3 Easy Tricks to Put Windows 11 on USB Drive
Linux always had the advantage of being able to run OS directly from an USB drive without even installing it. It is called Live CD. On Windows, this feature is called Windows To Go, which puts Windows OS on a flash drive.
The advantages of running Windows 11 from USB is multifold; you can use this Windows To Go USB to boot up the PC and find a solution to the problem; you can start working on unfinished work by simply plugging this USB drive into a new PC at anywhere and anytime when you bring the USB with you.
Unfortunately, the official tool for creating Windows To Go USB was retired by Microsoft two years ago. To put Windows 11 on USB, we need to use third-party tools to complete this job. In this tutorial, we will show you 3 different tricks that will let you put Windows 11 on USB in great details.
Prerequisite for Putting Windows 11 on USB Drive
Most of these tools would require you to have a Windows 11 ISO image file. You can download that as follows:
1. Head over to the Windows 11 downloads page.
2. Scroll down to the “Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO)” section, and select Windows 11 (multi-edition ISO) from the dropdown. Then click on Download.
3. Now you will see another dropdown where you need to select your language. Here I have selected English. Next, click on Confirm.
4. Finally, you’ll see a button that says 64-bit download link. Click on it and save the ISO file on your desktop.
Although a tool like Rufus does let you download this ISO from within the program, we will be using this ISO file for all the tools to make this tutorial consistent.
1. Put Windows 11 on USB with Rufus
Rufus is a free tool that would let you put Windows 11 on an USB drive. It’s packed with features, and using it means you won’t need to download the Windows 11 ISO files separately. Using Rufus, you can even create normal bootable USB for installing Windows. However, Rufus can at times damage your USB drive, and it doesn’t have any technical support as a backup in case you are stuck. Moreover, even if nothing goes wrong, at times the USB created using Rufus throws a Windows To Go unavailable error.
1. Download the latest version of Rufus (https://rufus.ie/) and unzip the application.
2. Insert the empty USB drive and launch the tool by double clicking on the program icon. Remember, the size of the USB needs to be larger than 64 GB.
3. On the Rufus window, select the USB drive from the dropdown below Device, then under Boot selection, click on SELECT to choose the Windows 11 ISO file that you had downloaded. Under Image option choose Windows To Go from the dropdown, and finally click on START.
4. Rufus will take 15 minutes to decompress ISO file and put Windows 11 on USB flash drive.
Using Rufus is fine because it’s free unless you have encountered a problem, then you are on your own. If you don’t want to try your luck, I would suggest you to look at the other tools discussed below.
2. Put Windows 11 on USB with AnyWinGo
AnyWinGo from SysGeeker is the next best option to Rufus if you really want to put Windows 11 on USB. This is a freemium utility that you can try first, and if satisfied, you can purchase it for a minimum amount.
AnyWinGo is simple and easy to use and has an intuitive UI. They also have a technical support team unlike Rufus to bail you out in times of distress while using the tool.
1. Double-click on the AnyWinGo icon on your desktop to launch the utility after downloading the installation package from SysGeeker official website (https://www.sysgeeker.com/windows-to-go-creator.html).
2. Insert the blank USB in your PC and you’ll go to the first window which will have 2 options on it. Click on the Next button beside For Windows Device.
4. Now you’ll be asked to select a Windows ISO image. Go for the option that says From Windows Image File, then click choose the Windows 11 ISO by clicking on the folder icon. Then select the version of Windows 11 that you are installing on the USB from the Auto Set dropdown. Then click on Next to continue.
5. On the next window select the blank USB drive from the dropdown and click Next to continue.
6. In the Advanced Setting Options window, select UEFI+GPT and leave the rest of the settings as is. Finally, click on Start to start the process. It will ask you for confirmation, click Yes to confirm.
7. This might take some time and once the process is completed, you’ll see a message on a pop-up box. Click OK to close it and exit the program.
There are no known cases of errors while using AnyWinGo, but even if there is you can always reach out to their tech support team.
3. Put Windows 11 on USB with AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard
This tool is another freeware that you can use to put Windows 11 on USB in case, for some reason, either Rufus or AnyWinGo is not working for you. Using it can be a little difficult mostly because of the plethora of options on the primary window. Moreover, most of the additional features are available only on the paid version.
1. Download AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard, install it, then launch and insert the blank USB drive in your PC.
2. Click on All Tools on the pane on the left, then select Windows To Go Creator from the dialogue box that pops up.
3. On the next window, choose Create Windows To Go for personal computer and click Next.
4. From the next window, choose the option Create Windows To Go with system disc/ISO, then select the Windows 11 ISO file that you downloaded earlier and click Next.
5. On the next window, select the correct USB drive and click Proceed. That will show a warning that all the data on this USB will be deleted. Click Yes to start the process. Once done, you’ll see Windows 11 has been put on USB.
By far Rufus is the best bet to put Windows 11 on USB, although AnyWinGo is the safest bet. If you don’t want to purchase any software for this then go for Rufus. However, if you run into trouble and don’t know how to solve that problem on your own, then you should try AnyWinGo.
