[Solved] Best Free Alternative to Rufus Windows To Go

Rufus is a free, open-source tool that can create Windows To Go. Hasleo WinToUSB, the world's first third-party Windows To Go creation software, is the best alternative to Rufus for creating Windows To Go.

• Overview of Windows To Go (WTG)
• Overview of Rufus and Rufus Windows To Go
• Why might you need an alternative to Rufus Windows To Go?
• Tutorial to create Windows To Go with Hasleo WinToUSB
• Conclusion

Overview of Windows To Go (WTG)

In short, Windows To Go (WTG) is a handy feature that allows you to install a fully functional Windows operating system on a USB drive as a portable Windows. Then you can carry the portable Windows drive anywhere and use it on any computer. Windows To Go makes BYOD (bring your own device) possible, which allows you to use your own Windows OS and applications on any computer. This significantly enhances work efficiency.

In earlier versions of Windows 10 Enterprise/Education Edition, Microsoft provided the Windows To Go Creator Wizard to create Windows To Go drives. However, development was discontinued in 2019, and the feature is unavailable in later versions, including Windows 11/10.

Overview of Rufus and Rufus Windows To Go

Rufus is a free and open-source software for Windows OS, mainly designed to create bootable USB drives. It supports multiple ISO images, including DOS, Windows, Linux, etc. It is one of the most popular tools on the market for creating bootable USB drives. The main function of Rufus is creating Windows and Linux installation USB drivers. Additionally, it supports creating linux live USB and Windows To Go USB drives.

Why mingt you need an alternative to Rufus Windows To Go?

As mentioned above, Rufus supports Windows To Go creation and is indeed a good choice for creating Windows To Go USB drive. However, it has the following shortcomings:

1. It does not support creating VHD(X)-based Windows To Go from ISO files.
2. It does not support cloning an existing Windows to a USB drive as Windows To Go.
3. It does not support BitLocker encryption for Windows To Go USB drives to protect your data.
4. The interface is complex and technical support is not timely.

As mentioned above, several shortcomings of Rufus may prevent it from meeting your needs. If you are looking for a Rufus alternative for Windows To Go, we recommend Hasleo WinToUSB. As the world’s first third-party Windows To Go Creator, Hasleo WinToUSB does not have these shortcomings at all, and it is more flexible and efficient.

 

Tutorial to create Windows To Go with Hasleo WinToUSB - The best free alternative to Rufus Windows To Go.

Step 1. Connect the USB drive to your computer, then download, install, and run Hasleo WinToUSB. Click the "Windows To Go USB" option.

Step 2. Click "Select installation source" → "Browse image file". Select the Windows installation ISO file from the dialog box as your source. Alternatively, choose a CD/DVD drive with a Windows installation media.

Step 3. Hasleo WinToUSB scans for and lists installable operating systems. Select your target Windows edition.

Step 4. Click "Select destination drive", then choose the target drive from the pop-up list. If Hasleo WinToUSB fails to detect the drive, click the button to initiate drive recognition.

Step 5. Select your preferred partition scheme and installation mode. Optionally, you may specify additional drives or enable BitLocker encryption for the Windows To Go drive, then click "Proceed".

* Tips:

1. For detailed information about "Partition scheme", "Installation mode" and "Enable BitLocker", please refer to: How to create Portable Windows 11/10/8/7 from ISO, WIM, ESD, SWM, VHD(X) or DBI files?
2. If you select "Keep the existing partition scheme" option, you need to manually prepare the USB drive partitions before this step. View guide: How to Manually Prepare Partitions for Windows To Go?

Step 6. After clicking "Proceed", a confirmation dialog will appear asking whether to continue formatting the drive. Click "Yes" if you accept the operation.

Step 7. After clicking "Yes", WinToUSB initiates Windows installation on the destination drive.

Step 8. The installation will take some time; please be patient. After installation, restart the computer and enter UEFI/BIOS settings to boot from the USB drive.

Step 9. A standard Windows installation requires completing all setup steps during the first boot. Afterward, you can install applications and copy files, etc.

Conclusion

As the best free alternative to Rufus Windows To Go, Hasleo WinToUSB can match all Rufus features to create portable Windows. It can clone an existing Windows to a USB drive as a Windows To Go workspace and encrypt the drive with BitLocker for data security.