Hello Everyone, I was wondering if anyone has tried a Windows 10 To Go yet? Does it work, is it included?? I want to know because if it does work i might do a nice clean install of it on my ExHDD
Ok next question. If we use the latest build 10147, or any future leaked or released builds, can it be upgraded via Win Update? Also would it be allowed to get the free RTM build as they are saying?
WinToUSB has some big advantages of WinToGo: don't need to activate again!! Activation from Master is taken over in reality it clones the Master to external with the normal WinToGo features!! It's a 1:1 copy of your Master!! Works on any Computer which allows to boot from external devices! Let's you easily access internal drives etc. using the normal Computer and Disk Management tools! In meantime I and in my company my staff is using WinToUSB instead of WinToGo already for some several month (near an year) with no problems while with WinToGo we had sometimes activation problems! and others.
Wow! I was thinking of using .VHDs primarily from now. I was wondering if I could convert an existing Windows 7 or 8/8.1 Installation and convert it to WinToUSB or .VHD Native Boot?
As I said, with WinToUSB you simply clones your Master HDD to an external drive with the WinToGo features! Activation is taken over and works with no problems, while in WinToGo you have to Activate the WinToGo drive again!
I use an SSD with WinToGo (8.1) as my daily work PC. I've also tried out the Windows 10 version from a few of the released builds and it works as expected. Only issues I've had is with drivers (mainly ATI GFX drivers) With Windows 10 using a generic install key, theres been no activation problems. But then again, I haven't had any with Windows 8.1 WinToGo either. (Like Pisthai, I did have activation issues with Win 8.0 WinToGo) Neither WinToGo nor Windows 10 booting from a .VHD will upgrade. They both error out and need a fresh install with the new build. A pain for home users, but not a real issue for a company with an image deployment system. @Pisthai, This one could be classed as a disadvantage, in a lot of companies /edit... WinToGo is Enterprise only, so activation is down to KMS
So would you suggest just waiting till RTM to make a win2go USB? Since Win2go can not be upgraded, there is no reason to make a win2go of windows 10 unless its RTM, right?
If your going to use WinToGo, then YES wait till RTM before you make your 'Working' drive. But, like all things it can be good to test things out first and the released builds are a good way to do that. If your going to use WinToUSB, listen to the other guys, they have much more experience with that than I do.
Not a disadvantage for my company or me, we using legal KMS Servers. The main disadvantage in WinToGo is simply, that you'll need to install all needed apps manually on each WTG Drive you create's which will take a lot of time! I also had try to clone an WTG drive and the cloned one were not working, while using WinToUSB, even if I clone after that the firstly created drive, ALL Clones will work with no problem. In my company we use 12 WinToUSB drives and after I create the Master drive, I could just use HDClone Enterprise for to clone up to 16 drives at the same time. Save a lot of hours of working!! We using that WinToUSB drives for servicing to our customers.
But 1 thing that makes me wonder, yes win2go is unable to upgrade via ISO or DVD, but since the Windows 10 upgrade is being sent out via Windows Update, would it be able to upgrade via that way?
Sorry Pisthai, I wasn't saying you were not using legal KMS or that KMS activation was a disadvantage. Its the 'Seeing Drives and Folders on the host system' that is/can be a disadvantage and in some cases (Financial Institutes) illegal. All our Apps/Utils and company links are installed on a base system thats imaged to a .WIM file, which is then deployed to the USB drives. Just like we do to Desktops, theres no need to install anything other than the image. You'd think it would work, as WinToGo installs get all the normal patches, fixes and drivers through WU, but the upgrade has failed on every install I've tested so far. That may change with RTM, but I doubt it.
@ZaForD: As I wrote, If you've to handle a bunch of WTG Drives, you'll need to have quite some time for to do that! Cloning of an created WTG drive didn't works and all apps need to be installed drive by drive! Using WinToUSB, I create an Master on my desktop, with all needed Apps, patches etc., etc., etc. installed, create the first WTG drive using WinToUSB and after that, using HDClone 5 Enterprise 16, I could just clone up to 16 'new' WTG drives from the WinToUSB Master HDD at the very same time, and within an hour or so all are done. The create an total of 16 WTG drives using MS Enterprise Software, you'll need at least 3 days if not more, depend on the 3.party apps you've to install and other things! Regarding that drives and folders, if you were like us in such Service business, you would know that's important to have access to all drives of serviced machines. We've our Service Contract's and MoU's with our customers with clearly defined rules to which we've to follow. There other measurements which regulates the possibility to access confidential data. Everything is strictly regulated. That for home use different rules are used, is sure. And an outsider would even not get access to that part of the Network were confidential data are in use. Financial Departments are even using their own Network (LAN) separated from the normal office use Network. That all are just normal procedures which are used in most parts of our world.
Buuuutttttttt, you have installed via an ISO, right??? Since they dont have the upgrade via WU yet, no one knows if it will work or not.
Yes, but I also used the same ISO's/WIM's to install on my laptop and that upgrades OK on the fast ring. So, I think its something to do with WinToGo and .VHD booting.
I like this concept of booting from USB based Windows, especially for IT Service technicians. I'd much prefer a TO GO/ USB version that I can NATIVE boot from VHD and can easily move around among my various machines. Would that be possible?
For to find out what's best working for YOU is that you install all of that apps and test them out! That's what I did and was chose WinToUSB for several reasons. As I create at least 20 different external HDD, 12 for my staff and the rest as spar and for my own using, the with Win ToUSB created drives were the only one I could use with HDClone 5 Enterprise 16 with no problems. Beside of that, it's a huge time saver because I create not just an fully working OS, I create one with all needed installed apps! Anyway it's up to each user WHAT he/she will like and use and for sure, the requirement of others are not the same than mine!
My personal 'WinToGo' device is setup like your thinking. Its a Windows 8.1 Enterprise WinToGo image deployed to a .VHD that was moved to an SSD in a USB/SATA external case and boots natively. Getting it to boot the first time took a little work, but the repair startup feature on a Windows DVD fixed that. (I think I messed up the bcdboot cmds ) I've since added a Windows 10 TP .VHD to the drive and can dual boot between them. But it has issues, 1. I can't upgrade Windows 10 builds 2. I have to rebuild the start files everytime I swap to a .VHD (newer Windows 10 build) SideNote: I've been at a collage for the last month or so, both OS's have booted up and run fine on all the x64 bit capable PC's I've used there.
I think you will be my savior on this issue This is my thing.. I do not wish to run it in an external case connected via USB. Although given that you are doing it, I will copy that for a Recovery Disk/ Rescue tool I'd like to run it off an INTERNAL DISK (not USB slow downs) but be portable as a .VHD - So when I want to migrate to NEW HARDWARE (in few months or few years) or SWAP between my PORTABLE hardware versus BIGGER powerful computer, I just need to COPY a file over from ONE MACHINE to ANOTHER (over USB Drive or GigE Network or ESATA or Thunderbolt or whatever). Please do share how to get these NATIVE BOOTS working... Your scenario and the INTERNAL scenario I pointed out. PS: Curious.. can WinUSB run off a .VHD?