How long will a usb flash drive last if you install an OS on it?

Question

USB

My laptop does not support hardware virtualization. But there is a need to run x64 OS (windows 10, some linux distributions). There are a bunch of other laptops (no hdd). Performance is not important. I need this for experiments on wasps. Hence the question, how long will such a flash drive work? Will its resource be greatly reduced?

Answer 1

The screw broke, so I put linux on a regular 8GB flash drive, I
used it for three months until I bought a new screw.
flash drive is still alive)))

Answer 2

I don't think the resource will be wasted any differently than it would be if it were used as a mere storage medium.

Answer 3

It's not a fact that the OS on a flash drive will get up in principle ... And what's the problem with buying a used / ear HDD for a penny?
How many write cycles does a flash drive have? If the OS gets up, maybe a week, maybe a month will last