How to Install Windows 11, 10, 8, 7 to USB as Portable OS Device
How to install Windows on a USB drive
When working from home or on a business trip, you may want to run a different Windows system like Windows 10, 8, 7 from a bootable Windows USB. Fortunately, this is not a difficult operation, and we can make a portable system by installing Windows to a USB drive.
- Install Windows to USB with the current system
- Boot a PC from a portable Windows USB
- Install Windows with a USB drive
How to install Windows 11/10/8/7 onto USB
You can install Windows to a USB drive using the "Windows To Go Creator" feature, provided by Qiling Disk Master Professional. This allows you to create a portable Windows environment on a USB drive, enabling you to use your own system on any other PC.
This tool allows you to create a Windows USB with either an ISO file or the current system, and also supports creating a Windows OS bootable USB on a Mac. You can even download a demo version to see how it works.
Before the operation, you need to know (and you need to do):
- An ISO file/disc: The installation process can be initiated by inserting a Windows installation disc, downloading an ISO file from the Microsoft website, or installing the current system on a USB drive.
- A 2.0/3.0 USB flash drive: Considering running speed, we recommend a 3.0 USB drive, which is faster than a 2.0 USB and more convenient to use.
- The USB drive will be formatted before it is created to be a "Windows To Go" device.
▶ Install Windows to USB with the current system
Step 1 To create a Windows To Go drive, open the "Windows To Go Creator" in the main interface and select the option "Creating Windows To Go with PC". This will allow you to create a portable version of Windows that can be used on any PC.
Step 3. Create Windows To Go with the current system, and you will see the elaborate information of the current OS on the computer, and click "Next".
Step 4. The program will detect your USB drive. If it can't be detected, reinsert it. You can also click "Advanced" to choose the type of system and startup mode. Then click "Proceed".
When the operation is complete, Windows will be installed on the USB, and you can use it to boot other computers.
How to Boot a PC from the portable Windows USB
To connect the USB to another PC, simply plug it into a USB port and enter the BIOS setup. From there, you can set the USB drive as the boot drive, allowing you to access its contents. To do this, follow the specific steps for your computer's BIOS setup, which may involve navigating menus and selecting the USB drive as the primary boot device.
Step 1. With the USB inserted, turn on the computer.
Step 2. When the initial startup screen appears, tap the BIOS key, which is usually F2, F3, F4, F7, or F8, depending on the manufacturer of the BIOS.
Step 3. To access the BIOS setup, the computer will automatically launch it. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the "Boot" tab.
Step 4. To change the boot order, select "Boot Order" or a similar option, and move the USB drive to the first position in the boot sequence. This will allow the computer to prioritize booting from the USB drive over the internal hard drive.
Step 5. Save the changes and exit, then the PC will start from the USB.
Further reading: How to install Windows with a USB drive
If you want to create a Windows creation tool, you can refer to the content to learn how to install Windows to your computer through a USB drive. This process allows you to create a bootable USB for Windows installation.
Step 1. Insert a USB drive into your computer, download the Windows ISO file, and then proceed with the installation process.
Step 2. To open the Command Prompt, click the "Search" icon on the left bottom of the screen, type "cmd" in the search box, and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.
Step 3. To open the Diskpart tool, type "diskpart" and press Enter on Command Prompt.
● list disk
● select disk n (n is the drive letter of your USB)
● clean
● create partition primary
● select partition 1
● format fs=ntfs quick.
● active
After executing the commands, your USB drive is now bootable for installation. The next step is to burn the ISO file to the USB drive, making it ready for use.
Step 4. And leave the Disk part tool, and open Command Prompt, then execute the commands as follows:
● xcopy A:\*.* B: /s/e/fThe command to copy the contents of the ISO image to the USB drive is `dd if=A: of=E: bs=4M`. This command uses the `dd` utility to copy the contents of the ISO image on the A: drive to the E: drive.
● A:\Boot\Bootsect /NT60 B: /force /mbr".
The two commands will copy an ISO file to a USB drive and write a bootloader to the USB, allowing it to be used to boot a PC and install Windows.
✍Attention: It's not possible to run your own system directly on a computer using this method. If you need to, you can use the "Windows To Go Creator" that comes with Qiling Disk Master Professional.
Conclusion
To install Windows to a USB drive, follow this tutorial, which applies to various Windows systems, including Windows 10/8/7, Windows XP, and Vista. Additionally, the Qiling Disk Master software offers other features, such as migrating the OS to a HDD or SSD, extending the system disk, and creating a bootable USB to repair your computer if you encounter boot issues.
If you're looking to clone a Windows system, there are a few options available depending on your computer's operating system. For a Windows system, you can consider using Qiling Disk Master, which is a popular and user-friendly tool that allows you to clone your Windows system to a new hard drive.
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