External HDD?

JTM

JTM

New Member
Hi,
I was thinking about purchasing an external HDD. I wanted to know if I needed to install windows on the HDD? I have the Dell Re-install windows disc, will that work if needed. Will I be able to boot up in the external HDD, say boot up into a new user etc. or what can I do. Is an external only for data storage? I would appreciate it if someone could help me understand what and how an external hard drive can do and work.
Thanks,
JTM
 
With an external drive you would want to use the Disk Management tool in Adminstrative Tools found in the Control Panel to partition and format an external drive. Some have been able to boot from an external drive. But that usually presents a problem if the usb drivers can not be loaded for the drive to be detected following the post tests. An external drive can be great for not only storage but tranferring data from one system to another when the files are too large for floppy disks, cd-rws, zip disks, dvd-rws, and no one wants to use a tape drive for the slow process there.
 
So lets say that I wanted to take all my Ipod music and put it on an external hard drive could I do that? would I have to install Windows on it, and if so can I use a Dell Re-install disc?>
 
its pretty simple actually
it works like a removable disk(pen drive, compact flash card)
All you need to do is what PC eye said and format it, then from there its a matter of drag and drop.
I did the same thing with my music
 
It's kinda hard to boot into an external harddrive, or so i've heard. They're mainly used for storage/backup. If you get a plug and play one, you just have to connect it to the computer via USB or firewire (depends on which one the enclosure has), let it install itself, then you can access it just like a flash drive.
 
JTM said:
So lets say that I wanted to take all my Ipod music and put it on an external hard drive could I do that? would I have to install Windows on it, and if so can I use a Dell Re-install disc?>
Click to expand...

No, Windows does not need to be reinstalled. Depending on the type, you can just plug it in and drag and drop, as others have said.

External hard drives are generally slowed too, they are like 5400rpm and run through USB.
 
They come in handy at times if you suspect your main drive is failing or have one crash on you. Once the drive is formatted for the OS you are running the transfer of files back and forth between that and the main works just like transfers between two internal drives. But the transfer between drives despite speed of one or the other does take more time then going from one partition on the same drive to the other. That's the simple drawback there. One important thing about regular backups is the ever possible infection by viruses, malwares, spywares, and other things that may requiire a wipe of the main drive along with other internal storage means.
 
JTM said:
Hi,
I was thinking about purchasing an external HDD. I wanted to know if I needed to install windows on the HDD? I have the Dell Re-install windows disc, will that work if needed. Will I be able to boot up in the external HDD, say boot up into a new user etc. or what can I do. Is an external only for data storage? I would appreciate it if someone could help me understand what and how an external hard drive can do and work.
Thanks,
JTM
Click to expand...

JTM i suggest Seagate much reliable and durable than maxtor and samsung brands
 
blaire576 said:
JTM i suggest Seagate much reliable and durable than maxtor and samsung brands
Click to expand...

Seagate is up there. But the advice I was given by a long time tech one time was to stay away from that Maxtor crap! Run Western Digital drives. After the initial 386 and 486 IBM and AST "boat anchors" some years back the custom builds with WD drives have never had one fail even a 1.4gb saved from the AST 486 and reused to this day in an old Packard Bell. WD fir me! :D
 
ahh crapppppppppppppp
i bought a western digital external HDD and idk i guess i shouldve formatted cuz the software was a waste of time idk too late now my dad took it for himself
it was my only x-mas gift from him :(
 
Thanks for all the replies. I was just wondering, people are always talking about running the vista beta on another HDD, so they must be talking about an internal? since you can't boot into an os with a external (it's slow etc.).
?
 
Multi Booting Basics Anyone?

In order to run multiple versions of Windows on one drive alone you would first create two or more partitions large enough to support the particular version going on each. If on the same the older version or versions would go on first before the newer. If you installing 98, ME, or 2000 on a single drive with XP you would install to a secondary partition following the installation of one of the older OSs. Once XP goes on it will detect the installation on the primary and configure the boot loader to offer to load either XP or the older version installed previously onto the primary. The boot loader essentially is namely the boot.ini file which is hidden from view with the default Windows folder and file view settings. :)
 
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