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When I try to flash Windows 11 To Go (technically it's not actually Windows To Go, it's like a pseudo-Windows 11 To Go (it's still Windows 11, but it's not actually Windows To Go, rather something inside the ISO)) on my newly ordered 64 GB SanDisk Cruzer Glide using Rufus, it throws this error message:

'Windows To Go' can only be installed on a GPT partitioned drive if it has the FIXED attribute set. The current drive was not detected as FIXED.

I looked up this issue and could only find one Reddit post that didn't provide an explanation. I looked up what the FIXED/REMOVABLE attribute was on a flash drive and could only find this post

that was a good resource for tools to use but didn't actually explain how to flip it, nor do I know that this works with the flash drive I have specified above.

ThePiGuy
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  • Windows to Go has be deprecated, not supported by Microsoft anymore, and is generally too slow to use (which is one reason why it is not supported) – John Dec 10 '23 at 01:59
  • @John Its like a pseudo-Windows To Go for Windows 11 as done in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w34x1kBZN6c&pp=ygUWcmVjb3ZlcnkgZHJpdmUgdGhpb2pvZQ%3D%3D, I'll edit it accordingly. – ThePiGuy Dec 10 '23 at 02:02
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    @ThePiGuy - Doesn’t change the fact the partition must be GPT. There is no such thing as a “pseudo” Windows to Go installation. ThioJoe is known to create fake videos. ThioJoe shouldn’t be used for real tutorials. – Ramhound Dec 10 '23 at 02:16
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    Essentially that message is saying Windows to Go can’t be installed on a partition on a removable drive. I suspect Rufus changed since that video was authored. – Ramhound Dec 10 '23 at 02:22
  • @Ramhound ThioJoe created fake videos all the way back in like 2016. Now he makes legitimate, very detailed and very well-researched videos. Also, I understand what the error message means. What I want the answer to is how I should change the drive to be FIXED. – ThePiGuy Dec 10 '23 at 02:24
  • @ThePiGuy - You use the Lexar (BootIt) utility to change the bit or use a different drive if you don’t feel comfortable downloading it from a random website considering it’s been over a decade since it was released. – Ramhound Dec 10 '23 at 02:35
  • In my research this drive must have been manufactured awhile ago here suggests the requirement is both for Windows To Go. Worth pointing out a USB 2.0 drive would be incredibly slow boot drive. I can’t in good faith actually help you boot to such a slow drive. – Ramhound Dec 10 '23 at 02:43
  • See https://www.easeus.com/system-to-go/best-windows-to-go-creator-software.html . MS Win2USB is dead. – DrMoishe Pippik Dec 10 '23 at 03:41
  • @DrMoishePippik It isn't Windows To Go. If you read the post and a comment I provided, I said that it was a "pseudo-"Windows To Go for Windows 11, as shown in the ThioJoe video provided. – ThePiGuy Dec 10 '23 at 04:32

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This is explained here:

If you are trying to use an older version of Windows for Windows To Go, you may have gotten a message from Rufus telling you that it was unlikely to boot due to your drive being of 'REMOVABLE' type.

The FIXED/REMOVABLE attribute is a property of the flash drive you are using. Most USB HDD drivers have the FIXED attribute whereas most USB Flash drives have the REMOVABLE attribute. And as the message should have indicated, this is not something that software can change or work around, it is a hardware feature of the drive you use.

Microsoft designed older versions of Windows not to boot from a REMOVABLE drive, so that is why, if Rufus detects that you are installing Windows To Go on a drive with the REMOVABLE attribute, it will warn you that this will probably not work.

Now, if you actually use a more recent version of Windows to create a Windows To Go drive, it should be compatible with REMOVABLE drives. So I would strongly advise you to use an official Windows 11 ISO, rather than the "pseudo-Windows 11" one you seem to indicate you are using, as Rufus should not produce the warning with an official Windows 11 ISO.

You can download official Windows 11 ISOs from here.

Akeo
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  • It IS an official Windows 11 ISO. I said it was a pseudo-Windows To Go installation, meaning that it wasn't actually Windows To Go (but rather something inside the Windows 11 ISO that allows it to be flashed onto a drive that allows it to behave like Windows To Go). Probably should've been more clear about that. – ThePiGuy Dec 10 '23 at 19:58
  • Well, I have tested Rufus 4.3 with the official Windows 11 23H2 en-US ISO against a USB drive with the removable attribute and did not get any prompt from Rufus. The code from Rufus is designed to only show that message if you are using a Windows version with a build number lower than 15000 (which is for Windows 10 Creator Update or earlier) so either you used an old version of Windows, or your Windows system is misconfigured in a manner that prevents Rufus from using the Windows APIs to obtain a valid build number (But if that's the case you should see a warning in the Rufus log). – Akeo Dec 11 '23 at 02:44