Boot Windows from external HD??

[mtbkr5]

Hey guys

I am getting a really cheap laptop that was from a police car and it has no HD. I really dont want to buy a 80+gb internal HD for it and I really can not find a 40 or 20 gb internal notebook HD anywhere. So I have come up with a plan. I have like 5 20gb HDs (for a desktop ((3.5"))) and I could just buy a external HD incloseure and put one of those 20gb HDs in it and use it as a primary drive right? I have talked to some people and have gotten different answers. Because when you go to start up the machine, you will have to put in the Windows boot CD and boot off of it. Since there will not be a internal drive C, will I be able to select an alternate like the usb external HD and boot from it from then on?

Please help this is driving me crazy!!

[Mike]

Most BIOS' don't allow booting from a USB device. If the BIOS is modern enough, and it does, it is entirely possible.

[Mike AA]

If you have access to ebay, and have an ebat account you can get laptop harddrives off ebay for a very reasonable price, I got a 40GB for $45, about as much as a good external case would cost you, then you also wouldnt need to do all the hardware config and carry all the other stuff.

-Mike

[mtbkr5]

true I forgot about ebay... I should of know. Yeh alot of people I have talked to said having an external HD to lug around all the time kinda defeats the idea of a portable laptop.

Thanks guys I think I will start searching eBay.

[Bill_Hancoc]

Where could i update my BIOS to support booting from a CD drive

[Jay H 237]

You could also try Impact Computers for laptop parts.

[Leo 1529]

i think you can boot your laptop from the external hard drive. i have a 160GB hard drive and i boot up linux to the school computers. so i think that you will have to have the hard drive plugged in when the computer tries to boot up and it should take the operating system from the external drive.