Windows To Go is a special feature as a part of Windows 8/8.1 Enterprise, Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education. It can help you run an instance of Windows OS on any supported PC from an USB stick. This allows you to boot into a particular version of Windows on a PC regardless of the version installed on that PC. So, if you have three computers running various Windows versions and a Windows To Go USB stick with Windows 10 on it, you can boot into that Windows 10 on all three PCs without having to do a standard installation.
Why Use Windows To Go?
There are several reasons why it's good to have a USB stick with Windows To Go installed on it. First of all, it allows you to try out any new version of Windows without having to install it on a computer. This gives you peace of mind because you won't run into installation and other issues. Secondly, network administrators can set different permissions for Windows To Go USB sticks that are not on local deployments of Windows. For example, the Group Policy can be set to enable Windows Store access on all Windows To Go USB drives while retaining the restrictions on native installations. Third, you can include all the programs and files that you need without having to install them or import them to multiple computers.
Differences between Regular and Windows To Go Certified USB Stick
Using a Windows To Go Certified USB stick rather than a regular USB stick is recommended mainly because of the following reasons:
- Certified USB sticks are typically tested on a wide range of PC configurations and OS versions.
- Specially built for high-speed random read/write as well as sequential read/write operations.
- Usually guaranteed for use with Windows To Go by the manufacturer and durability is high.
You will also notice that the Windows OS, as a whole, runs a lot slower if Windows To Go is on a non-certified USB stick. For all these reasons, it is recommended that you only use certified USB drives to create a portable Windows USB drive.
List of Certified Windows To Go USB Sticks
This is the list of currently available Certified Windows To Go USB sticks that support Windows 10:
Kanguru Mobile Workspace 128GB ($194.34): This Windows To Go certified USB stick comes in 64GB and 128GB variants and supports USB 3.0. It can be encrypted with BitLocker and can also be configured as a fixed drive. Max sequential read speed is 250MB/sec and write speed is 115MB/sec.
Super Talent Express RC4 (Starts at $47.43 for 32GB): The RC4 series from Super Talent is a robust unit that provides read speeds of up to 320MB/sec and write speeds of up to 300MB/sec. It supports USB 3.0 but is also backward-compatible with USB 2.0. Also supported S.M.A.R.T. Command technology.
Spyrus Portable Workspace ($216.99 for the 64GB variant): Sequential read speed of up to 249MB/sec and write speed of up to 238MB/sec makes Spyrus Portable Workspace a great certified USB device to own. It supports multiple cryptographic standards and is extensively tested prior to certification.
Kingston DataTraveler Series ($144.99 for 64GB): The Kingston DataTraveler series is one of the few certified Windows To Go USB sticks to integrate SSD technology into a USB 3.0 drive. It supports S.M.A.R.T. and TRIM commands and delivers a random Read/Write speed of 3,750/9,800 IOPS, with a sequential read/write speed of 250MB/sec.
Summary
The high-end variants of these obviously deliver greater speed and higher performance along with larger capacities, but if you're not an Enterprise user then the 64GB variants are more than suitable for any Windows To Go installation. Please note that the OS doesn't come with the USB drive by default, which a lot of users aren't aware of. You will need to use a disk formatting tool like Rufus to create your bootable media. In addition, when you get the ISO file for Windows 10, make sure you bypass the Media Creation Tool; if you don't, the ISO won't be supported on machines running the Windows 10 May 2020 Update and future versions.
Petty is editor in chief at UUByte and writes various topics about Windows and Mac to help people make the most of current technology.