How To Install Windows On An External Hard Drive Jun 2026

Software like Rufus or Hasleo WinToUSB is necessary to bypass standard installation restrictions. Method 1: Installing via Rufus (Recommended)

diskpart list disk select disk X (replace X with your external drive number) clean create partition primary format fs=ntfs quick active assign exit how to install windows on an external hard drive

. Rufus will ask which Windows edition you want (Home, Pro, etc.) and may offer to disable certain requirements like TPM or let you create a local account automatically. Microsoft Community Hub +3 3. Boot from the External Drive Once Rufus finishes (this can take 20–40 minutes), you need to tell your computer to start from the external drive instead of the internal one. Microsoft Community Hub +1 Restart your PC and immediately press your BIOS/Boot Menu key (usually Software like Rufus or Hasleo WinToUSB is necessary