windows 10

[mikachu182]

Hello, just a question. is it possible to install windows on a usb stick. and i dont mean a bootable usb but a usb with the os on it. if this is how do i do it?

[TheGlenlivet]

9 minutes ago, mikachu182 said:

Hello, just a question. is it possible to install windows on a usb stick. and i dont mean a bootable usb but a usb with the os on it. if this is how do i do it?

No, you can't just copy files to a USB and have the system install from them.  At least not that I've ever heard.

But you can make a bootable USB for free from Microsoft.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

 

EDIT - OH, did you mean use a USB as a hard drive?

If so then it looks like yes you can.

https://www.pcmag.com/article/352209/how-to-run-windows-10-from-a-usb-drive

[mikachu182]

4 minutes ago, TheGlenlivet said:

No, you can't just copy files to a USB and have the system install from them.  At least not that I've ever heard.

But you can make a bootable USB for free from Microsoft.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

 

EDIT - OH, did you mean use a USB as a hard drive?

yea like a hard drive

 

[TheGlenlivet]

Just now, mikachu182 said:

yea like a hard drive

 

See edit.  Yes you can.

[mikachu182]

Just now, TheGlenlivet said:

See edit.  Yes you can.

okay thanks!

[manikyath]

its possible, but really not advisable, for a few reasons:

- a normal usb stick isnt made to handle the load, so it'll run rather toasty and/or be rather sluggish. windows 10 really dislikes slow storage media as a C drive

- when you move between vareous systems, especially with very different hardware, that creates a bog of drivers that's not really desirable.

- windows 10 will deactivate itself constantly.

[manikyath]

5 minutes ago, TheGlenlivet said:

See edit.  Yes you can.

from the looks of it, windows to go was actually discontinued by microsoft

[mikachu182]

1 minute ago, manikyath said:

from the looks of it, windows to go was actually discontinued by microsoft

 

4 minutes ago, manikyath said:

its possible, but really not advisable, for a few reasons:

- a normal usb stick isnt made to handle the load, so it'll run rather toasty and/or be rather sluggish. windows 10 really dislikes slow storage media as a C drive

- when you move between vareous systems, especially with very different hardware, that creates a bog of drivers that's not really desirable.

- windows 10 will deactivate itself constantly.

oh okay so it is possible but not advisable

 

[manikyath]

1 minute ago, mikachu182 said:

oh okay so it is possible but not advisable

given the limitations, there really isnt much reason to.

also, i've done the math, given a decent storage size, it's cheaper to buy a sata SSD than a USB 3 stick.

 

if you insist, something thats not necessarily a very bad idea is an SSD in an external enclosure, installed like normal windows 10, on a single device you'll use it with. for example if you have a system with a primary OS, but also wish to use a secondary (removable?) install of windows 10, this could be a solution.

[mikachu182]

1 minute ago, manikyath said:

given the limitations, there really isnt much reason to.

also, i've done the math, given a decent storage size, it's cheaper to buy a sata SSD than a USB 3 stick.

 

if you insist, something thats not necessarily a very bad idea is an SSD in an external enclosure, installed like normal windows 10, on a single device you'll use it with. for example if you have a system with a primary OS, but also wish to use a secondary (removable?) install of windows 10, this could be a solution.

Okay Thanks!