Questions about Windows To Go installation of Windows10 and 11 on external drives.

Hello,
I have a few queries about Windows installation on external devices. Any help is appreciated.
I want to make an universal external device of Windows 10 and 11 installations with digital license purchased, for third party.( As per details like name, mobile number, Gmail address given by third party)
1. Can Windows 10 and 11 be installed on a new external device , having digital licence linked with Microsoft account , different from Windows installed on device to which new external device will be attached? I mean can I make such device on my desktop pc?
2. Will these external devices work on pc of third party who provided me his details?
3. More clearly, I want to make external device (commercial purpose) on which Windows 11 and Windows 10 will be installed with digital license linked with Microsoft account, as per details provided to me by third party. Can this be done on my desktop pc?
4. If answers are No , is there any solution to make universal external device, perhaps with local account of third party, with digital license activation,so that the device prepared in this way can be sold to third party, offcourse with digital license purchased?
5. If yes, will Microsoft server search for my pc details/ hardware configuration, instead of third party' s pc details?
Thanks for reading.

Hello everyone,
I have had windows to go installation of windows 10 on sandisk usb drive of capacity 128 gb.
I installed Windows 10 pro on 10th May 2021.
Edition Windows 10 Pro
Version 21H1
Installed on ‎10-‎05-‎2021
OS build 19043.985
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.2020.0
Today I tried this on my desktop pc and it booted well to desktop.
Please see the images attachted herewith which I just captured from booted sandisk usb drive with the said installed version and build.
The important points to note are :
1.My gmail address was different in year 2021 and had different pc configuration than today's configuration.
2.When I logged in with that old microsoft account with password , it shown my microsoft account{account created at that time}.
3. The installed windows 10 pro still shows activation status as " Windows is activated with digital license linked to your microsoft account"
4. I have tested this usb on my recent desktop pc.
I will try this on different pc in a few days.
Thanks for sharing your valuable time.

Hi folks
You can install Windows or even update an existing Windows installation to any external device -- you don't need Hasleo or any special paid for software to do it.

Just ensure say if you want to CLONE an existing Windows system to an external device just set this reg key to '0' and re-boot (portableOS).
Key is in Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control

Also remember after updating - if you want to copy the image back to an internal disk set the value to '0' again otherwise Windows will think that your internal windows system is still a "Windows to Go" machine !!!!!.


Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

Hi folks
You can install Windows or even update an existing Windows installation to any external device -- you don't need Hasleo or any special paid for software to do it.

Just ensure say if you want to CLONE an existing Windows system to an external device just set this reg key to '0' and re-boot (portableOS).
Key is in Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control

Also remember after updating - if you want to copy the image back to an internal disk set the value to '0' again otherwise Windows will think that your internal windows system is still a "Windows to Go" machine !!!!!.


Cheers
jimbo

Click to expand...

Hello @jimbo45
This value is 0 as seen in third image attached above.
After updating if we want to copy the image back to internal disk should we set the value to 1 for internal disk to be restored by portable os?
Should we change value in registry in portable os to 1 before restoring the image to internal disk? Should we set the value to 1 and create image of this porable os with changed registry dword value?
Can this be done in pe environment by choosing system restore option?
Image of portable os should be created or just migration from portable to internal will work, by using third party softwares?

Ramesh Sharma said:

Hello @jimbo45
This value is 0 as seen in third image attached above.
After updating if we want to copy the image back to internal disk should we set the value to 1 for internal disk to be restored by portable os?
Should we change value in registry in portable os to 1 before restoring the image to internal disk? Should we set the value to 1 and create image of this porable os with changed registry dword value?
Can this be done in pe environment by choosing system restore option?
Image of portable os should be created or just migration from portable to internal will work, by using third party softwares?

Click to expand...

just leave it as '0'.

I've found the best method is simply running the old Macrium Free (the FREE edition -- still works) to IMAGE the Windows disk and restore to whatever device you think fit.

Also works for making VM's -- Here's a VM I copied from a Physical WindowstoGo system to a KVM/QEMU Linux system VM and it runs perfectly. Just boot up , run the windows virtio drivers ON THE GUEST MACHINE !!!! (get from the Fedora / red hat site) and you are in business.





Cheers
jimbo

Update
I am attaching the images of registry paths in windows 10 pro and windows 11 pro.
The regitry path Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
do not have the entry of PortableOperatingSystem key.
So do we need to delete this key or change value to 1 before creating image of portable os or before migration to internal os?

Ramesh Sharma said:

Update
I am attaching the images of registry paths in windows 10 pro and windows 11 pro.
The regitry path Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
do not have the entry of PortableOperatingSystem key.
So do we need to delete this key or change value to 1 before creating image of portable os or before migration to internal os?

Click to expand...

@Ramesh Sharma

If the key doesn't exist then you should be OK simply to image the OS and restore to your internal device. If then when booting you get message "Please keepUSB plugged in" then the key will exist so set to '0' and reboot Windows.

Cheers
jimbo

Update
Hello everyone,
Today I installed Windows 11 Pro version 23H2 , OS Build 22631.2428 on external usb drive , with different Microsoft account and password. I used my current desktop pc , during installation kept internet on, accepted all Microsoft default settings and made no change.
This newly installed Windows 11 , different from that of my regular windows 11 pro on my desktop pc, is activated with digital license linked to Microsoft account. I used different gmail address that I have created a few months before. {Total , I have three gmail addresses. One gmail address, as described in my post #2 , had been used in installation of v21H1 on external usb flash drive.} This is third gmail address that I have created for educational purposes only.
Please see the images attached herewith.
So I have three different Microsoft accounts , windows to go usb drives working on my current desktop pc configuration.
More updates to come.
Thanks for sharing your valuable time.

Hello everyone,
Updating the above information,
1. Today I got laptop Dell Inspiron. I have two Windows to go usb devices, one usb having Windows 10 Pro version 21H1 os build 19043.985 installed on usb drive on 10 th May 2021.
2. And second usb having Windows 11 Pro version 23H2 , OS Build 22631.2428 installed on usb drive on 28 th July 2024,
3. Dell Inspiron laptop has local account of Windows 10 Pro with digital license activated. It has different hardware configuration than my pc's configuration.
4. Both usb drives booted well on laptop and activation status is " Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account".
5. Both usb have different Microsoft accounts, also different than Windows 10 and Windows 11 on my desktop pc's microsoft account.
6. I have created both Windows to go usb on my desktop pc.
7. So this means Windows to go usb created on one pc ( Windows
activated with digital license linked to microsoft account) can work on any pc with normal properties, but fully functional just like any Windows installed on internal drive.
8. We may create windows to go usb for third person to prove helpful in case of corrupt windows or as recovery drive.
Thanks.

Re. licensing, the digital licence is linked to the mobo hardware id regardless if you use a local or MS account.

If you plug a WTG usb drive into a pc with a digital licence of same edition e.g. Pro, then the WTG installation will be activated.

If you plug a WTG usb drive into a pc without a digital licence of same edition, then the WTG installation will be unactivated.

In other words, you cannot carry the digital licence with the WTG drive.

cereberus said:

Re. licensing, the digital licence is linked to the mobo hardware id regardless if you use a local or MS account.

If you plug a WTG usb drive into a pc with a digital licence of same edition e.g. Pro, then the WTG installation will be activated.

If you plug a WTG usb drive into a pc without a digital licence of same edition, then the WTG installation will be unactivated.

In other words, you cannot carry the digital licence with the WTG drive.

Click to expand...

Thanks @cereberus, very informative answer for me.
As I have said in my post #9,
1. I tried WTG 10 Pro with activated windows with digital licence linked to microsoft account with old MS account of mine. I plugged it to DELL INSPIRON LAPTOP having cracked Windows activation. But as replied by you, WINDOWS SERVER was unable to activate my WTG on laptop which has Windows 10 Pro already running on it. So I purchased legal retail product key online and activated the cracked windows 10 Pro with local account. Now I had to test on this Newly activated Windows 10 Pro OS on laptop with my WTG plugged in. Yes, now WTG Windows 10 Pro on booting did show activation on laptop.
2. But WTG with Windows 11Pro having totally different MS account when was tried to boot on same Dell Inspiron laptop which has Only One OS Windows 10 Pro running, Microsoft Server activated the windows on WTG without any issue. This was Windows 11 Pro on usb drive with digital license linked to microsoft account of third person's details. This WTG was prepared on my desktop pc which has Windows 10/11 Pro activation having digital license linked to my microsoft account.
This second point is surprizing.
Thanks. I hope you may clear this second point.
If I am not wrong, I can make WTG for third person, on basis of details provided to me, if both windows editions match. Windows on his pc/laptop with digital license key should match with WTG on usb drive. So there will be no activation error on WTG when logged in to his pc/laptop.
Again thank you all.

Ramesh Sharma said:

Thanks @cereberus
If I am not wrong, I can make WTG for third person, on basis of details provided to me, if both windows editions match. Windows on his pc/laptop with digital license key should match with WTG on usb drive. So there will be no activation error on WTG when logged in to his pc/laptop.
Again thank you all.

Click to expand...

It does not matter who owns the pc or creates a WTG drive, or what type of account is being used.

If WTG uses same edition of Windows as on PC, and pc has been previously activated (has a digital licence stored on MS's activation server), the WTG drive will activate ON THAT PC.

You just create one and give it to client - you have no real control over whether it activates or not. All you can do is ensure WTG version is same as what client tells you.

Thanks @cereberus. GOT IT.
But what about the second point in my post #11?
WTG with windows 11 Pro showing activation on Dell Inspiron laptop, while there is only Os Window 10 Pro on laptop?
I mean there was no matching Windows 11Pro on laptop.
More interestingly, WTG of Windows 11 Pro created for client, on my activated Windows 11Pro on desktop pc, is working as activated windows linked to MS account with digital license on client's pc/laptop.
Shortly, WTG of windows 11 Pro is using my pc's activation status of Windows 11 Pro on client's laptop/pc.

Hello,
Adding some more examples to post #11,
I have Samsung external SSD which has following WTG on different partitions.
1.Windows 11 Home version 22H2 OS Build 22621.3958 installed on 26-04-2023( my current microsoft account)
2. Windows 10 Pro version 22H2 OS Build 19045.2913 installed on 07-05- 2023 ( my old Microsoft account )
When samsung external SSD plugged to boot on laptop Dell Inspiron (which has only os Windows 10 Pro with local account digital activation.) both Windows are activated with digital license linked to my both Microsoft accounts.
Thanks.

Ramesh Sharma said:

Thanks @cereberus. GOT IT.
But what about the second point in my post #11?
WTG with windows 11 Pro showing activation on Dell Inspiron laptop, while there is only Os Window 10 Pro on laptop?
I mean there was no matching Windows 11Pro on laptop.

Click to expand...

You are confusing EDITIONS with VERSIONS.

Windows 10 and Windows 11 digital licences are 100% the same thing.

Say you get a Pro digital licence for example. It does not matter if Windows 10 or Windows 11.

The SAME digital licence will activate on Windows 10 or Windows 11 if same EDITION.

PRO is an EDITION. Windows 10 or 11 are a VERSION in effect (actually different versions like 22H2 or 23H2 but you get the point).

Thanks @cereberus.

Update
Hello everyone,
Another WTG on samsung external ssd of Windows 11Pro v22H2 OS build 22621.1344 installed on 20-10-2022 with my old microsoft account, when booted on Dell Inspiron laptop, it was not activated. It stated about hardware change and to purchase new key from Microsoft store.I run regedit as administrator. Navigated to Computer\HKEY_LOAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control, and changed the reg key value of PortableOperatingSystem from 1 to 0.
Then rebooted WTG portable OS. This time Activation status is "Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account.
Thanks @jimbo45.

Hello and welcome once again,
I am attaching the images of activation status of Windows 11 Pro on WTG checked by CMD run as administrator and show key plus.
The WTG discussed in post #17 has had generic key VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T upon changing the reg key value of PortableOperatingSystem from 1 to 0. It did show activation but with generic key. So,I changed the product key with retail key of Windows 10 Pro key linked to my{ old }microsoft account as this said WTG also had the same {old} microsoft account.
Please have a look sharing your valuable time,
Thanks.

Ramesh Sharma said:

Hello and welcome once again,
I am attaching the images of activation status of Windows 11 Pro on WTG checked by CMD run as administrator and show key plus.
The WTG discussed in post #17 has had generic key VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T upon changing the reg key value of PortableOperatingSystem from 1 to 0. It did show activation but with generic key. So,I changed the product key with that of Windows 10 Pro key linked to my{ old }microsoft account as this said WTG also had the same {old} microsoft account.
Please have a look sharing your valuable time,
Thanks.

Click to expand...

@Ramesh Sharma
Glad you got it fixed.

BTW just curious -- India with a HUGE population -- surely they should be up there in the Olympic Medal table with China / USA etc --I know Indians usually like sport (especially Cricket !!) -- so what's up !!!!!.



Cheers

jimbo

Next...
I want to migrate this WTG portable OS on another ssd or internal ssd/hdd keeping windows os with WTG as it is. This is for verification.
What should I use for this transfer/copy?
Macrium freeware or portable minitool wizard?
Thanks.