How to run Windows 11 from a USB flash drive

In this post we are going to show you how to run Windows 11 from a USB flash drive. We are not talking about installing Windows 11 on your computer using a pendrive or USB flash drive. Rather, we will see How to test this operating system by running it directly from a USB without having to install it.

To run Windows 11 from a USB flash drive you need download the ISO image of this operating system. Also you can use Live11, which is an unofficial version of Windows 11 created by the same developers of Tiny11. In addition, you have to Download Rufus Tool, a software designed for making bootable drives and testing operating systems.

How to run Windows 11 from a USB flash drive

Windows 11 is the latest version of Microsoft's desktop operating system. It is a very intuitive software and loaded with very useful features and new features. It came to replace its predecessor, Windows 10, although running this update is not as simple as in previous versions. The problem is that Windows 11 has higher requirements and requires specific hardware for correct installation and operation.

Because of this, some unofficial ways to install Windows 11 on an unsupported computer have emerged. There are also versions of this operating system that are lighter and with fewer requirements for installation (they are also not official). And if what you want is Try it on your computer without installing it, you can run Windows 11 from a USB flash drive and explore its interface and most notable features.

Next, we will explain the procedure to test Windows 11 directly from a USB flash drive. In this way, You will not need to install it on your computer, partition or format your hard drive.. In fact, this method allows you View and use the Windows 11 interface even on a computer that is not compatible with the operating system.

With Windows To Go

The first way to run Windows 11 from a USB flash drive is by using the Windows To Go feature. This feature allows you to run a full version of the operating system directly from a USB drive connected to your computer. Initially, it was made available to users of Windows 10 Enterprise y Windows 10 Education, but it is also possible to use it with Windows 11.

To create a portable version of windows 11 You will need a USB drive or pendrive of at least 16 GB. You will also need Download the Windows 11 ISO image from the official Microsoft page. And finally, you will have to use a tool to create bootable USB like Rufus, which you can Download from their official website.

Steps to create a Windows to Go with Rufus

Let's see the Steps to use Windows 11 from a USB drive using the Windows to Go feature with RufusFirst of all, keep in mind that this procedure may take quite a while, depending on the speed of your USB ports. Also, this portable version of Windows 11 runs slowly, since it will be run from a USB flash drive and not from a hard drive.

That said, start by inserting the pendrive you are going to use to run Windows 11 from a USB stick into your computer. Then, Download Windows 11 ISO Image and Rufus SoftwareWith all of these on your computer, follow these steps:

1. Open Rufus and verify that the USB drive is selected in the tab Device.
2. Now click on the tab Select and choose the Windows 11 ISO image you already downloaded.
3. Next, in the tab Image options, select the Windows To Go option.
4. Leave the other settings as they are and click Begin so that the process can begin.
5. Please wait several minutes (15 – 30 minutes) until the USB drive is ready.

Once this process is complete, it is time to run Windows 11 from a USB flash drive. With the pendrive connected, restart the computer and access the system BIOS. Look for the list of boot devices, or Boot Device List, and select the USB drive. Confirm the selection to have the computer start from the USB drive and not from the primary storage drive.

If all goes well, at some point you will see the Windows 11 logo and then you will have to perform a quick setup to start using the operating systemAs we said, the experience can be a bit frustrating due to how slowly it runs. But it is an effective way to try out Windows 11 without having to install it on your computer.

How to run Windows 11 from a USB flash drive with Live 11

With Live 11 you can also run Windows 11 from a USB stick. The advantage of this software is that it is much lighter than the Windows 11 ISO image. It is a clean version of the operating system, with very few Microsoft apps and without non-essential functions and processes..

That's why Live 11 gives you access to the interface of this operating system in a smoother and faster user experience. It runs on 4GB of RAM and only needs 8GB of available storage on the USB driveAlthough it's not an official release, it's a simple and safe way to try out Windows 11. It can also be used as an emergency disk if you need to access your computer.

Steps to use Windows 11 with Live 11

The procedure to run Windows 11 from a USB flash drive with Live 11 is similar to the one described in the previous section. In this case you will also need the Rufus program, and Download Live 11 ISO Image from its official website. Thus, You can copy it to a pendrive, SD card, external disk or even a recordable DVD, and then run it.These are the steps:

1. Open Rufus and insert the USB drive into the computer port for Rufus to recognize it.
2. On the tab Select, choose the Live 11 ISO image you already downloaded.
3. Leave everything else as is and click Begin to start the engraving process.
4. Once the process is complete, remove the USB drive and insert it into the computer where you want to test Windows 11.
5. Restart your computer, access the system BIOS and select the USB drive as the boot drive.

Done. The computer will boot from the USB drive where Live 11 is recorded. This way you can Try out the light version of Windows 11, explore its interface and see some of its featuresYou'll find that running Windows 11 from a USB flash drive using this method is much smoother. There you have it!