Here is how you can install Windows on an external hard disk and make it a portable Windows To Go. For that, we need to download some software. First, download the Windows OS: simply Google “Download Windows 11,” click on the official website, and download the ISO file. The file is quite big (about 5.4 GB). After downloading the ISO, download Rufus. Google “Rufus,” click on the official site, and download the portable version (1.6 MB) so you don’t have to install it. So we only need the Windows ISO file and Rufus.

Now connect your hard disk to your PC. Make sure to back up all the files from your hard disk, as these will be deleted while installing Windows. Now open Rufus and navigate to the ISO file. For “Partition Scheme,” choose according to your hard disk. To find this, go to the Start menu, type “Disk Management,” and open it. In Disk Management, right-click your external hard disk, click “Properties,” go to the “Volumes” tab, and check the “Partition Style” (e.g., GPT). Set “Target System” according to your BIOS (usually UEFI). Leave everything else at default and click “Start.” When asked to choose the same Windows edition you have, select “Windows Home” and click “OK.” Then, choose whether to allow access to the system drive (this option lets you access the system C: drive from portable Windows). If you want the portable Windows to be completely independent, tick that option and click “OK.” Rufus will now format the drive (erasing all files—ensure you backed up first) and create a portable Windows.

After creating the portable Windows, restart your computer and enter the Boot Options menu (for my Dell XPS, it’s F12; other computers may use F1, F2, F10, or Delete—tap accordingly). Choose your external hard disk/USB to boot from, and it will load the new Windows. Run all the basic setup, and you will have Windows running from your hard disk.

Thank you very much.