Can I run Windows 8.1 strictly from USB to evaluate it?

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Loganrmcclellan

Loganrmcclellan

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Dec 26, 2013
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I want to give windows 8.1 a try, of which I already have the ISO and key, but I want to boot W8 purely from a USB and leave my normal operating system untouched.

If I like Windows 8, can I then reconfigure the USB to allow me to do a full HDD install, or will it tell me that the key has "already been used" or some such nonsense?
 
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The_Prophecy
The only way to do this would be to set up Windows To Go. You can only do this with Windows 8 Enterprise however, and it requires that a copy of Windows 8 Enterprise already be set up on the machine. Windows To Go essentially clones the existing system to a suitable USB drive so that you can plug it into another system and boot it up.

You cannot install Windows 8 or 8.1 directly to a USB drive from the ISO, or from the ISO extracted to another flash drive.
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The_Prophecy

The_Prophecy

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The only way to do this would be to set up Windows To Go. You can only do this with Windows 8 Enterprise however, and it requires that a copy of Windows 8 Enterprise already be set up on the machine. Windows To Go essentially clones the existing system to a suitable USB drive so that you can plug it into another system and boot it up.

You cannot install Windows 8 or 8.1 directly to a USB drive from the ISO, or from the ISO extracted to another flash drive.
 
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