Apr 23, 2015

In today's third part of the Windows To Go series, we will have a look at 3 critical things for your Windows To Go. Make sure you check out Part 1 and Part 2 before reading on.

Surveying security

Now you would expect, and rightfully so, that with Windows To Go there will be some security challenges. The challenge is in the fact that when you boot up with USB Drive, you still have access to the local disk and disk resources from the USB-based Operating System, albeit you have to enable them first.

The solution is to enable Bitlocker on all systems and Bitlocker to Go on all Windows To Go-enabled devices. If you boot onto a Windows system that has BitLocker enabled, you will not be able to view anything on the protected disk unless you have the password. Alternatively, if you happen to lose your Windows To Go device, the information is safe if you have Bitlocker To Go set up on it; otherwise, your information is available to anyone who can plug in a USB drive.

This means that Windows To Go is a very good way to gain easy access to any system’s files. The cunning security pro will encrypt the USB drive with BitLocker To Go, just in case the device is left behind or lost. The recipient will have a nice $20 gift, but at least the identity and purpose of the drive will remain hidden.

Managing portability

If you use the x86 version of Windows To Go, you’ll have greater portability than if you use the 64-bit version. Attempting to boot the 64-bit version on a system that doesn't support it stops the boot, and the system notifies you that the process can’t continue. You can create a Windows To Go bootable USB drive successfully in a virtual machine.

Once the USB is booted, you can open the Windows Store, right-click any app, and click Your Apps to display your purchased apps. After selecting and purchasing an app from the Windows Store that you want to install on the Windows To Go USB drive, you are licensed to use it on five computers. You can also sync your settings via your Microsoft account by opening the Charms Bar and clicking  Settings > Change PC settings > Sync your settings. All settings are set to sync by default.

Assessing system speed

For most operations, you’ll never know that you’re working from a USB drive and not a traditional hard disk. A few disk-intensive applications are a bit lethargic on start-up, but all of the Office applications open within one to two seconds. Overall, performance varies from acceptable to outstanding.