reboot to complete Windows-2-Go VHD installation from 1st host computer, reboot to host computer and go to Diskpart to create CHILD CREATE VDISK FILE="%VFILE%" PARENT="%VCHD%" Create CHILD as many as you want and then using EasyBCD to select BCD store from USB Drive:\Boot\BCD and make new entry for every CHILD. When I plugged my USB to another computer, select a CHILD entry such as HomeVHD, OfficeVHD or NotebookVHD. That's all. ☺ ☺ ☺