How to Create a Portable Drive When the Rufus Windows To Go Option is Missing

Rufus is a free and user-friendly utility that facilitates the formatting and creation of bootable USB flash drives, along with offering various other features. One such significant feature is Windows To Go, which enables the creation of portable USB drives, allowing you to carry your personalized system and use it on any computer. However, this feature has been removed in Rufus version 2.3 and later releases. If you're looking for an alternative or a perfect solution, continue reading.

Rufus Windows To Go Alternative - OS2Go工具

OS2Go Tools is an excellent alternative if you discover that Rufus lacks the Windows To Go feature. It is fully compatible with the most widely used Windows systems, ranging from Windows 7 to the latest Windows 11. The software is user-friendly and can be utilized with minimal effort. All you need is a sufficiently large USB drive; no advanced technical knowledge is necessary.

Compared to hard drives, a portable USB drive is a cheaper and more affordable option. Another advantage of using OS2Go tools is that they support non-certified USB drives as well. In contrast, Microsoft's Windows To Go feature requires a certified USB drive to take advantage of its benefits. After creating a portable USB drive with OS2Go, you can even use it on a Mac computer to run a Windows system without BootCamp. If you're interested in this software, you can start with a trial and purchase it if you find it satisfactory.

Step 1. Install OS2Go on your Windows computer. It will show the used space on your system drive. Insert a USB drive with a capacity larger than the system drive's used space. Select the target USB drive and click Next to proceed.

Step 2. OS2Go will warn you that the following action will erase all data on your drive. Make sure you've backed up all important data. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 3. Adjust disk layout. The default disk layout on the target drive will be identical to the source drive. You can also edit the layout to suit your requirements. Check the option provided if you're using a Solid State Drive as the Windows boot drive. Then, click Proceed.

Step 4. OS2Go will then begin creating the portable USB drive. This process may take some time, depending on your operating system and network conditions. Once the progress reaches 100%, the USB drive should be bootable.

Step 5. Insert the portable Windows USB and start your computer. Press the necessary key (F2, DEL, F10...) to access the BIOS. Select to boot from the USB drive.

Note: Please ensure that the boot mode (either UEFI or Legacy) of the portable USB and your target computer are identical, or else you might not be able to boot from it.

Create a Windows To Go drive using Rufus

If the Rufus version you're using includes the Windows To Go option, you can still utilize it to create a portable USB drive. However, with Rufus, bear in mind that it only supports Windows 8/8.1/10, and you'll require a certified USB drive for this purpose. Here are the steps to create a portable Windows To Go drive using Rufus:

Step 1. Connect your USB flash drive to the computer. If it's not a new one, ensure that you have backed up all the data.

Step 2. Select your USB drive from the Device dropdown menu.

Step 3. Next, select the partition scheme you need. Both MBR and GPT are available, choose the appropriate one based on the partition style of your computer.

Step 4. The File system and Cluster size will be filled in by default. Typically, you don't need to modify these settings, but you can customize them if necessary.

Step 5. Click the browse icon next to the "Create a bootable disk using" option to navigate to your Windows ISO file, and then select it.

Step 6. Click the Start button after selecting the Windows To Go option.

Conclusion

This article focuses on the absence of the Windows To Go option in Rufus and how to resolve it using an alternative tool, OS2Go. Follow the steps outlined above if you encounter the same issue. Ensure that your USB drive meets all the aforementioned requirements before proceeding to use it.