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Windows 7 USB / DVD Download Tool is an easy-to-use application that allows you to create a bootable USB drive or disc for installing the Windows 7/8/10 operating system. Click the Windows START button, and click WINDOWS USB/DVD DOWNLOAD TOOL in the ALL PROGRAMS list to open the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool. In the SOURCE FILE box, type the name and path of your Windows ISO file, or click BROWSE.
Ever wanted a copy of Windows you can take with you wherever you go, to use on any computer you want? It's possible: here's how to install a portable version of Windows 8 on a USB hard drive that you can take anywhere.
The Enterprise version of Windows 8 has a feature called Windows To Go that lets you install a portable version of Windows on a 'certified' flash drive. Unfortunately, most of us don't have the Enterprise edition of Windows 8, nor a certified flash drive. However, there is a tool called WinToUSB that can essentially do the same thing, no matter what version of Windows you have. Here's how it works.
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(Note that this is different from installing Windows from a USB drive, which allows you to install Windows on a computer that doesn't have a CD drive. Here, we're actually installing Windows on a USB drive so we can run it from a drive on any computer you want, and take it with you for troubleshooting, remote work, and so on. If you're a Mac user, check out this post for more info on how to do this with OS X.)
What You'll Need (and What You'll Get)
You only need a few simple things to make this work. They include:
- A Windows installation disc or ISO image. We recommend using Windows 8. Windows 8 will allow you to use your portable installation on any computer, but Windows 7 is not as portable and may have driver or activation issues if you use it on other computers. (If you must use Windows 7, this alternative method may be preferable).
- A USB drive. An external hard drive is preferred over a flash drive, since it will run significantly faster. USB 2.0 will suffice, but if you have a USB 3.0 drive, we recommend using it (though it will only work if you're installing Windows 8, not Windows 7).
- WinToUSB. This is the simple program that will walk you through the installation process.
As you can see, there are a few caveats. We tested this using Windows 8.1 on a USB 2.0 external hard drive, and the results were quite satisfactory. It ran at a reasonable speed, automatically installed the drivers it needed, and worked on multiple computers. But your mileage may vary if you try to use Windows 7 or a flash drive.
Step One: Install WinToUSB
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First, download WinToUSB and install it on your system, just like you would any other program. Note that you'll need to be an administrator on the computer you install WinToUSB on.
While you're at it, find your Windows installation disc or ISO and get it ready, because you're going to need it in the next step. If you don't have one, you can download one from Microsoft.
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Step Two: Create Your Portable Drive
Next, you just need to start up WinToUSB and follow its (short) wizard to create your portable installation. There are only a few steps involved:
1. Select Your Installer Media
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When you start WinToUSB, you'll be prompted to choose your ISO file or disc. Click the browse button to find it, select the operating system you want to install, then click Next.
2. Select Your Hard Drive
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Next, you'll be asked to select your hard drive and choose the system and boot partitions. You can find more information about this here, but with a USB hard drive you should just be able to select the first partition as system and the second partition as boot, as shown above. Make sure your drive is formatted as NTFS.
3. Start the Installation
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When you click next, the installation will begin. I found it only took a half hour or so, though your mileage may vary depending on the speed of your hard drive.
Step Three: Boot From Your Portable Drive
Windows 7 Portable Usb Chomikuj
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That's it! It's actually a very quick and easy process, and when it's done, you can start running your portable installation on whatever computer you want. To do so, just plug it in, restart the computer, and boot from the drive just like you would a CD or flash drive (on my computer, that meant pressing F11 at boot and choosing the drive from a list).
The first time it starts, it'll install the necessary drivers and take awhile to boot, after which you can set up your machine just like you would a new Windows 8 PC. You may have to manually adjust some things like screen resolution, but once you're done, you can shut it down, move it to another computer, and run it from there. It may go through the driver installation step on each new computer (which means it'll take awhile to boot), but I found it moved between my two PCs quite well. Enjoy!
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Title image remixed from grebcha (Shutterstock).
Do you ever work on computers that aren’t your own? Ever find yourself frustrated at not being permitted to install your own programs, or having to adapt to different settings after you’ve already personalized a computer so it works just right for you?
What if I told you it didn’t have to be that way? What if I told you that you could carry around your own version of Windows in your pocket, ready to run on any computer you may encounter, with all the programs you typically use already installed and set up exactly the way you like?
Well, you can. Don’t worry, I won’t hold you in suspense. Here’s how you can set up your own Windows 2 Go USB Drive (or external drive, if you prefer) that will let you run Windows 8 or 8.1 anywhere you need to. It’s free, it’s portable, and it’s yours.
What Is Windows To Go
Windows To Go is a version of Windows 8.1 Enterprise designed to run on a portable device such as a USB flash drive or external drive. You can install applications, and work with files stored on the drive, but you’ll have to sync any apps you may have purchased from the Windows Store manually.
What You Need
You’ll need a USB Flash Drive with 16 GB or higher (32 GB would be ideal, so you can hold files on it), or an external drive. There are certified USB drives for this project, but you don’t need them with these instructions.
A certified USB drive will ensure your Windows To Go installation will work properly and boot up quickly. While a regular drive will work too, know that it may be slower — anywhere from taking a few extra moments to boot up, to 30 or 40 minutes extra to boot up. USB 3.0 will help, but your mileage may vary. You will also need:
- An ISO file or CD-ROM of the installation files for Windows 8Need a Legal & Cheap Windows License? Here Are Your OptionsNeed a Legal & Cheap Windows License? Here Are Your OptionsWindows is expensive. Here's how to buy a Windows 7, 8 or 10 product key cheaply or get a license for free legally.Read More, 8.1, or 10. With this method, you do not need the Enterprise license except for Windows 10The Ultimate Windows 10 Activation & License FAQThe Ultimate Windows 10 Activation & License FAQOne of the big confusions surrounding Windows 10 concerns its licensing and activation. This FAQ will shed some light, explain what has changed with Windows 10 version 1511 (Fall Update), and translate activation-related error codes.Read More. You can download an ISO of Windows 10 from Microsoft.
- Rufus, one of many tools that lets you create bootable USB drivesCreate a Bootable USB From an ISO With These 10 ToolsCreate a Bootable USB From an ISO With These 10 ToolsWant to create a bootable USB drive from an ISO file? We've got the ten best bootable USB drive creators around.Read More, or to be able to use command lineA Beginner's Guide To The Windows Command LineA Beginner's Guide To The Windows Command LineThe command line lets you communicate directly with your computer and instruct it to perform various tasks.Read More (it’s not hard at all).
- GImageX, the tool that lets you put the Windows installation files onto the USB. You won’t need this if you are using a certified USB drive.
How to Set Up Windows To Go
First, plug your USB into your computer and make it bootable. That means it will be able to hold an operating system, and it will be able to launch it when you start up your computer.
You can make a USB bootable with Rufus or using the command line, which tends to be more reliable.
Command Line Instructions to Make a Bootable USB
Rufus can make a USB bootableHow to Make a Bootable CD/DVD/USB to Install WindowsHow to Make a Bootable CD/DVD/USB to Install WindowsNeed installation media to reinstall Windows? Our tips show you how to create a bootable CD, USB, or DVD with an ISO from scratch.Read More, but occasionally it is unsuccessful. If you can use your command line, it won’t fail.
Follow these command line instructions.
- Input
diskpart
- Input
list disk
- Identify the disk number that represents your USB. It will be the one with roughly the number of GB that your USB has. In my case, it’s the one that says it has 14 GB.
- Once you know which disk number, input the command
select disk [x]
without the square brackets, and with your disk number in place of thex
. - Input
clean
to clean the disk. - Input
create part pri
to create a partition. - Input
select part 1
to select the first partition. - Input
active
to mark the partition as active. - Input
exit
You can check that your USB drive became bootable with a drive partition managerTop Tools for Managing and Maintaining Your SSDTop Tools for Managing and Maintaining Your SSDDid your SSD start out Usain Bolt fast, but now limps along? You can whip your drive back into shape using a handful of toolkits and optimization software, but caveat emptor: Some SSD optimization software...Read More like AOMEI Partition Assistant — it should be flagged under Status as “Active”. You’ll need to format it to NTFS.
Now your USB drive is bootable and ready for your Windows To Go installation.
Imaging the Windows Installation files to your USB
To put Windows on the prepared drive, mount your Windows ISO files, so you can access the install.wim files.
To mount your Windows ISO files, open the context menu by right-clicking on the ISO file for the version of Windows you want installed on the USB. There should be a menu option that will let you Mount the drive.
Now that your Windows ISO files are mounted, open GImageX. This program provides you with a graphical user interface to complete this install, without a certified USB stick.
Under the Apply section of GImageX, click the Browse button and navigate to the sources folder on your mounted ISO file and select the install.wim file.
![Windows 7 portable usb 8gb Windows 7 portable usb 8gb](/uploads/1/2/4/9/124950883/198157580.jpg)
Click Apply and settle in for what could be a long wait, especially if your drive isn’t very fast.
Mine estimated a five hour wait, and finished in a little over four and a half hours.
After it’s done installing, you’ll be able to use Windows To Go in a computer set up to let you boot from things other than the main operating system.
How to Boot from Your Windows To Go USB
One thing you need to know about this project is you can’t just plug the USB into your computer, turn it on, and expect it to run. First, make sure that the computer’s BIOS is set to boot from an external USB (flash) drive, before proceeding with booting from the system drive.
As Joel explains in this article all about the BIOSDiscover Your BIOS & Learn How to Make the Most of ItDiscover Your BIOS & Learn How to Make the Most of ItWhat the heck is the BIOS, anyway? Is it really that important to know? We think so and fortunately it's pretty easy. Let us introduce you.Read More, it’s the very first piece of software that runs on your computer. It stands for Basic Input/Output System, and if you take the time to set it up properly, you can host multiple operating systems on your computer, and change which one it boots into first.
If this is the first time you’ve tried to run an alternative operating system than the one that came with it, don’t fret. Chris explains a variety of BIOS issues including how to change the boot orderThe BIOS Explained: Boot Order, Video Memory, Saving, Resets & Optimum DefaultsThe BIOS Explained: Boot Order, Video Memory, Saving, Resets & Optimum DefaultsYour computer’s BIOS (basic input/output system) is the low-level software that starts when you boot your computer. It performs a POST (power-on self test), initializes your computer’s hardware, and passes control over to the boot...Read More on your PC here at MakeUseOf.
After your BIOS is set up properly, you can plug your USB into a port on your computer. It can take a long time to boot, if you’re running it on a non-certified USB — upwards of 30 minutes for me (your mileage may vary significantly depending on the read-write speed of your USB, of course), but a certified one should boot in just a couple minutes, or faster. As it starts up, choose it from the BIOS and it should launch right into the version of Windows on your Windows To Go drive.
Now You Can Carry Windows in Your Pocket
There you have it: Windows, in your pocket. Of course, you’ll have to set it up with your favorite settings, but once you do that, they’ll stay.
What will you use Windows To Go for? What other portable apps will you side-load on any remaining space you have? Do you run any other operating systems on a non-traditional computer or external drive, and if so, what do you run and why? Let us know in the comments below!
Explore more about: BIOS, Portable App, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 8.1.
- What about the part where you create boot files . Come on , this ended up being useless cause thats actually the important part
- Can this work with Windows 7
- You can get better performance just install it onto an external hard drive from within a virtual machine.
- I cannot find the install.wim file
- If you do not convert the flash drive you are using to be recognized as a fixed disk, you will not be able to update this Windows. Flipping the bit on say a Sandisk Cruzer extreme when last researched is not possible. The tedious process of flipping the bit on a fast usb 3.0 flash drive is to say the least very time consuming. In short, the best way to enjoy Window to Go in it's entirety is to get the fastest usb 3.0 or 3.1 flash drive you can flip the bit on. Make the flash drive a fixed disk and then you can update your Windows to Go.
- How to make a usb flash drive recognized as a fix drive? Any suggestions,fixes ?
- How can i make it recoognize as a fix drive ?
- Harris, you use the Windows Disk Manager, installed in the windows operating system. If you search disk manager in your computer, it should come up. You can also find it in Control Panel. Once there, you will most likely see a bunch of boxes in the lower section of the program. These are called partitions. They are volumes (or sections of disc space) that are set apart to be used by Windows explorer. (They are used for many other things as well, but all I know is that if they are drives that are openable by Explorer.exe, then they have an active partition.
You should be able to locate your USB drive in that space. Once you identify it, you may notice that beneath the name, it says FAT32. This is a file system, or a mode of file storage and managing. (please correct me if I am wrong). Your windows drive (usually C:) uses a different file system called NTFS. No idea what that stands for, Something-something-file-system, I think... the important thing is you want your usb to be formatted as NTFS (because this is the system that Windows uses for its OS). You may still boot from your USB in FAT32, but you won't be able to boot up to the Windows OS.
So, in disk manager, once you've located the drive. It will have a box that will say 'active [or healthy, can't remember] partition'. You want to right-click this and select 'Delete Volume.' WARNING: This will delete ALL the files on your USB! So if you want to keep them, transfer them to another drive somewhere else or you will lose them. Once you delete the volume, You will see a box with a Black bar above it where the previous partition used to be that will say 'Unallocated' You will right click this and select create volume. Then it will launch the volume setup wizard, and follow the steps on this, making sure that the file system is NTFS. Select the amount of bytes to allow for windows. When you are finished, you will see the box with the black bar has now become blue. It will first say 'Formatting' for about 30 seconds of so, and then will say something like 'Active' or 'Healthy Partition.' And it should also say 'NTFS.'
Then, I think you can right click the partition from the list in the top half of the program, and click properties. choose the middle tab (can't remember what it is called). and there should be two options, one of them tells the system that the drive is safely removable (or not). Unselect this one.
I could be wrong about this, but I don't think I am. Please correct me anybody if you know otherwise.
- Some older systems (pre 2007?) don't support partitiions (or even drives) greater than 32 GB due to FAT32 limitations, and there are free alternatives to Windows like Ubuntu.
- Sounds pointless to me. If I wanted to run safely on a strange PC or boot a system with a dead hard drive or borked OS, I'd use a Linux ISO, which is safer, smaller, easier to download, and includes a ton of apps. They almost all fit on a 2 GB flash drive or DVD; some fit on a CD.
- I agree vandamme. I have Ubuntu 16.04 LTS installed to a 32GB Sandisk Cruzer extreme. Very fast, updateable, reliable, and obviously portable. As mentioned before, without flipping the bit on a flash drive intended for Winows to Go, you sacrifice the ability to get any updates.
- Can you do this with windows 7?
- Anything like this for Office settings & options? I have customized most of my Office programs and hate using the on other than my own computer.
- You very specifically mention Win 8 and 8.1 - is this not possible on windows 10?