Beyond PCMag, I've written news stories and tutorials for a variety of other websites and publications, including CNET, ZDNet, TechRepublic, Macworld, Popular Science, Time, Fortune, US News & World Report, and AARP Magazine. I've been working for PCMag since early 2016 writing tutorials, how-to pieces, and other articles on consumer technology. Instead, you can turn to two utility programs, WinToUSB and Rufus, which will create a bootable drive from any version of the operating system and on any type of USB drive. However, the company stopped development on that program and no longer updates it. Microsoft once offered its own tool called Windows to Go (Opens in a new window), which could generate a bootable Windows USB drive with the Enterprise and Education versions of Windows 10. But if you're in a pinch, you can at least work with the OS and access different apps this way.

The major downside of booting from a USB drive is that Windows will run slower than it does off your hard drive. Once you're done, you'll be able to boot up off the drive to launch Windows. You can then use a Windows USB utility to set up the USB drive with either OS. You'll also need a license to activate Windows 10 or Windows 11 on the USB drive, which means you have to either purchase one or use an existing one associated with your digital ID. You'll need a USB flash drive with at least 16GB of free space, but preferably 32GB.

If you're using a PC outfitted with an older version of Windows but want a more up-to-date operating system, you can run Windows 10 or 11 directly from a USB drive.

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Creating a boot usb for windows 10