Windows 10 USB with GUID partitions

[linuxero]

Hi,

This is my first post hoping to find a solution from some Windows guru.

My question affects all versions of Windows, which presumably support GPT partitions.

I have a USB stick that I partitioned using GPT scheme. I have about 4 or 5 partitions, one of them is an ESP so that I can boot my different OS flavours off this stick.

I happen to have an NTFS partition on this stick. I thought this way I can share data between Linux and Windows using this partition on the USB.

To my surprise, Windows File Explorer cannot read any of the partitions on the USB! Actually; diskmgmt reflects the partitions correctly. However, in the file explorer, a message pops up that Windows needs to format the partition in order to be able to use it.

Now my problem is that the NTFS partition is not the first one on the USB. It just happens to be the 4th. So Windows actually tries to access my USB ESP and format it destroying my set-up..!

Is there a way to make Windows read the GPT partitions on a USB stick correctly?

By the way; Windows seems to have the same problem with external USB hard disks partitioned this way.

Thank you.

** If there is something special to GPT Partitions on USB drives in the UEFI standard please quote or refer.

 

[Neemobeer]

The short answer is that Windows only allows for 1 partition on removable media. If the first partition is not a recognized Windows file system then yes it won't be able to read any thing on the USB. I think your best bet for a multi-boot USB is to use grub4dos to boot the different OSes. With the disk formatted as ntfs then data can be shared by all.

 

[linuxero]

Thanks Neemobeer,

I would assume that MS would not force the user to follow a rigid way on how to use his devices. So, do you know of some Registry Key that can modify this behaviour?

I have different filesystems on different partitions on the USB, thus I do not wish to have my USB formatted in one MS partition.

On the other hand, I would like to be able to separate the common use partition from installation partitions and that goes for Windows installation as well.

I hope that some Registry Key is there to rescue.

 

[Neemobeer]

Unfortunately not, it's built into the USB driver for Windows.

 

[linuxero]

Thank you

 

[BIGBEARJEDI]

My question affects all versions of Windows, which presumably support GPT partitions.

>>>>Hi; that statement is not accurate! Windows has only had GPT partition support for 5 or 6 years, it came out towards the end of W7 and early W8 (2010-2012). Vista, XP, and older versions of Windows didn't have that support, as that's for disk drives larger than 2TB where a single partition for the entire hard drive (say 3TB or larger) can be used assuming you use a compatible format such as the NTFS you mentioned or Ext-NTFS. This was mostly because 3TB and larger hdd's weren't commercially available in the retail marketplace yet.
Neem is also correct about trying to use multiple OS-boots on flash drives; Windows all versions DON'T support that, unless you arrange the flash drive to have a Windows OS on the primary partition. This method has some success and has been discussed before, you can search the threads here on WF for those past threads!
Generally speaking, Windows is not designed to be booted from ANY external media outside of the computer itself (usb stick or hdd) or through a networking connection such as PXE to a server. You can however, try to download the free EASYbcd partition management app that several of us use here. You may be able to do what Neem is suggesting by rearranging your Windows partition on your stick to be the boot partition without having to rebuild it. It does what Grub4DOS does, but uses a GUI for folks who are not Linux experienced. It's pretty easy to use; but I have yet to get a multi-boos OS (Windows & Linux) FLASH DRIVE setup working to run a computer (Desktop PC or laptop) without using any internal hard drives and still get Windows to boot! I've been working on this for about 7 years; still doesn't work for me. I believe some of our other gurus here said they were able to do it, but I cannot reproduce it myself. You might give the EASYbcd a go, maybe they have figured out a way more recently to do this. It's worth a shot! <<<<

Best of luck,
<<<<BIGBEARJEDI>>>>

 

[linuxero]

Thank you BIGBEARDJEDI for your reply. However, sorry to tell you that I have tried it with Vista, 7, 8 and 10. I haven't tried it with XP really. All of these versions BEHAVE THE SAME WAY. XP Corporate 64-bit is claimed to support GPT disks according to Microsoft. I haven't been using Windows for ages, but I always try to follow up.

The problem of booting Windows off a USB is an old topic with so many solutions and tutorials on the Internet. I have actually prepared a USB stick for both Linux and Windows 7 using Sardu about a couple of years ago. Obiously this is not my problem.

To explain my problem again in clearer wording, maybe, here I go:

1. I need to read an NTFS GUID Partition on a removable device namely USB stic/disk. Windows CANNOT do that unless it is the first partition on the device.
2. I would like to organise different installations of Windows versions on a dedicated partition in separate folders each; XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 10, maybe Server editions as well, on a USB. So unless I solve the first problem of reading partitions I clearly cannot proceed.
3. I already have a tutorial on the WIKI of Mageia Linux for how to build a bootable USB on Legacy and UEFI BIOSes on the same stick. Windows, though, is my only hiccup!

In order to do that; all you have to do is decide on which boot loader you want to use, study it well, understand how it does things and there you go. For WIndows; I am now thinking of mixing BCD with GRUB2 just to satisfy Windows egoism and lack of cooperation.

Please; noone understand that I am against Windows, I just find it egoist, uch like OSX. But it is still doable I hope.

I could try to write a tool for thi purpose, and maybe I will. All the tools availabe either waste space on your USB stick, or force you to use FAT32/NTFS to achieve that. My stick has MS partitions, Linux Partitions, BSD Partitions and Haiku one. Installation partitions are separated from data sharing ones.

Hope you got my needs now.

Thanks again. Any input on this is most welcome and appreciated.