Windows To Go vs. Standard Installation: Which Is the Better Choice for You?

Today, businesses endorse the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) approach. Under BYOD, companies provide Windows To Go USB drives to create a secure workspace environment on any device, rather than supplying employees with computers.

Windows To Go enables users to utilize all the comprehensive features of Windows installation, including troubleshooting, diagnostic utilities, and security tools.

So, if you're wondering whether to opt for Windows To Go or stick with the regular Windows installation on a computer, this post will shed more light on the subject for you.

What is Windows To Go?

Windows To Go is a Microsoft feature that enables you to boot and run the Windows operating system from a certified USB flash drive or external hard disk. It provides a fully manageable corporate Windows environment on a USB.

However, in 2019, Microsoft discontinued Windows To Go. This means that, with Windows updates released after May 2020, Windows To Go is no longer available.

Here are the Windows environments where you can use Windows To Go:

• Windows 8 Enterprise
• Windows 8.1 Enterprise
• Windows 10 Education
• Windows 10 Enterprise

* You might be interested in how to create Windows To Go without using the Enterprise edition.

In addition to a compatible Windows operating system, you'll also need a certified USB drive designed for high random read/write speeds to run Windows on it. Furthermore, the host computer for Windows To Go must meet certain technical specifications, which include:

• 1 GHz or faster processor
• 2 GB or higher RAM
• DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.2 or greater graphics driver
• USB 2.0 port or higher

If you have a compatible host computer and USB drive with you, follow these steps to create the Windows To Go workspace:

Step 1. On your compatible Windows computer, open the Start menu, type Windows To Go, and press Enter.

Step 2. For this process, you can use the Windows operating system available on a physical DVD or an ISO disk image. Click the "Add Search Location" button to browse for the image.

Step 3. The next step is optional. You can enable BitLocker Drive Encryption on your USB and set a password to protect your drive. This is helpful in case you lose your Windows To Go USB drive.

Step 4. Lastly, Windows will transfer the Windows operating system image to the USB drive. Note that this process will format your USB drive, so be sure to back up any important data on it beforehand.

Step 5. To create a Windows To Go environment on a certified computer, follow these steps: Go to the Start menu, type 'Windows To Go,' hit 'Enter,' select 'Yes,' save the changes, and restart your system. Windows To Go will now initialize based on the host computer's USB bus, memory, and CPU hardware.

What is a Windows Standard Installation?

As the name implies, a Windows standard installation refers to the straightforward setup of the Windows operating system on a computer. This can be done by downloading the Windows OS from the Microsoft Store or by installing it from a DVD or USB drive.

Windows standard installation is compatible with all Windows versions. However, it's essential to verify specific installation requirements for each Windows operating system on the Microsoft website.

Here are some simple steps for a standard Windows 10 installation using a bootable USB drive:

< strong > Step 1. < /strong> Insert your USB device into your computer and start up the computer.

Step 2. Choose your preferred language, timezone, keyboard layout, and currency. When you're happy with the custom settings, click Next.

Step 3. Click the 'Install Now' button and choose the edition of Windows 10 that you have purchased. Click 'Next' again to initiate the installation process.

Step 4. Choose the installation type - Upgrade or Custom. With the Upgrade option, you can retain your existing settings, programs, and files on the computer. On the other hand, Custom enables a clean installation of Windows.

Step 5. Next, you need to create partitions on your hard drive to store files. Here, you can either choose the existing partition and format it or erase everything from your hard drive and create new partitions on your disk.

Step 6. After creating the desired disk partitions, click 'Next,' and the Windows 10 installation process will commence. Please note that your computer may restart several times during the installation; this is normal, so there's no need to worry.

Step 7. After the installation is complete, your computer will automatically restart one last time. When it starts up for the first time, you can customize your Microsoft settings.

Step 8. Lastly, set up your Microsoft account to access all the Windows 10 features.

Windows To Go vs. Standard Installation: Which Is更适合你?

As you're aware of what Windows To Go and a standard installation are, the crucial question is which one suits you best. To determine this, let's examine the differences between these two Windows environments:

1. Internal Disks

To prevent unintentional data exposure, internal hard disks on the host computer are offline by default in Windows To Go. However, this isn't the case with a typical installation, where internal disks remain online.

2. Trusted Platform Module (TPM)

通常，BitLocker 驱动器加密需要具有 TPM 芯片的系统。但在 Windows To Go 环境中不会使用 TPM，因为 TPM 与特定计算机相关联。由于 Windows To Go 在不同计算机之间移动，因此只会将 BitLocker 用于密码安全目的。

3. Hibernation

Hibernate is disabled to ensure that the Windows To Go environment can easily move between computers. However, you can enable it from the Group Policy settings.

4. Windows Recovery Environment

Unlike a standard Windows installation, the Windows Recovery Environment is not available on Windows To Go. You'll need to reimage it with a fresh Windows image to recover your data.

5. Refreshing or Resetting

You can reset or refresh the manufacturer's default settings on the computer while running on the Windows To Go workspace.

6. Windows Upgrade

You can't upgrade your Windows 8 Windows To Go to Windows 10 Windows To Go. Once you've chosen a version of Windows for Windows To Go, you're stuck with it.

Thus, while Windows To Go provides flexibility and convenience, it also removes many default Windows features from your experience. Hence, it's challenging to determine which Windows framework suits you best – Windows To Go or a standard Windows installation.

最好的建议是首先定义你的Windows需求，然后据此选择安装类型。

100% Better Alternative for Windows To Go

If you prefer the Windows To Go workspace but have the latest Windows 11 host computer, don't worry. You can easily create a portable Windows 11/10 on USB using the tool OS2Go.

This is a robust tool for creating a Windows To Go environment on all the latest Windows versions. Furthermore, the software enables you to run all Windows 11 features and applications on your host computer.

OS2Go工具还可以帮助您在Mac上运行Windows并将工作区放在口袋里。此外，使用OS2Go工具创建Windows To Go环境非常简单，如下所示。

Step 1. Install OS2Go on your Windows computer, which will show the used space on your system drive. Insert a USB drive with a capacity larger than the used space on your system drive. 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 needs. Check the option if you're using an SSD as the Windows boot drive. Then, click Proceed.

Step 4. Then, OS2Go will 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 drive and restart your computer. Press the necessary key (F2, DEL, F10, etc.) to access the BIOS. Select the option to boot from the USB drive.

注意: 请确保便携式USB和目标计算机的启动模式（UEFI或Legacy）相同，否则可能无法启动。

Final Words

Windows To Go and a standard installation are two excellent ways to run the Windows operating system. Windows To Go enables you to carry your entire system in your pocket and use Windows on any device. However, it's unfortunate that it's not supported for the latest Windows 10 or 11 updates.

Fortunately, with the tool OS2Go, it is now feasible for Windows 11 users to boot the operating system via a portable USB drive. Remarkably, this software also enables running Windows on Mac devices. Hence, if you wish to run Windows To Go on Windows 11, give OS2Go's free trial a try today.