Can I use an external HD as a internal HD for a laptop,and can I boot Linux to it?

killtacular · 10-22-2008, 09:26 PM

My friend has a Toshiba Sattelite Laptop, and he wants to use the toshiba external hard drive that he has for the normal hard drive (his internal is shot to he##) and he wants me to do it. He also wants me to boot Linux to it. Im new to linux and this will be my first time ineracting with it.

So What I am asking is can it be done? If so, What are some things to look out for? tips?

jailbait · 10-22-2008, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by killtacular

So What I am asking is can it be done? If so, What are some things to look out for? tips?

First find out how the external drive attaches. IDE? SATA? SCSI? USB? Then look in the BIOS and see if the BIOS will boot from the device. If the BIOS will boot from the device then you can rig Linux to boot from the device.

If the BIOS will not boot from the device then you might have to do something like boot from a floppy and then transfer control to the OS on the external drive.

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Steve Stites

killtacular · 10-22-2008, 09:41 PM

its a usb external hard drive. and a floppy? I don't have a floppy reader that I can hook up, how much do those things run nowadays?

jailbait · 10-22-2008, 11:09 PM

Can your BIOS boot the USB external drive?

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Steve Stites