this post was submitted on 10 Jul 2026
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Linux Gaming
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I have a windows install on a USB hard-drive. It's not fast but that might not be a problem if you use a fast USB storage. I just plug it in and boot from it via UEFI.
This is what I do, just a spare nvme drive thrown in an external enclosure. Rufus has an option called “windows to go” that installs the iso as opposed to making a bootable installer, and it gives an option to block Windows from overwriting local disks to avoid the boot loader issues too. Has worked quite well up until a point recently where it just refused to boot anymore with an unhelpful error despite not having been touched in months. No updates or changes since it worked before. Good ol windows…
A spare NVME? In this economy?
Probably from the previous economy
I was installing Win10 Pro to a SSD that I would stick in an external case. Would work, for a while, but eventually would get an error and would be unable to boot, or repair it. Windows seems to be designed to know when it's installed on an external drive, and to hose itself out of spite. I gave up after the fourth time, resigned to the fact I just had to find an alternative CAD software package that I could access from Linux.
Interesting. I suppose I’ll see if it happens again, luckily not too big a deal as Windows was more a convenience for a couple utilities I use, already found a Linux friendly way for one of them thanks to it borking itself recently. If they’re intentionally doing that and giving me an excuse to rid myself entirely of Windows, I guess I won’t complain too much ahaha. I just chalked it up to the usual Windows shenanigans
Windows knows when it's on an external drive. The installer would insist Windows could only be installed on an internal drive, so I would have to swap out one of the SSD's on the motherboard with the drive I intended to use. After it was done, I'd switch it out to an external case with a USB-C connection. Might boot up a dozen times, more or less, then crap out. At least it never did anything to screw up the Linux drives, but they're ext4 formatted, so Windows won't recognize them.
That's cool, i had never heard of "windows to go" before -- I may try that out!