This is really annoying situation if your computer stops responding completely and you can’t call or take your computer to hardware professional. I faced the same situation in April, 2020 during lockdown period. I have already mentioned here: https://hive.blog/tech/@mgibson/bios-is-not-detecting-my-computer-s-hard-drive
India imposed lockdown in 23rd March, 2020 and the problem started just before it. When I came to know that the Bios was not detecting hard drive, it was too late. I was not able to contact any hardware profession due to complete lockdown. Then I myself started to resolve the issue. I read several articles and watched various youtube videos on the same topic but couldn’t resolve the issue. Finally, I guessed that my hard drive was not working properly.
In this scenario, I created a live windows USB to make my computer fully operational. This was my first experiment. I never used a live windows USB before. A Live windows USB means the operating system will boot and run from a USB or portable device.
I installed windows 10 on a 14 GB pendrive that I bought just before the lockdown started and connected to a USB port. The idea became successful. Currently, I am running window from Pendrive and writing article to post on Hive.
There is a software called WintoUsb that help you install windows on a portable device. However, I didn’t use any software to install windows on my Pendrive. I did everything using CMD (Command Prompt).
How I installed windows 10 on a portable device using CMD
1) First I downloaded Windows 10 ISO file from microsoft website. Then I made a bootable windows 10 DVD. There is a folder named sources which has a file called install.esd. It stores all the necessary files that windows needs to boot from hard drive or portable drive.
2) Then I started computer using bootable windows 10 DVD and run command prompt as administrator and typed the following syntax:
Dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:Source path of install.esd
Demo: (Dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:E:\sources\install.esd)
The above result will show you all the editions of windows 10. You have to choose what edition you need to install.
3) The next syntax that I run to fetch all the required files from install.esd and saved to pendrive:
Dism /Apply-Image /ImageFile:source path of install.esd /index:? /ApplyDir:source path of destination drive
Demo: (Dism /Apply-Image /ImageFile:E:\sources\install.esd /index:6 /ApplyDir:F:\)
4) Then I run:
bootrec /scanos [press enter]
bootrec /rebuildbcd [press enter]
bootrec /fixboot [press enter]
bootrec /fixmbr [press enter]
bcdboot destination drive\windows [press enter]
Demo: (bcdboot F:\windows)
After finishing all the steps I restarted the computer and set boot order as USB drive. Finally, I set up windows successfully and made the computer operational.