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Windows To Go: Windows 8 on MacBook Pro

A new feature in Windows 8 Server, due out at the same fourth dimension every bit Windows eight itself, allows yous to boot almost any computer into Windows 8 using a USB pollex drive. Dubbed Windows To Get, it is effectively a Windows live CD — though, as far as we know, you won't be downloading a Windows To Become ISO from Microsoft: it'due south an enterprise tool for IT administrators. For a easily-on review of Windows To Go, lookout the video beneath — or read on.

Basically, yous insert a blank USB drive into a Windows 8 Server machine, click "Provision removable drive with Windows To Go" (or similar — the exact process isn't known), and that's it. Dissimilar a live CD, though, you tin create a Windows To Get installation with your documents on it — so you could, in theory, carry an upwards-to-date copy of your files and a bootable copy of Windows 8 in your pocket at all times. Unfortunately, for licensing reasons, it's unlikely that Windows To Go will exist available for consumer installations of Windows 8 — unless you purchase a second license, perhaps — merely who knows, information technology might be a feature of Windows 8 Ultimate.

In practice, Windows To Go really, and rather surprisingly… works. Y'all plug it in, select the USB stick during boot, and well-nigh 30 seconds later y'all are looking at the Windows 8 Start screen. We're told that this really is a full version of Windows 8 — and information technology sure feels every bit fast and fluid equally the real thing — just the exact feature gear up is undetermined (you will probably be able to select/deselect features during deejay creation). Nosotros can assume that it should at least support domains, though, which will go far ideal for hot desking or quickly returning a computer to a usable state.

Everyone here in the ExtremeTech bunker would honey the power to requite our ancestors a USB stick on Windows To Go; only imagine, if they mess the installation upwards with malware, just burn them a fresh stick. Documents in Windows viii are automatically synced to your Windows Live SkyDrive, too… then information technology actually would exist easy to just nuke everything and start once more.

To see Windows To Go in action, watch our hands-on video beneath.