PCTech Forums

Posted: **Tue Mar 27, 2007 1:19 am**

how can i install windows on an external hardrive and boot my laptop from it.

thanks

Posted: **Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:01 am**

is it a USB type drive?

Posted: **Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:03 am**

yes it is

Posted: **Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:16 am**

its really going to depend if the bios on that notebook has the option to boot from a usb device. Enter the bios and check the boot options, hard to tell you exactly where thats going to be but you should see something like boot priority, boot device etc. Once you find it you need to see if you have the option to set the forst boot device to usb device. If you dont have that option then im afraid you wont be able to boot from your external drive.

Posted: **Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:22 am**

it will boot from it but i cant get windows on it. when i go to install windows it says it cant put it on a usb drive

Posted: **Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:35 am**

toms hardware guide wrote an article called "Windows in your pocket" that should work for you. Its written for a flash drive but the methods should apply just the same. Heres a link

Posted: **Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:55 am**

Posted: **Tue Mar 27, 2007 3:07 am**

sorry, this one should work

Posted: **Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:58 am**

liljim you have been alot of help and i thank u alot but do u no of aother way i cant seem to get it to install windows i read the guide 5 times already lol

Posted: **Sat Mar 31, 2007 4:00 am**

Here is a link to a program that should make the USB drive bootable

From there, its not too hard to install windows if its the only drive.