Seeking suggestions for a mobile operating system setup.
Seeking suggestions for a mobile operating system setup.
Hi everyone, here are some ideas for working from home and in the workshop. Data sync between locations is fine; the issue lies with the licensed software. I own a Ryzen desktop at home (32GB RAM, 1660 Super) and an i5 in the workshop (16GB RAM, 750Ti). Internet speeds are 300Mbps at home and 30Mbps in the workshop. I also have an older AMD laptop from 2009 and a Surface Pro 3, which sometimes won’t even wake up for weeks. Both laptops are too slow for CAD programs, making them impractical. I’ve used TeamViewer and Parsec, but neither performed well—TeamViewer lagged and crashed my Ryzen, while Parsec slowed down my system. Since both devices need licensing, I don’t want to pay twice. I’m considering running a Windows VM on an external SSD for portability, though I’m unsure how it will work across different architectures (AMD to Intel) several times a week. Anyone have experience with this? Are there other solutions I haven’t thought of? Thanks, Steve
You're asking about using a single product key or subscription across multiple operating systems and computers legally. The short answer is no, it's generally not allowed unless explicitly permitted by the software provider. Each license typically restricts use to one device or OS. If you need broader access, you may have to purchase additional licenses or explore alternative solutions.
The VM should function adequately because it isn't dependent on specific hardware details. However, you're unlikely to achieve native performance without GPU support or tools like Parsec and rainway. I've set up Windows on an external drive, which works across different machines but may require some time to configure drivers initially. Booting can be slow when switching between known systems, especially if the hardware changes are detected by software with activation requirements.
I'm concerned about this, I probably messed with the VM around 10 years ago when systems moved slowly—driver installs took about 20 minutes and HDDs kept spinning nonstop. I thought that with the progress of VMs and portable drives over the past decade, it might finally be feasible.
It seems the software might not run consistently across various systems, even within a virtual environment. You could try using a pre-made VM image on a separate external drive and install VirtualBox directly on the machines. However, performance issues in the virtual machine would still be a concern.
I'm not sure if Microsoft still provides support for Windows To Go. The only options I know are Linux or BSD installed on a decent-sized flash drive. No other solutions come to mind. Also, this isn't a virtual machine or live USB—it's a full distribution installed on a PC. You just run it normally. You'll need a USB drive with extra storage space. If you use free software drivers, it should work fine.