Gone are the days when we could only run Windows from the hard drive inside our computer. I always wanted a second option, you know, a way to carry Windows with me in a compact form. These days, we no longer have to fire up Windows from the hard drive inside a laptop computer or a desktop computer. If you want, Windows 10/8/7 can be powered up from a USB stick or a USB hard drive, it matters not. Once the hardware is available along with the right software to make it work, everything should work just fine.
WinToUSB – Run Windows from a USB
OK, so there is several software for running Windows via a USB flash drive. However, today we’re going to talk about a software called WinToUSB. It is not the best thing since sliced bread, that’s for sure, but it is indeed one of the best software for installing Windows.
First off, you’ll need to download WinToUSB from the official website. The size is just a little over 5-megabytes so it should be a quick download no matter the connection speed. Next, be sure to have your Windows ISO file on the computer’s hard drive or on a CD.
Once everything is in place, install WinToUSB, launch it, and get ready to rumble.
If you have the ISO on the hard drive, click on the icon on the left that says, “ISO.” After that, click on the small icon beside the search box to locate the ISO image. If everything goes according to plan, the Windows ISO should pop up under the Operating System category. From there, click on the “Next” button below.
Moving forward, users should see a search box, use to locate your USB stick. Now, be sure the stick has over 32GB of storage, and also, make sure the read and write speeds are pretty fast in order for Windows to perform well. Now, since you’re installing the operating system on a USB stick, it is going to take a while for it to complete.
Hey there, what about installing from a CD?
Just follow the same procedure, but this time, click on the CD-ROM icon instead of the ISO icon.
We should talk about the third icon, right? Well, if you’re interested in cloning your current installed operating system, then this is the Clone icon you’ll be required to click on. We’ve never tried it, so we’re unable to say how well it works, so we suggest seeking a second opinion.
Download WinToUSB from the official website. It is among the better Windows To Go Creators to create portable Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7.
How many times can I use a bootable USB Windows?
You can use it as a bootable Windows USB any number of times, however, you will have to activate each installation using an activation key. Apart from this, the PC on which you install Windows will need to be updated, if the USB doesn’t have the latest copy of the Windows installer. The update can be downloaded later or if the older installation files have expired, then you will need to update them immediately.
