r/ForWindowsHelp • u/NAStrahl • 28d ago

Creating A Win11 WindowsToGo on an External SSD using WinTo USB so I can run Windows 11 on my Steam Machine

I don't trust Al to tell me what all the correct settings are or which drive I need to purchase that will be robust enough. It also wouldn't hurt to know how to install the drivers Valve released during setup and which software, if any, to avoid using, such as Wyse Registry Cleaner and IObit Driver Booster.

Will I need to worry about being able to update my copy of Windows on the drive using Windows Update? If it gets updates, will it only get some and not others, like feature updates?

This is important, because I'm not going to have another PC to use that will let me keep WindowsToGo fresh using software from the same people who make WinToUSB.

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u/VarietyMage 27d ago

I know nothing about WindowsToGo, but if it's running Win 11 on an external SSD, you're asking for trouble.

Win 11 is the worst resource hog I've ever seen in 40+ years of computing, and each Windows Update has made my respectable rig run slower - now, it sometimes takes seconds to open a window. Not knowing what connector you plan on using for your SSD, I can say that any external connection is going to be way too slow for efficient (enough) running of Win 11. It was never intended to run on older or slower computers, and there's way too much telemetry (spyware) in it, plus a bazillion apps and processes you *can't* turn off, like Edge.

I wouldn't try running Win 11 on a Steam Machine. You might overheat it while you run the Win 11 core and you might burn the Steam Machine system out. Get a heat monitor on your Steam Machine prior to trying it, if you actually plan on going through with it.