Testers will be able to install Windows 8 on a USB

Nov 10, 2011 13:10 GMT  ·  By

Windows 8 Beta is not quite done yet, but it’s certainly worth looking forward to, just for the new features it will introduce, if nothing else.

Case in point: Windows To Go. Microsoft has already demoed this particular feature at BUILD in mid-September 2011, but did not include it in the Windows Developer Preview it offered to early adopters for testing.

Windows To Go allows users to install Windows 8 on a USB device, and take the bootable copy of the operating system with them.

And it seems that Windows To Go has just made an appearance in the latest interim Build of the next iteration of Windows, according to Winunleaked.

Windows 8 is still in pre-Beta stage at this point in time, with Build 8102 Milestone 3 (M3) being the only release available to the public.

Microsoft cut a number of features from Windows 8 Developer Preview, including Windows Media Center and Windows To Go, but the same won’t be valid for Windows 8 Beta.

The software giant stresses that Windows To Go is designed for IT professionals, and of course, the vast majority of users won’t get to take advantage of it.

The Windows 8 USB devices that IT professionals will get to use, will feature not just the platform, but also all of their business applications as well as data, and personalized settings.

Windows To Go ties a bootable copy of Windows 8 to an encrypted USB device that users can connect to any machine and run their platform, at any time. After removing the device, there will be no trace of use left on the computer.

IT administrators can provide users with preconfigured USB drives that will be used to install Windows 8, but customers can also opt to deploy the OS on their own USB devices.

Windows 8 Developer Preview Build 8102 Milestone 3 (M3) is available for download here.

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