Windows 10 won't boot without USB stick
I have just installed Windows 10 final (from USB stick as my laptop does not have DVD). Everything went without a problem. The computer restarts correctly while an USB device is inserted (it does not have to be a bootable drive, it can even be an empty USB stick).
If I remove the USB drive, Windows boot does not complete.
Safe mode boots ok without the stick. Boot log without the USB stick ends like this:
BOOTLOG_LOADED \SystemRoot\System32\drivers\UsbHub3.sys
BOOTLOG_LOADED \SystemRoot\system32\drivers\RTKVHD64.sys
Successful Boot log (with stick in) goes past:
BOOTLOG_LOADED \SystemRoot\System32\drivers\UsbHub3.sys
BOOTLOG_LOADED \SystemRoot\system32\drivers\RTKVHD64.sys
BOOTLOG_NOT_LOADED \SystemRoot\System32\drivers\dxgkrnl.sys
BOOTLOG_LOADED \SystemRoot\System32\drivers\USBSTOR.SYS
BOOTLOG_LOADED \SystemRoot\System32\drivers\monitor.sys
BOOTLOG_LOADED \SystemRoot\System32\drivers\hidusb.sys
Any ideas on what to remove/change/proceed? I really don't want to restore/reinstall.
Thank you!
Solution 1:
Found the answer. Thanks Psycogeek for the hint that it could be USB related. I have installed the Intel Chipset Utility, even if it says it is only up to Windows 8.1 for now (August 2nd 2015). And now a stick is no longer necessary to boot into Windows.
For everyone with this type of problems take a bootlog capture with a bad start and a good start. The bootlog is usally stored in
c:\Windows\ntbtlog.txt.
The bootlogs recorder in the text file are separated by a date. The problem is one of the listings that
Solution 2:
This is what happens if you don’t create a new partition on the boot drive when you install windows 10. It will store some of the boot information in the USB stick and you won’t be able to boot without it. When you select the boot drive, make sure it doesn’t say “unallocated” for the os partition. Create a new partition. The installation will create two partitions. One of them is titled “system reserved”. Install windows on the other “larger” partition.
Sometimes startup repair can fix this, but sometimes not. Boot to windows with the USB inserted and restart with windows boot options enabled. If you can’t repair it, it is probably best to just reinstall with the new partition created and you will not have this problem anymore.