I have a Linux computer (a mini PC), and an external M.2 NVME drive.
Anyway to create a Windows portable installation (Windows to go) on said drive?

Thanks

How complete does it need to be and for what purpose? There's Windows Pre-installation Environment that will stay running for a period of time (I want to say 72 hours), but it's intended for update/install purposes.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/wi...iew=windows-11
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Windows_PE

I've put this on a USB stick, so I'm guessing you can manuever it onto another media.

Not really a linux question.

Windows To Go is a feature in Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education to boot Windows from an external drive but was removed for versions 2004 and later from what I have read. And that is about all I know.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/wi...-windows-to-go

I don't know. Give it a go.

Your title says from linux computer, rufus is a windows only program. There is something called woesusb-ng that may work: https://github.com/WoeUSB/WoeUSB-ng

Thank you. But I meant I want to create a complete Windows installation on an external drive where it could be booted into and use as a Windows computer. Not a Windows Installer.

This works and to what I know is the only way to create a windows-to-go install any longer. As far as I'm aware, there is no (simple) way to do it from a machine running Linux unless you get RUFUS working in WINE.

How about in a VM?

That's just doing it in Windows, of course it'll work as long as you pass your USB through to the VM.

You don't need Rufus, which is a Windows-only program. Disks can be burnt with cdrecord, USB sticks can be made with "dd" and copying over the UEFI files. wimlib makes the Windows image from an ISO, which you can download off the Microsoft website. This is in the Arch link I posted.

Windows PE =/= WindowsToGo


Windows to go is a true Windows install on a USB drive. It's not just dropping the Windows image onto the USB. Because the ability to create those installs have been removed from Windows itself, RUFUS is the only software I'm aware of that can still create WindowToGo.

I would think if one knows how rufus does it they would be able to do it manually in linux. Rufus usually has a log of what is done during the creation of a usb

The reason this is so difficult for windows is because microsoft wants it that way. If you try to install from a standard windows installation USB/DVD, you will get a message to the effect that windows can't be installed to an external usb/firewire device. You don't buy windows to use anywhere, you license (usually 1 instance) of the OS to be used on one piece of hardware. The Rufus process seems convoluted since you have to go through the create a new pin process each time you switch computers. It is simpler than installing every time you switch computers however.