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Windows To Go

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One of the USB flash drives offered by Microsoft at the BUILD conference with Windows To Go pre-installed

Windows To Go is a feature in Windows 8 that allows it to boot and run from USB mass storage devices such as flash drives and external hard drives.[1]

It is intended to allow enterprise administrators to provide users with an imaged version of Windows 8 that reflects the corporate desktop and as such is aimed at enterprises. Creation of Windows To Go drives was not supported by the previous versions of Windows 8[2], although flash drives set up by Microsoft were distributed to those who attended their BUILD developer conference held in September 2011. Furthermore, Live USB flash drives have for a long time been able to boot earlier Windows versions as well Mac OS 9 onward, many of the Linux distributions and BSD.

History

File:Portable Workspace Creator.png
Portable Workspace Creator on Windows 8 build 7955

According to ZDNet, the last time Windows included a similar feature was Windows 3.11's execute in place ROM option,[2] although Windows Embedded Standard 7 also includes a method to boot from USB mass storage devices.[3][4]

In April 2011, after the leak of Windows 8 build 7850,[5] some users noticed that those builds included a program called "Portable Workspace Creator", indicating it was intended to create bootable USB drives of Windows 8.[6][7]

In September 2011, Microsoft officially announced Windows To Go at the Build Conference, and distributed bootable 32GB USB flash drives with Windows To Go pre-installed.[8]

Licensing details were not discussed when Windows To Go was announced.[9]

Safety and security features

As a safety measure designed to prevent data loss, Windows "freezes" the entire system if the USB drive is removed, and continues to operate immediately if the drive is inserted in the next 60 seconds after removal. If the drive is not inserted in that time-frame, the computer shuts down after those 60 seconds to prevent possible confidential or sensitive information being displayed on the screen or stored on RAM.[10] It is also possible to encrypt a Windows To Go drive using BitLocker.[11]

Technical details

According to Microsoft, a Windows To Go drive can be deployed, once created, with Windows tools such as ImageX.[10]

Windows To Go works both on USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 connections, and both on legacy BIOS and UEFI firmware.[12]

The first time Windows To Go boots on a particular computer, it installs the drivers for that particular hardware and no reboot is required. Subsequent booting operations go straight into Windows 8.[10]

Reception

Simon Bisson, writing for ZDNet called Windows To Go "One of the more interesting features of Windows 8", noting "Even though we were using a USB 2.0 port performance was good, with no noticeable lag" and calling it "a very useful way of running Windows 8".[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Gregg Keizer (2011-09-14). "Windows 8 will run from USB thumb drive". Computerworld. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
  2. ^ a b c Windows 8: Windows To Go | ZDNet UK
  3. ^ Build a Bootable USB Image
  4. ^ Bootable Windows USB Stack
  5. ^ "Windows 8 leaked, caught looking a lot like Windows 7". Engadget. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
  6. ^ "Windows 8: Portable Workspace allows you to run Windows from a USB device". WinRumors. 2011-04-15. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
  7. ^ "Windows 8 to feature USB-runnable Portable Workspaces, sales of 16GB thumb drives set to soar". Engadget. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
  8. ^ Take, First (2011-09-20). "Windows 8: Windows To Go | ZDNet UK". Zdnet.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
  9. ^ Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine: Windows 8 Will Run On Thumb Drive, 16 September 2011
  10. ^ a b c Bright, Peter (2011-09-18). "Making the lives of IT easier: Windows 8 Refresh, Reset, and Windows To Go". Arstechnica.com. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
  11. ^ "Windows 8 Running on a USB – Windows To Go - Softpedia". News.softpedia.com. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
  12. ^ "Microsoft Demonstrates Windows To Go (Run Windows 8 From USB On Any PC)". Techie-buzz.com. Retrieved 2011-09-16.

Use Cases for Windows 8 To Go

External links

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