Among the most interesting innovations of Windows 8 there is the Windows To Go function that allows you to install Windows 8 on a USB stick, SD card or external hard disk so you can always keep it available, as a portable Windows system . Windows To Go is a perfect way to try Windows 8 on your computer without installing anything on the current Windows 7 or Vista system and has the main function of being able to restore Windows when the computer stops working due to errors or various problems.
In addition, by putting Windows in a portable USB stick in your pocket, it also allows you to start your Windows 8, with all applications and customizations, on other computers (if supported).
Installing Windows 8 on a USB stick is very simple, even if it requires Windows 8 Enterprise .
UPDATE 23.1.15: With an automatic tool you can install Windows 7 or Windows 8 on a USB stick, even with all PC data quickly and easily.
To start you need to have:
- A USB drive or USB stick that is at least 16 GB or larger.
- A Windows 8 or even Windows 7 PC
- The ISO image of Windows 8 (currently you can download Windows 8 Enterprise for free).
However, this installation lasts 90 days.
- The Windows AIK program, free.
- A program to open ISO images or, for example, 7Zip
To create a portable USB drive with Windows inside that can be booted without limitations, proceed with this configuration:
1) After downloading the ISO Windows AIK, open the file with 7Zip, search for the Neutral.cab file, click on it and then find the F1_imagex file ( F3_imagex.exe for the 64bit version), extract it and rename it to imagex.exe .
Alternatively, install Windows AIK and then search for the imagex.exe file in C: \ Program Files \ Windows AIK \ Tool \ x86 (or C: \ Program File \ Windows AIK \ Tool \ amd64 ).
2) Open the ISO image of Windows 8 always with 7Zip, enter the Sources folder and look for the install.wim file to extract and save in the same folder where Imagex.exe was placed.
install.wim is a 2GB file that is found only if you download the Windows 8 ISO, not the ISO created by the installer.
3) Create a new folder, with the name " WindowsToGo " and placed on the desktop, and insert it into the two files extracted in points 1 and 2.
4) Insert the USB stick where you want to install Windows 8 and open a DOS window (Start - Programs - Accessories - right click on the Command Prompt and run it as administrator).
Type the following commands in the DOS window and press Enter each time:
- diskpart
- list disk (check which USB pen drive is)
- select disk X (replace the X with the number indicated for the USB drive).
- clean (this deletes all the contents of the USB drive).
- create partition primary (to create the partition)
- format fs = ntfs quick
- active
- assign
- exit
5) Once the USB stick is prepared, Windows 8 can be installed using the ImageX file as follows:
Reopen (if it was closed) the DOS window and type these commands:
- cd C: \ Users \ User Name \ Desktop \ WindowsToGo (the user name must be changed to your own).
- imagex.exe / apply install.wim 1 f: \ (replace the f with the letter indicated by the Windows My Computer for the USB stick).
Now you just have to wait and then, when the installation is finished, run the last command.
- to make the USB stick bootable at boot: bcdboot.exe X: \ Windows / s X: (if you are using Windows 8 the command is bcdboot.exe X: \ windows / s X: / f ALL )
At this point, keep the USB stick in the computer, restart and set the boot from USB (press the F12 key repeatedly as soon as you turn on the PC, if it doesn't work, try with F11 or enter the bios and change the boot menu) to enjoy Windows 8 laptop.
When first started, Windows 8 shows an installation wizard.
In theory, you can start Windows 8 from a USB stick from any PC even if it is not said that it works (this is due to the first configuration at startup).
Windows 8 works as a portable USB stick very well and, it seems, that having a USB 3.0 port, it goes even faster than a normal installation on hard disk.
In other articles:
- how to install Windows 8 on the computer in dualboot from USB stick
- How to start Windows 7 from CD / DVD / USB, Live, without doing installation
