Windows2Go (ext device) on different hardware - activation question

hi Windows Gurus.

If I have an external device running different releases of windows - EFI, Windows1, Windows2, Windows3 (one common EFI partition so I can choose which Windows to load) - so Windows1 runs on hardare set1, windows 2 runs on hardware set 2 and windows 3 runs on set 3 - do activations remain the same -- i.e so long as I only boot up Windows 1 on hardware set 1 it won't lose activation if I use the same external device on hardware set 2 and boot up Windows 2.

So is activation done at boot time when you are shown the boot menu or when the OS starts loading. I intend to install each Windows sepearately on the relevant machine with dism /Apply-Image and then add to the bootmgr via bcdboot.

This makes a Windows2Go system much more useful if I can preserve activation for the 3 instances provided they are run on the relevant machine(s).

(note you can also clone a running system to a Windows2Go ext device -- simply copy the windows system to the relevant partition and re-run bcdboot. Set the portable OS to 1 before cloning (and set it back to 0 again afterwards !!!).


Cheers
jimbo

As far as I know, activation is checked once a connection is made tio internet.

A W2GO usb checks for a digital licence (w10 or w11) - how the windows installation is setup is not really relevant (provided it is correct version e.g. home, pro erc.)

So you can out drive in any hardware with a digital licence abd it will activate if same edition (home, pro etc) as digital licence.

If pc has wrong edition digital licence or none, w2go will not activate.

There is on subtlety i.e. if pc has a Pro digital licence, it will also activate Home or Home SL. If it had a Home fogital licence, it will activate Home SL but NOT Pro.

Also note N (EU) digital licences are not interchangeable with normal non-N licences e.g. A Pro N edition of windows will not activate a Pro digital licence.

cereberus said:

As far as I know, activation is checked once a connection is made tio internet.

A W2GO usb checks for a digital licence (w10 or w11) - how the windows installation is setup is not really relevant (provided it is correct version e.g. home, pro erc.)

So you can out drive in any hardware with a digital licence abd it will activate if same edition (home, pro etc) as digital licence.

If pc has wrong edition digital licence or none, w2go will not activate.

There is on subtlety i.e. if pc has a Pro digital licence, it will also activate Home or Home SL. If it had a Home fogital licence, it will activate Home SL but NOT Pro.

Also note N (EU) digital licences are not interchangeable with normal non-N licences e.g. A Pro N edition of windows will not activate a Pro digital licence.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info
Cheers
jimbo

Once I had mage a Windows 10 Windows-to-Go installation on a USB hard disk in order to test Windows 10 compatibility on old computers. I had also installed many diagnostic utilities and other tools I used as Technician. I don't remember if Windows was activated and connected to another computer I had to activate again. So I cannot tell for sure, but I think it just worked, it didn't ask for activation for any new computer. I may be wrong though. This was an old version v1803. I am not sure if this is true for newer versions including Windows 10 22H2 and Windows 11. Now that an average USB flash drive is 64GB, I might create a Windows 11 Windows-to-Go and test it. I will post the results.

I just booted a WinToGo disk made on my System One on my System Two. It remained Activated.



I don't understand why it's reporting my CPU temp so high. No way it's running 84C with a 1% load.
Also, my fans would be running full speed.

Regarding the fan, are you sure it is Centigrade? It might be 84 Fahrenheit which is just 29 degrees Centigrade and is rather cool. In any case I would immediately boot into BIOS and verify the temperature. If it is indeed 84 Centigrade when idle and blowing dust from the tower doesn't help, I would first replace the thermal paste and then the CPU cooler.

spapakons said:

are you sure it is Centigrade?

Click to expand...

You're right, for some reason it was set to Fahrenheit.