Missing drive letter in boot prompt from USB stick


N

NicodemoTT

New member
Local time
10:38 AM
Posts
4
OS
Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux
Hi everyone, this is my first post on this forum :)

I noticed some time ago that there is a curious thing in the boot with my 11 installation stick.

If I boot with it and open the command prompt i notice that the Windows 11 partition on the SSD is not "mounted" automatically, no drive letter is assigned and by default it is not accessible. I must first assign a drive letter with the "assign letter" command on diskpart. It is a strange thing because in my memory the Windows partition on hard disks or SSDs is always mounted automatically and so it is if i do the same operation on Windows 10 for example.

So is there anyone who can kindly verify and confirm whether it is a default behavior or is it my exclusive?

Thanks to any volunteers.
 
Windows Build/Version
Windows 11 24H2

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
As a rule, to do a clean install you should delete all existing partitions (except any data partitions you wish to keep), and install to the unallocated space. Drive letters are not required.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Zenbook 14
    CPU
    I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB soldered
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop OLED screen
    Screen Resolution
    2880x1800 touchscreen
    Hard Drives
    1 TB NVME SSD (only weakness is only one slot)
    PSU
    Internal + 65W thunderbolt USB4 charger
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois (UK pint cans - 568 ml) - extra cost.
    Keyboard
    Built in UK keybd
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wireless dongled, wired
    Internet Speed
    900 mbs (ethernet), wifi 6 typical 350-450 mb/s both up and down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0, 2xUSB4 thunderbolt, 1xUsb3 (usb a), 1xUsb-c, hdmi out, 3.5 mm audio out/in combo, ASUS backlit trackpad (inc. switchable number pad)

    Macrium Reflect Home V8
    Office 365 Family (6 users each 1TB onedrive space)
    Hyper-V (a vm runs almost as fast as my older laptop)
NicodemoTT said:
Hi everyone, this is my first post on this forum :)

I noticed some time ago that there is a curious thing in the boot with my 11 installation stick.

If I boot with it and open the command prompt i notice that the Windows 11 partition on the SSD is not "mounted" automatically, no drive letter is assigned and by default it is not accessible. I must first assign a drive letter with the "assign letter" command on diskpart. It is a strange thing because in my memory the Windows partition on hard disks or SSDs is always mounted automatically and so it is if i do the same operation on Windows 10 for example.

So is there anyone who can kindly verify and confirm whether it is a default behavior or is it my exclusive?

Thanks to any volunteers.
Click to expand...
I find the same.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win7,Win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i
  • Operating System
    win7,win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    pentium g5400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    1x8gb 2400
    PSU
    xfx pro 450
cereberus said:
As a rule, to do a clean install you should delete all existing partitions (except any data partitions you wish to keep), and install to the unallocated space. Drive letters are not required.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the answer, but the topic of the question is not the installation :)

The question is: is it common that in the command prompt started by booting from a USB stick, by default the drive letter is not assigned to the Windows 11 partition on the disk/SSD?
Thanks again
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
Make sure to use the newest Windows 11 bootable media as the oldest version had this problem.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
    Motherboard
    Erica6
    Memory
    Micron Technology DDR4-3200 16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC671
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster U28E590
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG MZVLQ1T0HALB-000H1
26100.2605 boot.wim image 2 appears ok

25100-2605-boot.wim.webp


25100-2605-boot.wim2.webp
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win7,Win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i
  • Operating System
    win7,win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    pentium g5400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    1x8gb 2400
    PSU
    xfx pro 450
could have the build in the title like this

25100-2605-boot.wim-curos.webp
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win7,Win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i
  • Operating System
    win7,win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    pentium g5400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    1x8gb 2400
    PSU
    xfx pro 450
NicodemoTT said:
I noticed some time ago that there is a curious thing in the boot with my 11 installation stick.

If I boot with it and open the command prompt i notice that the Windows 11 partition on the SSD is not "mounted" automatically, no drive letter is assigned and by default it is not accessible.
Click to expand...

26100.2605.webp

I only have this problem in the virtual machine: VMware Workstation Pro 17.6.2.

But when I boot the desktop computer from a USB stick, then this problem doesn't exist.

- Windows 11 24H2 build 26100.1742
- Windows 11 24H2 build 26100.2033
- Windows 11 24H2 build 26100.2605
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
cant find the relevant sources\install.wim

25100-2605-boot.wim-cantfind.webp

winntsetup browse to the iso file

25100-2605-boot.wim-wintsetup1.webp

it is mounted

25100-2605-boot.wim-wintsetup2.webp


now windows setup.exe can find it

25100-2605-boot.wim-launch-setup1.webp


25100-2605-boot.wim-launch-setup2.webp
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win7,Win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i
  • Operating System
    win7,win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    pentium g5400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    1x8gb 2400
    PSU
    xfx pro 450
Thanks to the participants, i just created a new Windows 11 installation stick with the mediacreationtool just downloaded from the official Microsoft site

https://imgur.com/91XsB7A

nothing has changed, the Windows 11 partition is without a drive letter and in the details volume it is indicated as "no default drive letter: yes"

https://imgur.com/X7EEXVD

This is the version of Windows declared by prompt and notepad, 26100.2033

https://imgur.com/0bHqDrP

User SIW2 shows everything OK with 26100.2605 i have to think the problem comes from this? It seems not because the user aubergine shows it also happens with the 26100.2605

Maybe a bug that occurs under certain circumstances?
:confused:???

I repeat again that it is not a problem regarding the installation of Windows 11, this happens regularly. It is a phenomenon that occurs in the command prompt.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
I had the same problem three years ago (picture below). Now there is the same problem again, but only in the virtual machine.

You can't do anything about it. Or, does anyone know a solution to the problem?

IMG_2312.webp
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
NicodemoTT said:
i just created a new Windows 11 installation stick with the mediacreationtool just downloaded from the official Microsoft site
Click to expand...

I just did the same, and all my drives are listed.

1736285527930.webp
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro 24H2 26100.3037
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-14700F
    Motherboard
    ASUS TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI
    Memory
    G.SKILL Ripjaws S5 Series 64GB (2 x 32GB) DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 12GB OC
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster AE-5 Plus
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS TUF Gaming 27" 2K HDR Gaming
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 990 Pro 1TB NVMe (Win 11 24H2)
    SK hynix P41 500GB NVMe (Win 11 23H2)
    SK hynix P41 2TB NVMe (x3)
    Crucial P3 Plus 4TB
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x Shift
    Case
    Antec Dark Phantom DP502 FLUX
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black + 7 Phantek T-30's
    Keyboard
    Logitech MK 320
    Mouse
    Razer Basilisk V3
    Internet Speed
    350Mbs
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Winows Security
    Other Info
    Windows 11 23H2 22631.4830
    On System One (Dual Boot)
  • Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 24H2 26100.3037
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-11700F
    Motherboard
    Asus TUF Gaming Z590 Plus WiFi
    Memory
    64 GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 XC Black Gaming
    Sound Card
    SoundBlaster X-Fi Titanium
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung F27T350
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
    Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB
    Samsung 870 EVO 500GB SSD
    PSU
    Corsair HX750
    Case
    Cougar MX330-G Window
    Cooling
    Hyper 212 EVO
    Internet Speed
    350Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
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