My PC crashed recently, and Bitdefender automatically encrypted my drives. Now, I'm trying to set up a Windows To Go USB drive while I sort out my account recovery with Microsoft. I've been using Rufus to create the USB and have managed to boot into the desktop twice. After using Windows Update to install all the drivers, everything seemed to work fine at first. The last time I attempted it, I went through three restarts with all my browser settings and Office installed, but after leaving it updating overnight, it failed to mount the boot device. I've spent hours troubleshooting and now I'm thinking about starting over. Has anyone had success using Windows To Go for Windows 11? Would disabling Windows Update help, or will I just run into more issues trying to get this setup functional? I only need this for another two weeks until I can regain access to my Bitdefender keys.
3 Answers
Sounds like you're dealing with a lot! If you can find a small temporary hard drive, popping in something like a 256GB SSD and doing a full install of Windows could be a practical option. This way, once you sort out the recovery key from Microsoft, you could unlock your original drive too. I also heard tools like Parted Magic can be helpful for accessing encrypted drives. Just make sure to have a backup plan for your files while you’re at it.
Honestly, Windows To Go is pretty outdated and not officially supported on Windows 11. Some folks have tried to make it work but have run into a lot of issues. You might want to consider using a different solution. If you're just looking for a functioning computer, have you thought about creating a Linux USB drive instead? I’ve found that Mint Linux works well live, and if you install it on a USB, you can save your work too.
Just a heads up, it sounds like you might be talking about BitLocker instead of Bitdefender? If that’s the case, getting a temporary boot drive set up might offer you a path back into your files. If you can, try using software that deals with drive encryption; tools like Dislocker might help you access your data without wiping everything. You've got this!
I totally get needing a working environment quickly. I just need some essential tools like Office and OneDrive for work; can Mint handle that?