Microsoft’s Windows To Go feature installs Windows as a live system on a boot able USB drive. It’s officially only for Enterprise Editions but there is way to make it with any edition of windows.
This process allows you to create a live Windows USB drive that functions like a live Windows USB Drive. You can boot it on any computer. The operating system’s files and programs will stay on the external drive.
What We need:
Lets Start:
Microsoft Recommends 32GB USB Drive but I have Sandisk Cruzer Blade 16GB (As we are going to use GimageX tool, it will let us allow to create Windows To Go USB without default Windows To Go Tool which need at least 32GB USB drive) . Insert the USB Drive and it will list in the my computer.
Now Download and install the Free GImageX Tool on your system. This is a graphical ImageX tool from Microsoft’s Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit. It will allow you to work with the WIM files from the Windows installation media and create a Windows To Go drive without Microsoft’s official Windows-To-Go tool. just download the tiny GImageX utility.
Current version is for Windows 8.1 but we are going to try it with Windows 10.
Now We have Windows 10 Media and GImageX Tool.
locate the Install.wim file, which is stored on the Windows installation media. Open the DVD Media and browse the folder sources and you will find here install.wim. D:\sources\install.wim, Where D is the drive letter.
Now we have to image the install.wim onto the USB drive. Now Open the Extracted folder of GimageX tool and run to correct version of program for your computer. x64 for 64-bit version of windows and x86 for 32-bit version of windows. We have x64 so open the folder x64 and run the gimagex.
Click the Apply tab in GImageX. In the Source box, browse for the install.wim file you found earlier. In the Destination box, choose the external drive you’ll be installing Windows To Go on. Click the Apply button and GImageX will image the Install.wim file onto the USB drive.
Wait for the image processing to complete as we are using USB 2.0
After Completion of process close the GImageX tool and make sure the USB Partition is Active so your computer will boot from this USB. Right click on This-PC icon and Click Manage and click on Storage-Disk Management and check.
Now we have to create boot entries on the USB drive.
Open Command Prompt as Administrator and Go to the USB Drive letter i.e is E:\ in our case and change the directory to windows\system32
Now Run Following Command.
bcdboot.exe E:\Windows /s E: /f ALL
(As Microsoft Technet Page explains, this command “creates boot entries on a USB flash drive… including boot files to support either a UEFI-based or a BIOS-based.
Now you have Windows 10 Live USB ready. Restart your computer and boot VIA USB. When you boot from the USB you have to go through the first time setup process and you will see Windows working normally.
Cheers:)
This process allows you to create a live Windows USB drive that functions like a live Windows USB Drive. You can boot it on any computer. The operating system’s files and programs will stay on the external drive.
What We need:
- A USB drive with minimum 32 GB of space and its better to have USB 3 Enabled but you can use USB 2 as well. Microsoft Certified USB drives are all starts from 32 GB of storage space. These certified devices are tested so they have high speeds and good manufacturer warranties — a cheap USB drive might be slower and die sooner due to the higher volume of writes.
- Windows 10 Files or ISO
- Free GImageX Tool (You can create Windows To Go USB without Enterprise Edition with this tool)
Lets Start:
Microsoft Recommends 32GB USB Drive but I have Sandisk Cruzer Blade 16GB (As we are going to use GimageX tool, it will let us allow to create Windows To Go USB without default Windows To Go Tool which need at least 32GB USB drive) . Insert the USB Drive and it will list in the my computer.
Now Download and install the Free GImageX Tool on your system. This is a graphical ImageX tool from Microsoft’s Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit. It will allow you to work with the WIM files from the Windows installation media and create a Windows To Go drive without Microsoft’s official Windows-To-Go tool. just download the tiny GImageX utility.
Current version is for Windows 8.1 but we are going to try it with Windows 10.
Now We have Windows 10 Media and GImageX Tool.
locate the Install.wim file, which is stored on the Windows installation media. Open the DVD Media and browse the folder sources and you will find here install.wim. D:\sources\install.wim, Where D is the drive letter.
Now we have to image the install.wim onto the USB drive. Now Open the Extracted folder of GimageX tool and run to correct version of program for your computer. x64 for 64-bit version of windows and x86 for 32-bit version of windows. We have x64 so open the folder x64 and run the gimagex.
Click the Apply tab in GImageX. In the Source box, browse for the install.wim file you found earlier. In the Destination box, choose the external drive you’ll be installing Windows To Go on. Click the Apply button and GImageX will image the Install.wim file onto the USB drive.
Wait for the image processing to complete as we are using USB 2.0
After Completion of process close the GImageX tool and make sure the USB Partition is Active so your computer will boot from this USB. Right click on This-PC icon and Click Manage and click on Storage-Disk Management and check.
Now we have to create boot entries on the USB drive.
Open Command Prompt as Administrator and Go to the USB Drive letter i.e is E:\ in our case and change the directory to windows\system32
Now Run Following Command.
bcdboot.exe E:\Windows /s E: /f ALL
(As Microsoft Technet Page explains, this command “creates boot entries on a USB flash drive… including boot files to support either a UEFI-based or a BIOS-based.
Now you have Windows 10 Live USB ready. Restart your computer and boot VIA USB. When you boot from the USB you have to go through the first time setup process and you will see Windows working normally.
Cheers:)
