[Guide] NVMe-boot for systems with legacy BIOS and UEFI board (DUET-REFIND)

@kado

Good you solved.
Point is;
This build doesn’t understand or listen to the OS running context.
If it’s supported by your hardware and available to your software you should be able to get it working.

Why not boot off an internal harddrive or SSD rather than a USB stick, on a Yumi partition? Yumi Link. You can use Yumi boot loader internally with a secondary internal drive, or an external USB hard drive.

1. You must create a new partition on a secondary drive (must be secondary to boot drive);
2. Set the new partition to “ACTIVE” with MiniTool partition Manager Free; This allows the secondary partition to be booted.
3. Create an ISO [link] of a working DUET USB boot stick, and import it into Yumi as Unlisted ISO, to start, its wise to install to all “Unlisted ISO” options as often times one works and another will not, and it changes from program version to program version. For this to work you must copy / or change the name of the ISO.
4. In BIOS, set your primary boot drive to the Yumi drive; or use whatever boot up selection menu you have, select the yumi partition.

You may use a virtual USB emulator to help you create an ISO without actually using a stick. [link]

This way you can utilize the full speed of internal storage such as an SSD or m.2, and it spares you a thumb drive; and you can add it to the extensive list of bootable OS’s and tools Yumi offers…

I’ve tried testing with a few dozen distribution presets, it but wasn’t able to get it working; if someone out there is willing to do further testing with other distribution presets, perhaps one could find one to get it working; one may have to speak with the creator of yumi to get this ironed out.

@zats

Since my PC hangs when booting from usb (either by having usb 2.0 or legacy mode enabled, OS only boot with usb 1.1 mode, probably usb controller is broken) I just made a duet usb pen, used Minitool Partition Wizard (free) to image it to a sata drive and used the rest of the space (secondary partition) for storage.
Now it boots into duet and then into any efi os I have.
That way only two tools are needed:
Duet usb installer and MiniTool.

Hello, guys. When i’m select my flash drive with installer Win10 in DUET REFIND, Windows logo is loading and all stops - circle progress bar don’t shown. I decided to wait 20 minutes, but nothing has changed.

How to fix that?

My motherboard - Asus P6T, NVMe drive - WD Black SN750, Windows 10 from official site, and installer, maded in Rufus, WORK on other UEFI computer, I’m check it. Install DUET2017 from this site, version 2019 don’t work.
Settings in RUFUS - GPT, UEFI (non-CSM), and I’m try FAT32 and NFTS - in the case of both the same thing happens - it stops at the installer logo of Windows, and circle progressbar don’t shown.

@Blakil

So you have two usb drives? One with duet and other with Win10 installer right? Does the computer freeze (like if you press caps lock nothing happens). 2019 build should work. My mainbord is similar to yours (P6T Deluxe v2). Do you have latest bios?

@Blakil

If the windows installation media doesn’t work probably something wrong with.
The quicker option is to download the windows 10 media creation tool and redo the ESD-USB.

@noInk

Found the culprit for my issue, it was OFA NVMe driver v1.5. With stock MS driver it works fine. I’m trying some people here in the forum to see if there is a solution.

Yes, two USB drives - first with DUET/REFIND, second with Windows 10 installer. And last bios, 1408 version.

On other computer (with UEFI) this USB with installer works normal.

P.S. Try to install Windows 10 on NVMe drive on other computer, with UEFI - and did it. Right, until the first restart. As it turned out, the local UEFI also does not support NVME drives. However, he did the initial installation, and I rearranged NVMe to the target computer with P6T. DUET on it saw the disk. However, booting from it, the result is the same as when trying to run the installer Win10 from a USB flash drive - it just stay on the Windows logo.

P.P.S. That’s work! Simply need in bios:
Advance -->Chipset -->Intel VT-d → from enabled in DISABLED
And it works!

But… is it possible to do autoload?

@kado
@noInk
(Sorry, I didn’t immediately understand how the naming system works.)

@kado
If it doesn’t happen with the vendor specific or the default OS driver maybe the OFA NVMe driver doesn’t fully work with sleep\hibernation.

@Blakil
There lots of configuration, if VT-d is required download the windows 10 media creation tool and redo the USB and if it doesn’t work check for bent CPU pin on the socket.

@noInk

No, I don’t need that. I downloaded ISO directly from the Microsoft website, and it installed absolutely normally anywhere. Apparently, the problem is that VT-d makes some settings for the devices, which does not allow working with them from DUET.

@Blakil

Chance are something wrong with the WIN10 USB or you CPU socket.
If the 2019 version is giving you issue, use the 2015 DUET version.

Hi guys , i have serious problem here:D recently i get new x58 by gigabyte (ga-usb3) and wants to install nvme 1tb by lexar so i try duet and going to getting the job done as before i did on P6T by asus and same cpu (x5650) but now i freeze at first when i put usb duet flash for more specific i should say motherboard knows usb storage even try to boot but before going the bootloader it goes freez and said : "entering dxe - duet udk2017" in red text color and some music symbol and nothing

@CelsiuS

Try the use the either the 2019 or 2015 DUET version. The 2015 might be more compatible with your board.

no differences i try them all

@CelsiuS

Did you remake the USB at each try? Does it work on other system?
if disabling the USB 3.0 doesn’t help, try Clover.
If it work there might be hope but not all system are compatible with DUET and I’m unable to implement unknown fixes.

im trying aging on duet 2015
i have issue on clover too , steps dosent go well as in tutorial

problem solved !!! tnx !!! i cant believe usb3 was problem ( i switch to disable)


Agreed!. Situations like yours worry me. I mean what are we going to do when USB 2.0 is fully deprecated and not found on any systems any more? We all know the day is coming when only USB 3.0 ports and above will be on these systems, and even though they are supposedly backwards compatible, seeing results like yours is proof that USB 2.0 ports are still needed for certain things, apparently.