Help Needed Overcoming "Non-Portable Entry Detected" Adding a WIM on Same Disk

S

steve2023

New Member
Hello! I'm new to the forum, need some help. I'm trying to make an external USB hard drive with existing data EFI bootable. Pertinent items:
  • It's a 2.5, 4TB, Seagate USB drive with backups on it: GPT with 1 partition.
  • I made space at the front of the partition where I created:
1. A 100MB EFI System partition, and assigned drive letter: E:
2. A 2GB NTFS Partition, and assigned drive letter: F:
  • I successfully made Windows compatible EFI Boot files on the EFI System partition.
  • In EasyBCD, I can do: File > Select BCD Store and open the appropriate BCD file on drive E:.
  • I can add new WinPE entries by browsing to the desired .wim files (I'm adding 2) on drive F:
When I click the "Add Entry" button, I'm presented with the warning "Non-Portable Entry Detected!".
The message says:
"The selected file is stored on a different device than the boot files. If you intend on using this entry to boot on a different PC than the one you are currently using, you should copy this file to the external drive then try again.
Would you like to continue anyway?"

I'm confused what this is trying to tell me; both the EFI system files and the .wim files are already on the external drive.

If I "Continue anyway", the entries appear at the boot selection screen, but booting to them fails with a message that it can't find the source files.

Thanks in advance for your help.
 
The warning you're seeing is typically shown when the BCD entry you're adding refers to a file that's on a different device than the boot files. While you mentioned that both the EFI system files and the .wim files are on the external drive, this message might still appear if there are some discrepancies or conflicts in the configuration. Confirm that you're using the correct BCD store file on drive E: with EasyBCD. Verify that the BCD store you're modifying corresponds to the boot environment on the external USB drive. Verify that the drive letters assigned to the partitions (E: and F:smile: remain consistent every time you boot the system.
Drive letter changes could potentially cause conflicts. Make sure that the .wim files are accessible and readable from the boot environment. Sometimes, issues with file permissions or drive access can lead to problems like the one you're experiencing.

If the issue persists and you're unable to resolve it, consider seeking assistance from forums or communities that specialize in boot configurations, BCD editing, and Windows PE setup. There might be individuals who have encountered similar situations and can provide specific guidance. Remember that working with boot configurations and bootable environments can be complex and sometimes requires a good understanding of system internals. If you're not entirely comfortable with the technical aspects, involving someone experienced in such matters might be beneficial.
 
Issue: Even if your .wim files and EFI boot files are on the external drive, EasyBCD thinks otherwise. This is why it gives the warning, and why booting to the added entries fails—it can't locate the .wim files. Solution: Ensure that the .wim files are indeed on the external drive (F: in your case). When adding the entries in EasyBCD, make sure you're pointing to the .wim files specifically located on the external drive. Double-check the paths in the BCD entries to ensure they're accurate and point to the external drive. Alternative Solution: Use a different tool or method for creating bootable entries. For example, using the bcdboot command directly might give you more control over the boot entries.
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