Install onto second hard drive
 

Hello

My harddrive on my home server computer seems to have corrupted, likly due to some recent power outtages (using it as a home nas, game server, nothing important really)...
It was previously running windows 7 because I took the harddrive from my old computer, but now as I have to format it anyway I might as well do it right.

Since my server does not have a CD drive (that works) I am hoping for a way to intall Debian onto the harddrive from my main computer (running windows 8).
I have plugged it in, and the drive seems fully functional.

I'm not very skilled with Linux, and am completely on bare ground. My googling has not come up with an answer that I have understood yet.

TL;DR - How do i install Debian onto a secondary harddrive plugged into my computer take this drive and put it into another computer and boot from it?

Is your other computer with the bad optical drive able to boot from a usb drive? If so, you can install debian directly to that computer by using UNetbootin:

http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

With UNetbootin you can install directly from a flash drive eliminating the need to burn and boot from a cd.

If you want to install from Windows then you may use a virtualization app like VirtualBox to install to second hard drive. After installation you might have change things in boot loader, configured devices, video etc.

Or if you have cd/dvd drive in main computer you can start install from there and install to second harddrive. And like above you have to change certain things to make the system boot into other computer.

USB, why did i not think of that. Thanks!