Windows To Go

The birth of laptops, ultrabooks, tablets and Smartphones all originated the desire to have omnipresent computingThat, wherever we are, we can access our applications that allow us to function in the Information Society.

Windows 8 includes in its version for companies (Enterprise) the ability to store, in a certified device and connected through a USB port, a complete user session. In other words, a fully functional Windows 8 on any hardware that is capable of running Windows 7.

Advantages of carrying our session on your back

The first, and most obvious, is that we don't need to have to carry the hardware with us to be able to use our Windows 8 with all the documentary content and programs that we install. Thus, I can travel without having to take my work laptop or desktop with me, but a simple USB flash drive.

In addition, this data is much more protected against accidents, such as my hardware breaking, someone entering my system and accessing restricted information. Or – for pure convenience – I always have the same workspace, with the same session with the software adjusted to my tastes and needs, without having to configure and install it on each of the computers I access.

There are also several important security advantages to the way Windows To Go works on the host machine.

The first thing is that you cannot read the contents of the USB as if it were a normal drive, there is no access to the information if it is not booting the system. Also, when I have started a Windows To Go session, the local hard drives of the hardware that hosts it, turn off; This prevents information from being transferred to the local computer.

And as if that were not enough, if I hot-remove the USB – without turning it off before – in the first 60 seconds the session freezes, and after a minute the host computer turns off. So I don't leave the data to anyone's access unless I want to.

Lastly, for the most critical information, I can encrypt the entire USB with BitLocker, and this makes the be able to fraudulently extract the data.

Disadvantages

Limiting to a very few USB devices certified for the use of Windows To Go will temporarily prevent adoption until more on a large scale.It also seems to me a limitation without much sense in these times where technology has a frenetic rate of evolution. For example, I already have several USB 3.0 drives in my possession that would more than meet the necessary requirements, and that the system prevents me from using them from the creation wizard because they do not have the "certification".

Another drawback is that access to the Store has been disabled, which may make sense for enterprise users with very restrictive system policies that prevent anything from being installed on computers, but leaves out the vast majority of potential Windows To Go users.

Also it's frustrating that you can't use this stick on an ARM tablet. I suppose it will be for technical reasons, and that it will allow me to use it on PRO tablets, but it is a pity that I cannot launch my Windows session on all my devices.

But the one I consider most critical is the very real possibility of physical loss of the USB device which is obviously much higher than losing a laptop, tablet or desktop. And that forces us to be more rigorous with the backup policy that ensures that important data is not lost along with the flash drive.

Conclusions

A very convenient, powerful and safe way to take our equipment wherever we go, without having to carry the hardware on our backs .

It works very well since it is based on current fast technology (USB 3.0) that gives us transfer speeds similar to our hard drives – and which has just been announced to double its speed soon.

For users who have sufficient mobility and hardware availability in their different destinations, I think it is an option to take into account.

And It allows companies double savings On the one hand it is not necessary to have hardware for each user, if not You can have a team pull. And neither is a license needed for each piece of hardware, taking into account that it can be run on a Linux machine, as long as the hardware supports at least Windows 7.

In a following article, I will detail a step by step to create our Windows To Go.

More information | Windows to Go In XatakaWindows | Windows To Go, step-by-step creation tutorial