Windows 10: Windows to Go (Windows 10)

you do not need any 3rd party apps to create a "windows to go" USB Drive.....
Just two commands.......

Open command Prompt(admin) and Format USB NTFS (may have to set a active)

G = My Mounted ISO (DVD)
F = My USB Drive

Code: dism /Apply-Image /ImageFile:"G:\sources\install.wim" /Index:1 /ApplyDir:F:\ bcdboot F:\Windows /s F:[/quote] Attachment 85013

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it will takes a while... Supports Single Partition Legacy Booting....

 

Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education have the official Windows To Go utility included. If your USB thumb drive isn't tagged in its firmware as being a fixed disk, it will be rejected. Certified drives show up as fixed disks, your standard thumb drives show up a removable media. Even then, you can only make an Enterprise Windows To Go install with the official utility. If you try to use any ISO other than the Enterprise one it will reject it.

 

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it will takes a while... Supports Single Partition Legacy Booting....[/quote] I'm going to have to ty that. The official utility won't let me use my Kingston HyperX USB3 thumb drive. So far, I've tried several unofficial methods and they all failed for one reason or another.

 

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it will takes a while... Supports Single Partition Legacy Booting....[/quote] Expanding on last point for clarity. USB flash drives can normally only be booted from "Single Partition Legacy Booting", as Removable Drives may only have one (useable) partition - this is Windows limitation , not an actual drive limitation.

Main problem I have encountered is getting usb flash drives with windows installed on it working from usb3 ports.

 

Yes. I would say that's why the official utility rejects them. The official WTG creates more than one partition. There are other things involved with the drive being certified too I believe. Speed for one.

 

And Done...... But, I fell asleep, so figure it takes about an hour...

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You can not run Setup on a removable drive - but you can Apply an Image to a removable drive....

 

It looks like you used x86, was that Pro, Home, or Enterprise?

 

OS does not matter - if used x64 - it would boot legacy x64....

The certified drives recommend by MS are actually flagged as fixed drives and can contain 2 partitions (Fat32 boot and NTFS)

The other reason is you need a VLK if moving between different hosts.. thus the E & E requirement..

None of these requirements apply to WinPESE, thus it's development.....

 

Ok, good to know. I will be trying this today at some point. I have MAK keys for Pro, Education and Enterprise. I'm thinking Education or Enterprise.

 

Appling image 1.0%, time to go do some chores and just let it do its thing. I'd do the official WTG if the certified drives weren't so expensive. I've done it on an old laptop drive in an enclosure in the past. WTG will accept that clunker. Carrying a thumb drive in my pocket is a lot easier though.

 

Ran some errands around town and just left it running. It's done now, haven't tried to boot from it yet. I have some other things on the go at the moment. Will have to try it latter on.

 

And Here You Have It - Windows 10 on a cheap $10 dollar 32GB USB Stick, with just two commands.....
It is very very slow to get though all the initial screens.. But wait for it, wait for it some more, and just let it finish..

so much for my guide............
As it is just two commands and a lot of time, to prove my experience...... *Wink


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Sorry For Spoiling the Topic....
But felt there was a need to prove something after reading several threads about Windows To Go and several more about VHD creation...

EDIT: You could even Prepare your Windows Image (Install.wim) by adding drivers and product key BEFORE applying the image to USB or VHD using my custom script written just for that purpose...
Image Prep also supports the use of Multi-Index Encrypted ESD Files..

IMAGE PREP

 

Mine wouldn't boot on the PC I created it on? Legacy BIOS. It showed in the quick boot menu, looked like it tried to boot from it, but after a short delay it went on to my default boot option. Disk management shows Healthy (Primary Partition). Do I need to mark it as active or something?

 

the usb should be marked as active

 

It's not marked active. I'll start over again latter on. Other stuff on the go at the moment.