This was a flagship feature of Windows 8.1 Enterprise. It allowed you to boot a fully functional version of Windows from a USB drive on any computer. While Windows 10 eventually phased this out, Windows 8.1 AIO (specifically the Enterprise version contained within) is still arguably the best OS for creating portable Windows workspaces for legacy hardware.
Windows 8.1 AIO is the ultimate "zombie" operating system. It’s dead to Microsoft, but for a technician, a retro gamer, or a privacy tinkerer running an air-gapped machine, it’s a masterpiece of efficiency. windows 8.1 aio
While Windows 7 AIO images are legendary and Windows 10 AIO is a bloated monster, the occupies a strange, beautiful purgatory. It is the Swiss Army knife nobody asked for in 2013, but today, it might be the most practical retro-modern OS rescue tool you’ve never heard of. This was a flagship feature of Windows 8
Before fast internet was ubiquitous, carrying a stack of specific DVDs for "Home," "Pro," and "Enterprise" was a nightmare for IT technicians. The AIO solved this. If you were fixing a client's computer and their product key was for "Core," you didn't need a separate disc. You simply selected "Core" from the AIO menu. One disc to rule them all. Windows 8