WIndows 10 on USB - NVME - version upgrade start (restart) keeps failing, maybe some BCD fault.. Solved

[ruthan]

I have Win10 18h03 installed on USB-NVME, its much faster than any USB3 flashdisk which i have tried, even speedy ones, but they still keep have quite slow small files operations and probably problem with parallel file access..  System responsiveness its and operations are much faster.

  Problem is that, that i cant ugprade from 1803 version to 22h2.. by any ways, all checks seems ok, all logs setup longs no error, CBS.log ok,  sfc fine.. and Windows update keep it pushing with every boot, redownloading and trying to install.

     I have tried also Media creating tool, but at the end of blue full screen installing mode, i get install failed messege (Small white message box - Instalation failed in case of using ISO) before reboot after 99% or.. machine is rebooting to continue with upgrade initialize to blue or violet screen, but its never happening.. like upgrade is was not scheduled.. Even Windows update is keeping asking for restart to finish upgrade - but again no upgrade is inicialized..

   I have tried Minitool Windows update tool, but it seems to be only some new Frontend over Windows update.. and i did not found any other alternative tool to do the same..

   I suspect, that problem is USB-  or USB-install.. im not sure how upgrad works, if something has to be added in BCD file, or some preboot mode is incialized by other way.. to check it or force manually.

  I found that in Pather directory (C:\$WINDOWS.~BT) always full new full ~30 GB install ready to go, prepared.. no errors there, but its not applied.. I have tried to add "PatherDirectory"\  system32\winloadx.exe into BCD, its starting to boot, but after 21c error, so this probably not the right way how to start the ugprade..

   I wonder if just rewrite all new install created by Windows update - files over original install would not be a solution, i have backups, im not exact process how upgrade is made, but its probably install to new directory and if install its successfull it rename old Windows directory to Windows.old and new one to Windows , os maybe i can do it manually.

  This upgrading process at least on my machines is allways nightmare, some MS scripts seems really not clever, hardcoded parsers with poor exception handling and messeging. 

  I hope is not typical sniffing other disk problem.. because i have on machine physical M.2 - with Win10 + Linux - which is hassle to remove and could not be disabled in bios..and some data ntfs HDD.

I event log system i see this, im not sure if its related:
The WinRM service cannot migrate the listener with Address * and Transport HTTP. A listener that has the same Address and Transport configuration already exists.

And this:
SearchIndexer (11816,D,23) Windows: The version store for this instance (0) has reached its maximum size of 128Mb. It is likely that a long-running transaction is preventing cleanup of the version store and causing it to build up in size. Updates will be rejected until the long-running transaction has been completely committed or rolled back. 
Possible long-running transaction: 
    SessionId: 0x00000253293910C0:2b3968fffffffc 

Update:

I have tried Media creation method after while again and there is indeed some BCD hell error:

 BCD: BcdCopyObjectEx: Failed to enumerate source elements. Target: {5189b25c-5558-4bf2-bca4-289b11bd29e2} Flags: 0x4 Status: c0000034[gle=0x00000002]
2025-07-12 00:11:32, Error                 IBSLIB BCD: Failed to clone store. Status: c0000034[gle=0x00000002]
2025-07-12 00:11:32, Error                 IBSLIB BCD: BcdExportStore: Failed clone BCD to \??\C:\$WINDOWS.~BT\Sources\Rollback\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD. Status: c0000034[gle=0x00000002]

MSconfig cant edit BCD entry just 1 line, BootICE could. It wasnt easy forme make booting installation from normal flashdisk to NVME and start boot loader, so i used multiple tools to try to generate bootable EFI entry and BCD, there is probably something non standard.

Edited 1 hour ago by ruthan

[halohalo]

Microsoft removed Windoews To Go feature since Windows 10 version 2004. Maybe you can install latest version of windows 10 using 3rd party utilities, but it does not mean you won't have any problem.

[PicoBot]

This article (only in german language, sorry) describes different methods to create a fresh WindowsToGo installation with 3rd party tools: https://www.pcwelt.de/article/1154653/windows-auf-dem-usb-stick.html

Those methods can not only be used with a USB-Thumbdrive, but also with a SSD within a USB case. I would recommend the method "8. Windows To Go mit Win NT Setup erstellen" because such an installation can be booted in legacy/csm mode and in UEFI mode, even with active secure boot.

This arcticle describes the necessary steps to make an inplace upgrade of an exisiting WindowsToGo installation: https://administrator.de/forum/windows-to-go-upgrader-how-to-upgrade-a-windows-to-go-usb-drive-317014.html#comment-1139782

Edited July 13 by PicoBot

[ruthan]

Thanks, well its strange that system is keep pushing just update, if it would not supported ok.
I quickly checked PCwelt article, but there is not much info about upgrading and reinstalling because of WIndows 10 version upgrading is not way for me, i would have to use of these half working PC to PC migration tools..

   Second article make sense old unsupported solution trick.. Migrate to Virtual machine, set emulated disk as sormal sata disk make upgrade and pray, that after migration to USB it will able to find USB boot drivers again, it seems pretty straight forward.

  I have found some new logs, i will give one more try to some BCD rebuild experiment before i will maybe later try virtual migration.

[ruthan]

 

sss

proOk found solution, so its possible to upgrade Windows on USB to lastest WIn10 version fine. Microsoft will never warns you about it anywhere, but because stupid approach a parsers, i needed to adjust disk partitioning to expected one.. so its again all about partition and bcd hell.

You need:
- it means first parttition EFI FAT 32 260 MB+ and second MSR(Disk Genius can do it if you prefer GUI as me) Raw filysystem - 128+ MB for all possible MS features and disk bigger than 2 TB, other source claims that for basic usage 16 MB should be enough
- primary partition with Windows 
- recovery partiton - you can copy it fine from other machine and refresh BCD entries, or i found as Hidden folder windows partition. If you set right UEFI entry throuhg some UEFI menu editor you can even boot it right from the Bios by targeting Recovery partition by its partiton number..
all partiton has to be right flags to diskpart sel disk X will print them with right names..
EFI - SYstem, MSR-System, Windows - Primary, Recovery
 - its possible to set all flags through diskpart and sel partition X and after 
 help gtp.. and gpt=0x4....1 etc numbers.. 
   check partition info by detail partition command and after diskpart ; list disk ; select disk X ; list part; select part X .. of course list command are not needed if you know disk number and partition numbers... list volume - its a mess it prints all partition on all disks similar to Linux blkid .. and its mapping which parttition on is on which disk not intuitive..
   To assign letter by assign letter:X:  after diskpart; sel disk X; sel parttition X; you can  alternative to diskpart partition letter assignment is assigning lettter is mountvol command

and after that probably all BCDs have to be adjusted to point right data and params for it means EFI BCD boot store, if there is EFI on primary windows partition there are main store in Boot and Recovery store BCD too.. and at the last there is BCD on recovery parititon.. Print bcdedit /Store PathToBCD /enum to see all variables and use bcdedit /store pathToBCD /set {entriID} nameOfParameter Value // logic, the often are osdevice and device parameters broken and has Unknown value

   Bcdedit bootrec /rebuild often not working because of more than none EFI partition on you disks, there is not any targeting parameter or even right error message.. (by the book, it should be enough have EFI folder on EFI /Recovery partition if you plan to use it, but for some backup you can have it on the main partition .. osdevice is always main partition with C:\Windows even in case of EFI BCD ), you can set them offline from diskpart or temporary use different partition type id through partition manager or dispart sel disk X, sel part X setid.. or disconnect them, so Bioses have possibility to disable disk per port, but not NVME very often.. If you are on some good WinPE or other Win installation, you can use simply Device manager disabling..
   Because of  BCD parsing error, you may need to recreate bcd through like 7 commands through bcdedit /Store PathtTOBCD subcommands..

7magic commands to avoid stupid parser errors like - Failed to find installation it needs valid bcd store, /invalid path or identical partition problem without changing partition type id on secondary GPT disks with EFI partition.. if bootrec / scanos or bootrec /rebuild  are not able to find your windows installation - its because broken BCD too , you use them from live WinPE, recovery mode or other live installation.. or running install.. Yeah all Win EFI boot files are in C:\Windows\Boot\EFI folder too..

  There some graphical EFI /BCD utilites, but all of them are quite flawed.. its not rocket science, but such is situation almost 20 years later after VIsta EFI introduction
use Clover boot loader fo Hackingtosh could be simpler workaround instead of fighting with UEFI settings, EasyBCD is better to avoid it using its own loader, which mess with standart settings..

   Some these files and folders are hidden.. Ids using by BCD are fully virtual made up, used only in BCD internaly they are not connected with physical partition numbers as in grub, that is why its so fragile and unstable.
For debugging is good idea duplicate present entry by bcdedit /Store PAth /copy {ExistingBCD id from bcdedit /store path /enum command or /enum /v all helpers objects}

bcdboot C:\Windows /s S: /f UEFI // S is EFI partition on BCD disk
ren S:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD BCD.bak  (backup)
bcdedit /createstore S:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD
bcdedit /store S:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD /create {bootmgr} /d "Windows Boot Manager"
bcdedit /store S:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD /set {bootmgr} device partition=S:
bcdedit /store S:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD /create /d "Windows 11" /application osloader

xcopy C:\Windows\Boot\EFI\*.* S:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\ /E /H /Y
bootrec /fixboot

Edited 54 minutes ago by ruthan