Create Windows to Go without using the WAIK or ENTERPRISE

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  1. whs
    Posts : 1,935
    Windows 7
       #21

    alphanumeric said:
    Booted from my WTG drive on my laptop, seems to work Ok. I'm posting this from it. I noticed one thing that may have messed me up earlier. On first boot it does the "Getting devices ready" and eventually reboots. If I'm not watching it then boots into the internal hard drive instead of the windows to go drive. I think that happened when I was testing earlier and I didn't notice. Footballs on now so I think this will be it for tonight.
    Yeah, it reboots once and then you have to set the boot priority again. Else it goes to default.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
    Thread Starter
       #22

    Hi there

    Note that WTG activation seems OK - I've run the WTG on many different computers without activation being required.

    What DOES seem to require activation a lot is OFFICE 2010. I've got round that problem by running Office 2010 (32 bit) on an XP VM on the windows to go system. The XP Virtual machine takes minimal resources and works for this purpose brilliantly. Simply set the XP VM up to use HOST ONLY networking so you can access office documents you create and you won't have any security problems with the XP machine either. Just install the minimum XP system plus office. Works a treat.

    I still haven't made up my mind whether the best sort of portable system is to use a very fast booting Linux system and having a full Windows VM on it or to use the Windows to Go system. Open to suggestions here. Whether services like NETFLIX / SKY GO etc will run decently on a VM running from an external USB might be an issue though. Office is the one I want though - I often work in different places so it's nice to have English plus a few language packs for Office wherever I am.

    Cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 15,024
    Windows 10 IoT
       #23

    Yeah, I had to click the activate Windows and then enter one of my MSDN keys when I installed enterprise on my laptop. And then do it again for the WTG drive. I used to different codes. You don't get prompted to enter a key during install and the generic key it uses won't activate. If I use a PID.tx file I get and invalid key error. I don't remember what the exact error was but it wouldn't accept the key. Doesn't match this version or something. Yet, I can clip and past that same key from the PID.tx file in and it will work once Enterprise is installed. So I know there was no typo in the PID.tx file and the key in it is good. I've only booted it up on the one PC so far, my laptop. I just got up and I am just sipping my first cup of coffee. After that i'm taking my dog for a walk in the woods. Then after that I'll play around with this some more.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 15,024
    Windows 10 IoT
       #24

    whs said:
    alphanumeric said:
    Booted from my WTG drive on my laptop, seems to work Ok. I'm posting this from it. I noticed one thing that may have messed me up earlier. On first boot it does the "Getting devices ready" and eventually reboots. If I'm not watching it then boots into the internal hard drive instead of the windows to go drive. I think that happened when I was testing earlier and I didn't notice. Footballs on now so I think this will be it for tonight.
    Yeah, it reboots once and then you have to set the boot priority again. Else it goes to default.
    I think that caught me out at least once where I though the thumb drive didn't work. Just not paying enough attention. I wish the normal Windows 8 would offer up those setup options during install. Country, Language, Time Zone etc. In Windows 8 if I select English US for keyboard layout is assumes I live in the US, so I have to go in latter and change it to Canada. Time Zone gets set to Pacific so that's another change. I hardly had to do anything once the WTG was setup. Usually I have to dive into 2 or 3 different menus of setup options to get thing correct for my local and time zone. I really wish I knew how to create one of those auto answer files but the few times I've tried the instructions just give me a headache and I get lost with what goes where and what syntax to use.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 15,024
    Windows 10 IoT
       #25

    I just tried my WTG drive on my desktop and got that same

    Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause. To fix the problem:

    1. Insert your Windows Installation disc an restart your computer
    2. Choose your language settings, and the click "Next
    3. Click "Repair your computer"

    If you do not have this disc, contact your system administrator or computer manufacturer for assistance.

    File: \Boot\BCD

    Status: 0x0000001

    Info: An error occured while attempting to read the boot configuration data

    Doesn't like that hardware I guess. I am "almost" positive that I've booted a WTG drive from this PC in the past? Likely Windows 8.0 though. I can't install Windows 10 from a thumb drive on this same desktop PC. 8.0 and 8.1 no problem, but 10 just stops at the black screen with the flashing cursor. I had to burn a DVD and install from that. The same thumb drive worked fine on my laptop though. The laptop has UEFI the desktop doesn't. Anyway I think I'm done messing with this for now. I have some other stuff I have to get to so I'll put it on the back burner for now. Thanks again for the replies.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
    Thread Starter
       #26

    Hi there

    Final thing - Don't use UEFI for the windows to GO - then it will work on any computer. Ensure the external USB is MBR formatted. Switch off protected boot too on the laptop -- when you boot from the laptop boot menu don't boot from notebook hard drive or UEFI file but boot from something like USB drive noname. You might see too entries for the same drive - one is UEFI and the other non UEFI.

    Cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 15,024
    Windows 10 IoT
       #27

    jimbo45 said:
    Hi there

    Final thing - Don't use UEFI for the windows to GO - then it will work on any computer. Ensure the external USB is MBR formatted. Switch off protected boot too on the laptop -- when you boot from the laptop boot menu don't boot from notebook hard drive or UEFI file but boot from something like USB drive noname. You might see too entries for the same drive - one is UEFI and the other non UEFI.

    Cheers
    jimbo
    On my laptop (UEFI BIOS) I see two entries and they both list UEFI. The two entries look identical actually. I'll have to plug the drive back in and have another look see. On my desktop PC with the non UEFI BIOS there is just the one entry, USB something. I'll have to plug the drive back in and see what it shows. I get the same error if I boot from my thumb drive created as per post 1 and my official WTG drive, on my desktop PC.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 15,024
    Windows 10 IoT
       #28

    The WTG hard drive shows up as UEFI: Crucial_ CT256MX100SS MU01 twice on my laptop. selecting the first entry boots to the WTG drive. selecting the second entry boots to the internal hard drive. On my desktop PC there is just the one USB: Crucial_CT256MX100SS entry.

    The thumb drive shows up as UEFI: Kingston DT Hyper X 3.0 PMAP on my laptop. It's only listed once in the boot options. I just tried to boot from it on my laptop and got a blue failed to start screen with Recovery options. I clicked try again and now its sitting at the juggling balls screen with no disk activity. I have to press the power button to get out of it which is likely why I'm getting the failed to start menu. I'll let it go for a while and see what happens. I waited over 30 minutes last time and nothing happened. I'm guessing it will be listed as USB: Kingston DT Hyper X 3.0 on my desktop PC.
      My Computer


 

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