BootCamp on USB flash drive.

[Spinninq]

If I install bootcamp on my USB flash drive 128GB, I have two questions.

First, can I put windows to take 128GB of the space, and second, if for exemple in the middle of using windows i take off my usb drive will it crash ? Also , will I always need my usb drive to boot up windows ? so if I don't have it I can't use windows, right ? that would be great though.

 

[saturnotaku]

The flash memory used on USB thumb drives is not designed to handle the rigorous I/O of loading an operating system and its related programs. Better to buy a 128 GB SSD and external enclosure.

This is, of course, assuming you have a Mac with a Haswell (4th generation Core i5/i7) CPU and Windows 8.1.

 

[z31fanatic]

Bootcamp will not install Windows on an external drive.

 

[saturnotaku]

Bootcamp will not install Windows on an external drive.

If you have a Mac with a Haswell CPU (mid 2014) or newer, it is possible to install Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 externally. With those processors Apple finally did away with its hybrid EFI/master boot record system and moved to a more standardized UEFI platform.

 

[z31fanatic]

If you have a Mac with a Haswell CPU (mid 2014) or newer, it is possible to install Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 externally.

Not with Bootcamp. Bootcamp will only install on the internal drive.

 

[saturnotaku]

Not with Bootcamp. Bootcamp will only install on the internal drive.

The capability to use UEFI to install Windows on Macs with such capability effectively renders Boot Camp moot.

 

[z31fanatic]

Windows won't install on external USB drives, UEFI or not. I think you need to use a thunderbold drive if you want to do that.

 

[john.carter32323]

Hi Spinninq,

BootCamp is not designed to install Windows on an external drive. But, you can use SSD Drives for storing the necessary backup data of BootCamp.

Secondly, you don’t need any USB drive for booting Windows again. It required only once.

 

[haralds]

You can use WinClone for Macs supporting the right level of EFI boot.
https://twocanoes.zendesk.com/hc/en...ate-Windows-8-or-higher-to-an-External-Drive-