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Sep 10, 2026
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WinToUSB is a Windows To Go creator from Hasleo Software that installs a portable, fully working Windows 11 or 10 onto a USB drive or external SSD, with a free edition for home use and paid editions that add cloning.
WinToUSB installs a complete, working copy of Windows 11 or 10 onto a USB drive or external SSD, so you can plug it into another PC and boot straight into your own setup.
That is what Microsoft used to call Windows To Go, and it is handy for a work desktop you carry in your bag, a spare system for testing, or a rescue drive for a PC that will not start.
The free edition covers building a fresh portable Windows from an ISO, but copying the Windows you are already running needs one of the paid editions.
What WinToUSB Actually Does
WinToUSB, made by Hasleo Software, does three jobs from one wizard. The main one is building a portable Windows from an installation file - an ISO, WIM, ESD, SWM or VHD, which are the file types Microsoft ships Windows in - onto a USB flash drive, an external hard drive or SSD, or a Thunderbolt drive.
It also makes an ordinary Windows installation USB, for installing Windows on a PC the normal way, and a Windows PE USB, which is a tiny rescue version of Windows that boots a PC for repairs. If you do not have a Windows ISO yet, it can download the official one for you.
For the full walkthrough of a portable setup, our guide to running Windows 11 from an external SSD covers the whole job. It uses Rufus, which also builds portable Windows drives for free, and WinToUSB is the fallback when Rufus will not.
Free, Professional or Enterprise?
The download on this page is WinToUSB Free. Here is what it includes, and what the two paid editions add.
| Feature | Free | Professional | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portable Windows from an ISO, WIM, ESD, SWM or VHD | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows installation USB and Windows PE USB | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Download official Windows ISOs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Clone the Windows you are running | No | Yes | Yes |
| Delta Clone, which updates an already-cloned drive | No | Yes | Yes |
| BitLocker encryption of the portable drive | No | Yes | Yes |
| Education, Enterprise and Server editions of Windows | No | Yes | Yes |
| Build from VHDX or Hasleo backup files | No | Yes | Yes |
| Use at work | No | One user, two PCs | Unlimited PCs |
| Upgrade prompts | Yes | No | No |
For a home user with a Windows 11 or 10 Home or Pro ISO, Free does the job. The tell that you need a paid edition is the source: if you want to carry the Windows already on your PC, complete with its programs and settings, rather than a clean install, that is cloning.
The paid editions also clone faster, resize and move partitions, and come with free technical support.
Choosing the Drive
An installation USB only needs 8GB. A portable Windows is a full installation, though, and Windows 11 itself asks for at least 64GB of storage, so start there and leave room for your programs.
Speed matters more than size. Windows reads and writes thousands of small files constantly, and a cheap USB stick that copies a film quickly can still make Windows crawl, while an external SSD on a USB 3 port or faster feels close to a normal PC.
Everything on the drive is erased
WinToUSB wipes the drive it builds onto. Copy anything you want to keep somewhere else first, and double-check you have picked the right drive before you start.
Not sure which to buy? Our comparison of a USB stick or an SSD explains the difference in plain terms.
Getting Started
Connect the drive and open WinToUSB. Choose to create a Windows To Go drive, point it at your Windows ISO or let it download one, and pick the Windows edition you want from inside the file.
Select the target drive and let it build. Expect it to take a while, especially on a slower drive.
Since version 10.8, WinToUSB can create a local user account and set the time zone and region for you, which saves a few setup screens the first time the drive starts.
Using Your Portable Windows on Another PC
To boot from the drive, plug it in, switch the PC on and open its boot menu. The key varies by brand - F12, F11, F8 and Esc are the common ones - and the menu lists the USB drive as a boot option.
The first start on a new PC takes longer while Windows sets up drivers for that hardware. After that it boots normally, and your files, programs and settings travel with the drive.
A portable Windows still needs activating like any other copy. Our guide to Windows 11 licence options explains what counts as legal.
What Changed in Recent Versions
Version 10.9, released on 10 September 2026, is a fix release. It solves problems that made Windows cloning fail and that stopped installation and Windows PE drives from being created, fixes Windows username validation and updates the Italian translation.
Version 10.8 added the automatic local account and region setup, a new way of downloading Windows ISOs and Ukrainian. Version 10.5 added support for media compatible with Microsoft's 2023 Secure Boot certificate, which matters as the older 2011 certificates begin expiring in 2026 and updated PCs start expecting the new one.
Who Should Look Elsewhere
The tell is whether you want to carry Windows around or just install it. If you only need a USB stick to install Windows on a PC, WinToUSB is more than you need, and Rufus does that job in a few clicks.
For one USB drive that boots many different ISOs, Ventoy and YUMI are built for it.
To write Linux or Raspberry Pi images rather than Windows, balenaEtcher is the simpler tool. And for a PC that will not start at all, a bootable recovery drive may be all you need.
If Windows should end up on an internal disk rather than a USB drive, WinToHDD from the same developer installs or reinstalls Windows there without any USB drive. Clonezilla copies a whole disk when you are moving to a new one.
Everything else for drives and bootable media is in the HDD, SSD and USB tools section.
Quick questions
Is WinToUSB free?
WinToUSB Free costs nothing for home use and builds portable Windows drives, installation USBs and Windows PE USBs. Cloning, BitLocker, Education, Enterprise and Server editions, and use at work need the Professional or Enterprise edition.
Can the free version clone my current Windows?
No. Cloning the Windows you are running, and Delta Clone for updating a cloned drive later, are only in the paid editions. The free edition builds a fresh Windows from an ISO instead.
How big does the USB drive need to be?
An installation USB needs 8GB. A portable Windows 11 needs at least 64GB, and an external SSD on a USB 3 port will feel far faster than a USB stick of the same size.
Is Windows To Go still supported by Microsoft?
No, Microsoft removed Windows To Go from Windows 10 version 2004 in 2020. WinToUSB builds the same kind of drive independently, and it works with current Windows 11.
Will my portable Windows work on any PC?
It works on most modern PCs that can boot from USB. The first start on each new PC is slower while drivers install, and on some PCs you need to open the boot menu or allow USB booting in the firmware settings first.
Do I need a Windows licence for a portable Windows?
Yes. A Windows installation on a USB drive needs activating just like one on an internal disk, and WinToUSB does not include a licence.
Download WinToUSB Free 10.9.0.2 and see how it handles your drive, or tell us how you got on if you have used it before.
