Last week, while clearing my workstation, I came across an old USB flash drive I hadn't used in years. That got me thinking: is it practical to install Windows on a flash drive? No, not a bootable drive, but a full Windows installation running from a flash drive instead of an HDD or SSD. I read about people trying and failing, but it was a harmless experiment. And since Microsoft had officially discontinued Windows To Go, I wanted to find out whether portable Windows was still a possibility.

I already had everything I needed: a flash drive, a Windows 10 ISO, and Rufus. So, I started preparing the flash drive. Honestly, it took much longer than I had initially anticipated. After a few failed attempts, I finally had Windows boot from a flash drive, and it was surprisingly smooth.

Installing Windows on a flash drive is easier than it sounds

A fast flash drive is critical

The setup process is fairly straightforward. Download Rufus if you don't have it already, get the Windows ISO from Microsoft's official website, and plug in the flash drive. In Rufus, select the flash drive from the list, add the ISO file, then choose "Windows To Go" from the Image option dropdown menu, and click on "Start." The remaining settings here depend on the setup. For instance, if you have an old laptop that relies on a legacy BIOS, pick MBR as the partition scheme and BIOS as the target system. That's what worked in my case.

You will then have to pick the Windows version you want to install. I selected the Home edition. Lastly, you will be asked to configure the Windows User Experience. I went with the default setup, though you can customize it. Rufus will now take some time to prepare the drive. On slower flash drives, it may even take hours.

When I first tried booting Windows from the flash drive, I was stuck on the "Getting devices ready" screen for a few hours. That's when it hit me. I was using a USB 2.0 flash drive, which likely isn't fast enough to run portable Windows. By now, I was so invested in the experiment that I repeated the same steps with a 128GB USB 3.2 flash drive. This time, Rufus prepared it much faster. And on my next attempt, Windows didn't just load, but it did so without throwing a single error or getting stuck.

Running Windows from a flash drive is doable

But it's not for everyone

Now, it was time to test whether the setup was practical for everyday use. Like most users, my primary concern was whether I could browse the web and run third-party apps. I opened up Microsoft Edge, loaded a few websites, and they all worked fine, much like a regular Windows installation. Next, I tried installing a bunch of apps, both from the developer's official website and the Microsoft Store. I started with a popular screenshot software, ShareX, and the installation went smoothly. As for the app's functioning, it was the same as on my other Windows computer. I didn't try any resource-intensive apps since the laptop itself was old.

Then, I got to the Microsoft Store. Upon loading it the first time, Windows asked me to update the store, and it took a few attempts to complete. For some reason, it showed that I was on a metered connection, even though the network settings were configured correctly. After the update, Microsoft Store loaded fine, and I was able to install a series of apps and games.

So, as far as basic use is concerned, Windows To Go does work. You can install apps you frequently use and keep the flash drive around as a portable or emergency setup. But it's not practical for regular use, given the impact on your system's speed and performance.

Performance and reliability are major concerns

Frequent errors can affect the experience

As soon as I moved beyond simple apps or tried basic multitasking, the effects on performance were far more visible. The system didn't freeze, but it was slow. And that's with a USB 3.2 flash drive. Anything older might feel even more sluggish. There's also the long-term reliability of the setup. Flash drives aren't built to handle constant read and write operations like an HDD or SSD. Over time, this may lead to slower performance, stability issues, or even data corruption. Additionally, updates took longer to install than on a regular Windows setup.

Performance was one of the major reasons I tried the experiment with Windows 10 and not the latest iteration, Windows 11. Perhaps an older version of Windows would deliver better results.

Portable Windows makes sense

If only Microsoft made it more mainstream

The idea of a portable Windows installation deserves more attention than it gets. Being able to carry your own Windows setup on a flash drive and boot it on almost any PC solves a lot of practical problems. At least for me, it does.

Windows To Go may be officially discontinued, but the concept still works. With simple utilities, you can set up a portable Windows installation. If Microsoft actively worked on the idea, it could easily become more mainstream and perhaps narrow the gap between Windows and Linux.