Windows 2 Go - how to install Windows 8.1/10 on a USB Key

Windows 2 Go is a live Operating System on a USB device. You can use it on any UEFI-based System. It is a fully functional Windows Operating System (Windows 8.1 or 10). You can use this to rule out the installed Operating System as the cause of an issue while troubleshooting. You can also check if the System is booting and run several Diagnostics, if installed, on the USB Operating System.

In the following steps, you will learn what you must create a Windows 2 Go USB Key, how to prepare the USB Key, how to install Windows and what to do on the first start-up.

Before you can start, you must get some things ready. Here is a list what is needed and where to get it:

• Windows 10 or 8.1 Media or ISO-File from Dell or Microsoft (8.1 / 10).
• The Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) or alternatively the ImageX Tool as separate Download from the Dell TechCenter.
• A USB Key with at least 16 Gb of available space. We recommend a USB 3.0 Key for better performance.

If you use a Windows ISO-File, you will have to mount the drive to make it available for installation. In Windows 8.1 and 10, you can right-click the file and choose Mount. The ISO is now available as a virtual DVD drive. Note the drive letter that you will need in the later steps.

Now that all things are ready, you can proceed with the preparation of the USB Key.

In order to use the USB Key as a drive for a Windows Installation, we have to do some preparation. We must clean the existing configuration and set up a new one.

1. Insert the USB Key.

2. Click Start and type in CMD. Right-click Command Prompt and choose Run as Administrator.

3. In the Command Window, Type in Diskpart and press Enter to start the Diskpart Tool.

4. Type in List disk and press Enter

5. In the table, you see all available Disks, identify the USB Key and use the ID in the following command:
   Select disk [ID]

6. Type in the command Clean followed by Enter to delete all configurations on the USB Key.

7. Once complete, you must now create a partition.

8. To create a Partition, use the command Create partition primary

9. Use Format fs=ntfs quick to format the USB Key.

10. To finish up the Process, enter Assign letter=X (Where X is the drive letter you want to use) then Active followed by Exit.

You can now proceed with the next step of this guide and install Windows onto your USB Key.

It is now time to install Windows onto your USB Key. Therefore open up the Command Prompt. Open Start and type CMD, right-click Command Prompt, and choose Run as Administrator.

At the prompt, type the following command:

[Path to]imagex.exe /apply [Path to]install.wim 1 [USB Key Drive]

You must change the command to fit your computer. Choose the path to the correct ImageX.exe, for 32 or 64 bit. The install.wim or install.esd is found in the sources folder in your Windows ISO or Media. The USB Key Drive is the drive letter that you assigned to the USB Key. Here is an example command:
C:\temp\imagex.exe /apply E:\sources\install.wim 1 G:\

After you press Enter, the install process will start.

As final step, you have to create the needed start-up file on the USB Key. Use the BCDBoot tool to create the files.

bcdboot G:\windows /s G: - G should be the drive Letter of your USB Key, change it to the drive letter present on your computer.

Now that Windows 10 or 8.1 is installed on your USB Key, you can boot from it on any UEFI-based computer. On a Dell computer, press the F12 key at the Dell Logo. After that choose the key in the boot menu.

On the first start-up, Windows will guide you trough the normal first startup routine to configure your Windows Installation. After this is done, you can use the Key on every System without going through the routine again. All files and programs you save on your Windows are kept. So it is possible to install Diagnostic tools such as Dell SupportAssist or the Intel CPU Diagnostics on the key and also use them on every computer you boot.