Gone are the days when we could only run Windows from the hard drive inside our computer. I always wanted a second option, 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 or desktop computer. If you want, Windows 11/10 can be powered up from a USB stick or a USB hard drive. Once the hardware and software are available to make it work, everything should work just fine.
WinToUSB – Run Windows from a USB
Several software programs allow you to run Windows via a USB flash drive. Today, we’ll discuss WinToUSB software.
First, you’ll need to download WinToUSB from the official website. It is just a little over 5 megabytes, so it should be a quick download, no matter the connection speed. Next, have your Windows ISO file on the computer’s hard drive or 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 appear under the Operating System category. From there, click on the “Next” button below.
Moving forward, users should see a search box, which they can use to locate their 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. 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 click on the CD-ROM icon instead of the ISO icon this time.
We should talk about the third icon, right? 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.
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.
