Works like a charm, but still some questions

[wim122]

Hello,

I've just installed Windows 10 using WinToUsb Free edition on a Sandisk CZ80 64GB. It was super easy to install (all thanks to WinToUSB) and my new Windows environment works like a charm (very fast!).

There are just a couple of questions I still have... could anyone share his/her opinion please?

1. Flash disk lifetime. Is the limited number of write cycles of a non-certified USB stick like the Sandisk, something to worry about? I've turned off defragmentation, search-indexing and hibernation, which should minimize unnecessary writing according to some websites I've googled. But of course there is still activity to the USB disk every few seconds due to background processes, so I wonder, how worried should I am? I'm hoping to use the Windows stick perhaps about 1,5 hours every day.
   
2. VHDx support. I'm using the latest version (2.7 I think) of WinToUSB. VHDx is one of the shown options, but it is greyed out. How can I make it available?
   
3. Backups. Does it make sense to make backups of the VHD file? Or is my windows-to-go really "tied" to the stick, and won't I be able to recover it if the flash disk would fail and I only have a backup of the VHD file?
   
4. Sandisk vs. USB drive. How does a stick like the Sandisk CZ80 compare to a "simple" (WD elements or WD passport Ultra or so) USB 3.0 drive? Flash stick is of course much more compact and much more expensive per GB, but how does performance and reliability compare? Perhaps a USB hard drive is more reliable since it doesn't suffer from limited write cycles?
   
5. Disconnections. What happens if I (or my 1,5 years old toddler running around) would accidentally unplug the Sandisk? Am I really using Windows-to-go (despite the VHD approach) which supposedly would "pause" for 60 seconds? Or do I risk damage?
   

Sorry for the many questions, thanks for your insights, and thanks to the developers of WinToUSB for such a great software!

Wim