Xxx2usb
xxx2usb, create Windows To Go
Requirements
- Computer (or Virtual Machine) with Windows Vista (32 bits / 64 bits), Windows 7 (32 bits / 64 bits), or Windows 8 Developer preview (32 bits / 64 bits)
- Windows 8 ISO or DVD (32 bits / 64 bits)
- USB Flash drive / USB HDD with at least 8 GB of free space
- Administrator privileges (a UAC prompt will appear if you are running as a regular use)
reqs: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/br229516
active/boot partition
HP pendrive: "Error loading operating system"
Questions:
How long does it take to create a Windows To Go system?
Creating a bootable USB 2.0 Hard Disk usually takes less than 15 minutes. Creating a bootable USB 2.0 Flash drive should take about 1 hour. Using Virtual Machines will increase the time required for creation. Using USB Hubs will also likely slow down the operation.
Why no Windows XP support?
bcdboot, the tool that installs the bootloader does not work with Windows XP, producing the error "BFSVC: Failed to close the system store. Status = [c0000121]".
Why are administrator privileges required (UAC prompt)?
As a security feature, Windows does not allow "low-level" operations to HDDs (like formatting or installing a bootloader) for non-administrator programs, therefore, the only way to install the bootloader with bcdboot is to run as administrator. In addition to that, the user is also given the choise to install ImDisk, which is required to acces the ISOs and requires administrator privileges to be installed.
Can I run xxx2usb from a running Windows To Go system?
Yes, sure, no problem.
Can I run xxx2usb from a Virtual Machine (like VMware Workstation)?
Sure, it is known to work on VMware Workstation.
Why can't I hibernate my Windows To Go system
Windows itself detects it is running from a USB drive and disabled the hibernate option, in simple terms, hibernation is disabled because, due to technical details, it is not possible to hibernate on one computer and then resume/wake on another (different processor, RAM, etc.).
Can I have several partitions on my Windows To Go drive?
Yes, you can have several partition on your drive, for example, you can have a NTFS partition for Windows, and a FAT32 or exFAT partition to store data in a format compatible with legacy or non-Windows systems. Just don't forget to set your Windows To Go partition as the "active" partition.
Do I really need to use NTFS for the USB drive?
Yes, I think so, since Windows Vista, Windows can't even be installed to devices formatted with the FAT/FAT32 filesystems, offering only the NTFS option (if I'm not mistaken). However, you can have several partitions on the Windows To Go drive, see the section "Can I have several partitions on my Windows To Go drive?" above !!!!!!
Does xxx2usb support the "freeze" feature?
Yes, as a safety measure Windows will "freeze" the entire system if the USB pendrive or USB HDD from which it is running is accidentally (or intentionally) removed. You then have 60 seconds to re-insert you USB drive, otherwise the computer will shutdown.
Can I store other data on my Windows To Go drive?
Yes, sure, you can use it just like any other (NTFS) external HDD, just be careful not to delete/overwrite any system folders/files.
My keyboard is messed-up, how do I change it?
- Open the regular/classic/desktop version of the Control panel (If you are on the Metro interface, open the Metro-style control panel and then select the last option "More settings")
- On the classic Control panel, now select "Clock, Language, and Region" and then select "Change keyboard or other input methods", click "Add a language", select the language you want and click "Add to list". Once your prefered language as been added to the list, click on it, and then click on the button that says "Move up", and keep clicking that button until your language is in the first place. You now need to log-off and log-in for the changes to take effect.
Can I use a USB 2.0 devices? And USB 3.0?
Yes to both. xxx2usb supports both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 devices.
Can I use xxx2usb to install Windows to an internal HDD?
Yes, however, installing from the Windows 8 DVD (or a bootable USB drive made from the DVD) is probably better, simply because you get what is called a "system partition". If you install Windows to an internal HDD with xxx2usb, do not forget to set your Windows partition as the "active" partition.
Other devices?
Card readers?????
internet pendrive????
Can all USB drives be used with Windows To Go?
No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can't boot, what can I do?
!!!!!!!!
