Windows 10: Questions about installing Windows 10 (non-portable) to an external thunderbolt 3 SSD

I've spent several hours researching this, but I've found conflicting information and don't quite understand enough about how Windows 10 works to solve this on my own.

I have a laptop that came with Windows 10 from the factory. I want to switch the laptop's main OS to GNU/Linux because, frankly, I don't trust Windows 10 privacy-wise. There are, however, a few applications I occasionally use at home that are only available for Windows 10. Complicating the issue is that my university requires us to use privacy-invading proctoring software that also requires Windows 10.

Here is the solution I came up with:

• GNU/Linux on the internal drive of my laptop.
• External SSD (Samsung T7 500GB) divided into 2 partitions, connected via thunderbolt 3.
  • Partition 1: Windows 10 with software for personal use.
  • Partition 2: Separate Windows 10 installation with privacy-invading proctoring software.
• To boot into Windows, I would shut down my laptop, plug the external drive into the thunderbolt port, select which instance of Windows, and boot into it through BIOS.
• The external drive will only be used with this one laptop, not with any other computer.

The setup above seems theoretically possible, but there are a lot of moving parts. If I am wrong and this setup is definitely not possible, I'd rather know before I buy the external SSD.

Here are my questions:

1. Can Windows 10 run from an external drive?
2. Will Windows 10 find the OEM activation key automatically (I assume it is stored somewhere in the laptop's BIOS or firmware)?
3. Will the two separate Windows 10 installations be able to share the one activation key?
4. Will Windows run normally, just like it would on an internal drive?
5. Is there a way to block the Windows instance running the privacy-invading proctoring software from seeing the contents of the other Windows partition or the laptop's internal SSD?
6. Do I need to use some sort of 3rd party software to install Windows? (I don't want to use anything that is not open source, like WinToUSB, for trust reasons).
7. Does this violate the Microsoft's terms of service for Windows 10 in any significant way? (I want to emphasize that the two copies of Windows on the SSD will only be used on this one computer, and only one at a time.)

I understand that this sounds like overkill, but Windows 10 and the proctoring software really creep me out. I honestly don't have anything I am trying to hide; I'm just trying to maintain some sort of general privacy.

I'll appreciate any help I can get.

submitted by /u/Modular3Dp
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:)

 

New Samsung Portable NVMe SSD X5 Thunderbolt 3 Drive

Read more:

• Samsung Portable SSD X5 | Samsung External Storage | Samsung Semiconductor Global Website
• Samsung Electronics Advances External Storage Innovation with New Portable SSD X5 - Samsung US Newsroom
• Samsung Electronics Advances External Storage Innovation with New Portable SSD X5 – Samsung Global Newsroom

 

New Samsung Portable NVMe SSD X5 Thunderbolt 3 Drive

Read more:

• Samsung Portable SSD X5 | Samsung External Storage | Samsung Semiconductor Global Website
• Samsung Electronics Advances External Storage Innovation with New Portable SSD X5 - Samsung US Newsroom
• Samsung Electronics Advances External Storage Innovation with New Portable SSD X5 – Samsung Global Newsroom

 

Patriot EVLVR Thunderbolt 3 Portable SSD to Debut at CES 2018

PATRIOT, a global leader in performance memory, SSDs, gaming peripherals, and flash storage solutions today announced the new addition to their performance SSD line, The EVLVR Thunderbolt 3 Portable SSD, offering an evolution in SSD technology.

The EVLVR Thunderbolt 3 Portable SSD outpaces the speeds of traditional external SSDs by three-fold. With outstanding speed delivered by the Phison E8 PCIe controller and Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, the EVLVR can reach up to 1500MB/s in sequential read and up to 1000MB/s in sequential write speeds. On top of being extremely fast, the EVLVR is also power efficient and does not require any external power supply. Thunderbolt 3 brings Thunderbolt to USB-C at speeds up to 40 Gb/s, creating one compact port that does it all. With Thunderbolt 3 a single cable now revolutionizes connection technology - simultaneously supporting high-resolution displays and high-performance data devices while also supplying power.







The name "EVLVR" is an abbreviation for "evolver", and the technology itself presents a major evolution in SSD technology. According to Les Henry, Vice President of Engineering at Patriot, "We are pleased to add the Patriot EVLVR Portable SSD to our SSD line, and our team is especially proud of implementing Thunderbolt 3 which allows Patriot to build high-speed and high-quality portable storage solutions."

"We are happy to be able to collaborate with Patriot in bringing a high-performance and power efficient external SSD experience to the Thunderbolt 3 eco-system," said KS Pua, Chairman and CEO of Phison. "We believe the Thunderbolt 3 device market will experience a healthy growth in the coming years."

The Patriot EVLVR will be available to the public for purchase in March 2017 via the Patriot website, select e-tailers, and various retailers. Prices will be as follows: 256GB/$199.99; 512GB/$289.99; and 1TB/$489.99.