Running Windows off an External SSD but Video Card Isnt Being Recognised

Listhistaken on 11/05/2022 - 13:46

My wife has a 2014 5k imac which has a fusion drive (i.e. slow).

I dont have the expertise to open it up and replace it with an SSD but found out that running it off an external SSD is a viable option.

I followed a tutorial and used wintousb to install windows onto the external SSD.

Everything works fine except for one thing: the video card isnt being recognised (it's an R9 M290X). In the device manager, the driver stays on "microsoft basic display adapter". When I use try to use the AMD software to detect the video card, it says that no AMD card can be detected. I've also tried uninstalling the display adapter and then pointing it to the directory containing the drivers i downloaded. That did not work either.

As far as it is concerned, the gpu does not exist.

If i remove the SSD and boot using the original internal drive, everything is fine i.e. the video card has no issues.

Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how to get it working with the video card being detected?

The only possible solutions i have come up with are:
- using a different partition scheme when using wintousb, but i honestly dont understand the difference, i just followed the tutorial. The options are "MBR for BIOS", "GPT for UEFI", "MBR for BIOS and UEFI". I had chosen "GPT for UEFI"
- instead of using wintousb, just cloning the original drive to the SSD and boot off that.

I'd like to avoid a direct clone as I want to have a "clean" windows install.

Thanks in advance!

Computing

Comments

  • BewareOfThe Dog on 11/05/2022 - 13:54
    +1

    Installing an Internal SSD, especially one in a 2.5" case are quite easy to install. Just turn the PC off, open it up, and replace the existing drive, using the same cables and screws.

    You may need to change the Boot settings in the Bios, and try reinstalling Windows again.

    • scrimshaw on 11/05/2022 - 13:59
      +1

      Turning the PC off is the easy part, but "opening it up" is another challenge altogether.

      https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+27-Inch+Retina+5K+Di…

      • BewareOfThe Dog on 11/05/2022 - 14:01

        Whoops, I just saw it was an Imac. A bit more involved but still reasonably easy. You will need I think a Torq style screwdriver (that uses Multiple bits)

    • isthistaken on 11/05/2022 - 14:03

      thanks for the reply! I'm comfortable with a regular windows desktop 'box', and have done it on my own.

      However the imac is a totally different beast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBQG_f68DKk

      bit too risky for my liking!

      • EightImmortals on 11/05/2022 - 14:35

        I know how you feel but I've done a couple now and both worked no problems. Both of those ones had the screen that was held on with magnets and not glue but you get the screen off it's not too bad. Just go slow and follow the instructions….and make sure you have cloned the HDD over to the SSD first. :) Following that guide yo might need to get some replacement adhesive strips before you start.

        That which does not kill us makes us stronger…

  • Lord Fart Bucket on 11/05/2022 - 13:57

    Does the card register when you run windows on the fusion drive (bootcamp)?

    • isthistaken on 11/05/2022 - 14:04

      yes, when i remove the external SSD and just boot normally, the card is recognised by windows.

      if it matters, my wife does not use OS X as some software she uses only works off windows.

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