Windows 8 To Go help with the Store.

Today, I was trying to figure out how to get the Windows 8 To Go to access the Windows Store, also when I discovered a very nice overview article by Microsoft on how to deploy it, use it, and particular details about it.

Windows To Go: Feature Overview
Said article.

The biggest issue I see coming is Windows Store access. It's by default disabled. It seems it's done that by default as apps are sometimes hardware tied or there are DRM protections in place. You can enable Windows Store through Group Policy (type in gpedit.msc at Start), navigate to Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, then Store. From there, keep the first setting as it is, enable the remaining two settings. You should be able to access Windows Store now!

But keep in mind this should be done, as suggested in the article, if you don't roam around between different PCs, like just one or maybe two.

Only problem is that I haven't been able to download and install the apps though. It could be just be an issue on my end, but I hope this helps someone so we can see the results!

The Store is disabled on my Enterprise WTG install, by default I suspect. I've toyed with trying to get it working but have just been to lazy to play with it. I think I've only ever booted up my WTG twice so far. It's a rainy stuck in the house kind of day today so maybe I'll give it a go latter on.

It looks like gpedit did the trick, I now have access to the store. And going to the "Your Apps" screen let me install Slacker Radio. Now all I have to do is get my sound working. Annoyingly, the driver I need for Windows 8 is on the internal hard drive on this PC but WTG doesn't see or show it in my computer. Disk management see's it but it has no Drive letter. Also just the opposite happens if I boot up normally. The WTG drive doesn't show up in My Computer and disk management shows it with no drive letter. I guess I'll have to dig out my spare thumb drive and use sneaker net. I have a Windows 7 driver already on a thumb drive but it won't install, even in compatibility mode. I could have sworn I had used that driver before? Oh well time to reboot.

alphanumeric said:

Disk management see's it but it has no Drive letter. Also just the opposite happens if I boot up normally. The WTG drive doesn't show up in My Computer and disk management shows it with no drive letter. I guess I'll have to dig out my spare thumb drive and use sneaker net. I have a Windows 7 driver already on a thumb drive but it won't install, even in compatibility mode. I could have sworn I had used that driver before? Oh well time to reboot.

Click to expand...

If you can see the partitions in disk management, then you can right click them and assign them a letter in "change drive letter and paths." You can also assign letters using diskpart.

Yes, I know you can, the question is, do you really want to? I might try it on the WTG drive as it would be no big deal it got messed up. Not being 100% sure it isn't going change permissions etc, I'm hesitant to do it to the internal drives when in my WTG install. I've got the sound working now anyway, I just installed the correct driver. I'm posting this from the WTG install. Windows 8 doesn't seem to like the VIA onboard sound on this PC as it never installs a driver, even though Windows update.

Wait, did you make your To Go with the GUI wizard? I did the WAIK method. The differences I see are definitely different. By default, To Go sets the PC's hard drive(s) offline as to prevent a wildcard user from imploding a native setup. I believe you can change that if you use PowerShell and prevent that.

A question/experiment though, can you put music files into the Music library and open the Music app and see if the app detects the media? I believe wince the indexing service is disabled by default, it's not picking it up. Is that the same on yours?

I created mine using the actual Microsoft Utility included in the Enterprise Trial. I don't use the Music app and uninstall it. I don't use the Windows To Go other than an occasional boot up just to play with it. It's on an 3.5 inch IDE drive in a USB 2 enclosure so it's a bit slow and not all that portable. I'm actually thinking of nuking it so I can use that drive for other things.

alphanumeric said:

I created mine using the actual Microsoft Utility included in the Enterprise Trial. I don't use the Music app and uninstall it. I don't use the Windows To Go other than an occasional boot up just to play with it. It's on an 3.5 inch IDE drive in a USB 2 enclosure so it's a bit slow and not all that portable. I'm actually thinking of nuking it so I can use that drive for other things.

Click to expand...

Shoot, but before you do, can you please do me a favor and install Music app again and put a song into the Music Library and see if the app sees it? Please? I'm believing at this point that the indexing service has something to do with something with the app.

Sorry bud, but its gone. I wiped it last night.

Ah, shoot. Oh well, I'll have a chance later this month with a 32 gig USB 3 drive I'll test this out on.