Has anyone tried to make an image of a Windows to Go installation and restore it to a different internal HDD? I am considering it but thought I would see if anyone here has first. The reason for asking is to deploy Windows 8 Activated with full suite of programs (office etc etc) already installed, to other systems. Time saver yeah? I have WTG on a 1tb external drive and am thinking that making an image and restoring to 5 (or 10) different systems, thinking it would be pretty straight forward. The one thing I did find out is that, if you install an x64 WTG it wont work on x86 systems. I had hoped being a "To GO" it would convert itself or something (ok so I was dreaming hahah). So really I would need to make 2 WTG images, one for x64 one for x86, but the x86 does run fine on an x64 system but that is moot at best. So is this feasible? or is my thought process skewed? input would be great.
When you deploy activated window to different hardware activation will become Nightmare in dreams. Choose x86 or x64 based on your hardware configuration. Like Processor, RAM
Thank you for your input, rrhela. The activation is fine since it is a "windows to go" and will stay activated across any system regardless of hardware changes. I have time today, I might just give it a go later. I have to decide what to use though, Acronis would probably be the easiest but I like paragon. decisions decisions lol ed- The activation wouldn't be pinned to that specific external drive would it? that would make things different...
The whole point of Windows To Go is to run on different hardware. I don't see the point of using WTG to deploy an "activated" OS, since it uses the same method (KMS) as the other editions anyway.
It is more to save time than anything. The Activation is the OS isn't as important since that is easy enough to do. I guess I am just looking for a lazy way to deploy the exact same setup in very minimal time. I am backing up the External to an image now and going to try it on a couple systems. It takes longer to back it up than it should to deploy to both systems.
When ever you plug it into different hardware it starts installing drivers first. There is no magic involved in it that it will come up just fine.. Corporate use same type of hardware (Mostly) not a pain for them to maintain.
well not so good on first go. I got a 0xc0000001 winload.exe error. Woke 3 pc's up and they all booted to the same blue screen error hehe. After I get back from my rounds Ill give that a go gamedev, thanks for the input.
Are you sure that the activation of WTG will stay ? See here : « Windows To Go's activation is a problem » h . . tp://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/W8ITProWTG/thread/16250fb8-69ee-4863-94ad-cc8a91ef6365
Best method to accomplish this is to first generalize working image & then capture it & deploy. You can use both USB & dvd methods to deploy same image. Then you won't get blue screen..
I did use KMS to activate not MAK, and so far I have been able to take the external drive to 6 different PC's (plus 3 off site to another network) without losing the activation. It goes through the setting up devices etc with each new PC, but activation hasn't left its happy place yet. I can see where this would be a huge hassle if it needed to be activated with every PC. On that note, it hasn't done what I had hoped to be able to do. It would have been nice to install all the software needed on one WTG, and simply dump it on several pc's but yeah, not yet heh
When I restore a WHS 2011 backed-up partition to another/other partition(s) it restores activated, I have done this several times already. Note: the original OS (that was backed-up) was activated w/ a legit key.
Yes of course, but most "ordinary" people do not have access to KMS activation through 'Volume Licensing'
Same computer or another PC w/ the same brand MB (older model though). Everything is restored incl. Windows 8, Office 2010, etc. & activated
Since Enterprise isn't something ordinary people would most likely have, and wouldn't have WTG I think. right?
I am an "ordinary" person and I build WTG devices « manualy » without a Windows Enterprise licence Then the problem is keeping the activation when roaming the WTG devive to other computers. This problem is unfortunaly still not solved ...