This is available as a feature in Windows 8 and 8.1 Enterprise and Windows 10 Pro, Education, and Enterprise. It’s good to know that Microsoft also offers an official portable USB version of its operating system – Windows to Go. All you need apart from the USB drive is an ISO file of the Windows install together with a program for creating the portable installation, which we’ll discuss in the next step.

You can install any recent version of Windows on a USB drive, including Windows 7, 8, and 10.

So, for best results, grab a new USB 3.0 flash drive, or else one that’s seen only light to moderate use. The performance of a flash drive tends to decrease over time since this storage technology can only handle a limited number of write and read operations. Otherwise, file speeds will be limited to USB 2.0 speeds.Īnother thing to consider is how much the flash drive has been used. But remember that to enjoy the better performance of USB 3.0, the computer into which you plug your drive needs to have a compatible USB 3.0 port. For optimal performance, however, it’s best to use a USB 3.0 drive, which provides faster file transfer speeds. You can install Windows on any USB 2.0 flash drive with at least 16GB of storage space. If Windows crashes and then stops booting, it can help you access your files and perhaps even troubleshoot the problem.Ĭreating a portable Windows installation is pretty easy, provided you have a USB drive to spare. You can use it to run any recent version of Windows on any computer regardless of its existing operating system or, in other words, create your own portable version of Windows that you can take with you anywhere.Ī portable Windows installation is also useful if you want to rescue your computer. Thinking about packing up Windows on a USB drive? It could prove useful.

Creating a Portable Windows Installation on a USB Drive

Windows 10 to flash drive