format external hard drive windows 10 and not lose data

#Format external hard drive windows 10 and not lose data how to#
#Format external hard drive windows 10 and not lose data license key#
#Format external hard drive windows 10 and not lose data install#
#Format external hard drive windows 10 and not lose data software#
#Format external hard drive windows 10 and not lose data Pc#

A backup of all license keys should also be made. If the device came with an installation CD, sticker, and the key area in the packaging.

#Format external hard drive windows 10 and not lose data license key#

It has proven to stick the license key directly to the device. So, it is advisable to deposit the key in a place that is accessible at all times.

#Format external hard drive windows 10 and not lose data install#

Without this key, it is not possible to install the software. This will important to safely store the necessary license key for the software. To avoid this risk, it is recommended to save the files on an external medium, such as a USB stick. With this method, there is a risk that all files on the hard disk will be deleted during installation. This can be done on the hard disk partitions for data backup.

#Format external hard drive windows 10 and not lose data how to#

Here we will talk about how to format laptop Windows without losing data.įirstly, all data should be backed up before reinstalling Windows 8. Sometimes it’s just inevitable: malware infections, hardware defects, or massive misconfiguration require the formatting of Windows. If the operation of the laptop is generally no longer fluid and unstable, the device must be checked.Īs a rule, Windows will not work properly until it has been reinstalled or get formatted. Most of the time it’s because of growing program files, temporary files, and other data that slows down the work process. When a Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, or 7 laptop loses speed. In case of data loss, use this below tool: The complete guide for Windows 10, 8, 7, and below versions. Know how to format a laptop without losing data. The recently reviewed Win Toolkit also lets you make your USB bootable without formatting it.Published: 1 | Data Recovery | 6 Minutes Reading Once done, you can check if your USB drive is really bootable by following our how to test if a Windows USB drive is bootable guide. That’s it! Your USB drive is bootable now.

Step 5: Now, on the right side, under Create external bootable media section, select the USB drive that you would like to make bootable without formatting and then click Install BCD button.Ĭlick Yes button when you see the following dialog. Step 4: Once EasyBCD is running, click BCD Deployment button (located in the left side). Click Yes button when you see the UAC dialog box.

#Format external hard drive windows 10 and not lose data Pc#

Step 2: Download EasyBCD (it’s just 1.54 MB) and install the same on the PC on which you’re preparing the bootable USB.

Be sure to copy all files to the root of the USB drive and you shouldn’t copy setup files into a folder. Step 1: Copy all files from your Windows 10/8.1/7 DVD or extract the contents of the ISO file to the root of the USB drive. Creating bootable Windows USB drive without formatting the drive If the file system is NTFS, you might get an error while booting from USB. During our test, we noticed that the USB drive must be formatted in the FAT32 file system. IMPORTANT: This guide might not work if your USB drive is in the NTFS file system.

#Format external hard drive windows 10 and not lose data software#

In this guide, we will show you how you can use EasyBCD software to prepare a bootable USB without formatting it. I know, most users aren’t aware of the fact that EasyBCD can be used to create bootable USB as well. The tool you need is the very popular EasyBCD, it’s the same tool that we use to edit boot menu and change various boot settings. Luckily, there is a free (free for personal use only) tool out there to help you create a bootable Windows 7/8/8.1 USB drive without destroying the data on the USB. While we can always backup data from USB drive to a location on the hard drive, users who have tens of GBs of data on the USB drive and don’t have enough free space on the hard drive might want to know how to prepare a bootable Windows USB drive without having to format the selected USB drive. Popular tools, including Rufus and Microsoft’s own Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool need to format the drive first to make it bootable. In simple words, these tools don’t let you create bootable Windows USB drive without formatting it. That is, your USB drive will be erased before beginning to transfer setup files on to your connected USB drive. When you are preparing bootable USB with the help of one of these tools, you’ll lose all data on the USB flash drive. Over the last couple of years, we have posted a number of articles covering methods and free tools out there to create bootable USB drive and install Windows from the USB drive or external hard drive.Įven though there are plenty of tools out there to prepare bootable USB without having to open the Command Prompt, all these tools have one downside in common. We here at Into Windows love installing Windows operating system from USB flash drive.