How to create a Windows To Go with Rufus to run Windows 11 from USB

• Windows To Go is officially discontinued, but portable Windows 11 setups are still possible using third-party tools like Rufus.
• You can run a full Windows 11 environment from a USB flash drive or external SSD.
• Performance depends heavily on USB speed. Using USB 3.2 or a Solid State Drive (SSD) is strongly recommended.

On Windows 11, Microsoft has discontinued the Windows To Go feature, but it’s still possible to run the operating system from a USB storage, and in this guide, I’ll show you how to complete this task.

Installing Windows 11 on an external USB flash drive gives you a portable version of the operating system that you can carry and run on different compatible devices. It’s useful for testing environments, troubleshooting systems, or running Windows 11 without modifying a computer’s internal drive.

Unlike a standard installation, this setup runs directly from the external drive, so performance depends heavily on the speed of the USB device. A fast USB 3.2 flash drive or external SSD is strongly recommended to avoid slow boot times and lag during use.

Although the official feature is no longer available, you can still create a portable Windows 11 drive using third-party tools, such as Rufus. These utilities essentially bypass the official restriction and apply the operating system image directly to a USB drive.

In this guide, I’ll explain the steps to create a bootable Windows 11 external drive, and the key limitations you should understand before getting started.

Create Windows To Go drive for Windows 11

To create a Windows To Go USB drive for Windows 11, follow these steps:

1. Open the Rufus website.

2. Click the link to download the latest version under the “Download” section.

3. Double-click the rufus.4.xx.exe file to launch the tool.

4. Select the USB flash drive to create the Windows To Go bootable media under the “Device” section.

5. Click the Select button.

6. Select the Windows 11 ISO file.

7. Click the Open button.

8. Select the “Windows To Go” option from the “Image option” setting.

   

9. (Optional) Confirm a name for the USB drive. For example, WinToGo.

10. Continue with the default settings.

11. Click the OK button.

12. Select the edition of the operating system to install on the USB drive. For example, Windows 11 Pro.

    

13. (Optional) Check the “Prevent Windows To Go from accessing the internal disks” option.

    

14. Continue with the default settings (as necessary).

15. Click the OK button.

16. Click the OK button one more time to confirm the process.

Once you complete the steps, the Rufus tool will create a bootable USB with an installation of Windows 11.

Disable Secure Boot to avoid issues

After the process is complete, you can connect the Windows To Go drive to another computer to run the operating system. However, you may encounter issues booting up if the device uses UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) firmware and Secure Boot is enabled. 

If this is the case, boot the device from the UEFI interface, disable Secure Boot, and then continue with the setup.

To disable Secure Boot on Windows 11, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on System.

3. Click the Recovery page.

4. Click the Restart now button under the “Advanced startup” section.

   

5. Click on Troubleshoot.

6. Click on Advanced options.

7. Click the “UEFI Firmware settings” option.

   

8. Click the Restart button.

9. Open the advanced, security, or boot settings page, depending on the motherboard.

10. Select the “Secure Boot” option and choose the Disabled option.

After you complete the steps, Secure Boot will be disabled on the computer.

Complete Windows 11 To Go setup 

When you create a Windows To Go drive, you still need to complete the operating system installation and initial setup. However, during the installation, you don’t have to configure anything. The installation will continue automatically, but you’ll have to complete the Out-of-box Experience (OOBE).

To complete the Windows 11 setup from a Windows To Go USB drive, follow these steps:

1. Power on the PC with the Windows To Go drive connected.

   Quick note: The computer must be configured to boot from a USB device before you can proceed with the setup.

2. Windows 11 setup will continue automatically. This can take a long time.

3. Choose your region setting on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE) after the installation.

   Quick note: Microsoft is always making changes and testing new ways to complete the initial setup. For this reason, some of the following steps may appear in a different order, and you may encounter additional screens.

   

4. Click the Yes button.

5. Select your keyboard layout setting.

   

6. Click the Yes button.

7. Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.

8. The computer will automatically connect to the network using an Ethernet connection. You must set up the connection manually on a wireless connection (a security key may be required).

9. (Optional) Confirm a name for the computer.

   

10. Click the Next button. (The device will restart automatically.)

11. Select the “Set up for personal use” option for Windows 11 Pro. This option is not available for the “Home” edition.

    

12. Click the Next button.

13. Click the Sign in button.

14. Confirm your Microsoft account email to create a Windows 11 account.

    

15. Click the Next button.

16. Confirm your Microsoft account password.

17. Click the Next button.

18. Click the Create PIN button.

19. Create a new four-digit Windows Hello PIN.

    

20. Click the OK button.

21. Turn on or off the toggle switch for each privacy setting to confirm the one that best suits your situation.

22. Click the Next button.

23. Click the Next button again.

24. Click the Accept button.

    

25. Click the More options setting.

    

26. Click the “Set up as a new PC” option.

    

27. Click the “Set up as a new PC” option again.

28. (Optional) On the “Let’s customize your experience” page, select one or more ways you plan to use the device so the operating system can suggest tools and service customizations during this experience.

    

29. Click the Accept button to continue. Or click the Skip button to skip this part of the setup.

30. (Optional) Use the code to link your Android phone or click the Skip option.

31. (Optional) Use the code to download the OneDrive app on your phone or click the Skip option.

32. Click the “Not now” button if you will be using a browser other than Microsoft Edge.

    

Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 will finish the setup, and you can start using your Windows To Go experience from a USB drive.