Want to install Windows 7 on eSata drive

typo.

You need to use a internal HD.

theog said:

typo.

You need to use a internal HD.

Thats what I thought you meant. But shouldn't a hard drive that is plugged in through eSATA be recognized as an internal? It should be seen simply as another internal drive as far as I know.

okay but lets say I have two hard drives connected directly to SATA ports on a desktop. would both be recognized as internal? Another variation. Lets say that I have an eSATA port directly connected to a SATA port and from the eSATA port a hard drive connected to it. The eSATA simply means external in this case and would therefore be seen as a regular internal drive too would it not?

All sata ports & sata HD need to be internal.

I guess where I'm getting confused is the fact that I don't understand the difference between SATA and eSATA. From my research it appears that only the connector is a bit different but otherwise is the same connection. Can someone verify or tell me otherwise? If it is a different type of connection all together then I understand but if it is simply a sata connection made externally then what is the big deal?

Sata = internal.
eSata = External.

You can install Windows to a any type of external HD.

yes I understand that you can't install to external but shouldn't eSATA be recognized as internal? That is what I'm getting at. I always understood eSATA and SATA to be the same type of connection meaning Windows wouldn't known whether one is internal or one was external.

auburncoast said:

eSATA is much faster than USB. Not sure where your getting your info from. I won't be running on USB that is for sure.

It's a moot point because the hdd can only transfer info as fast as it can read or write and except for a short burst of speed as the cache is read, I have yet to see an external hdd that can read or write at a sustained speed much higher than 50 MB/second.. so it really doesn't whether an external is connected via eSATA or USB. Sure the specs will say 1.5, 3.0, or even 6 Gb/s for eSATA but the HDD itself can't read or write at a speed that even approaches the max for USB

madtownidiot said:

It's a moot point because the hdd can only transfer info as fast as it can read or write and except for a short burst of speed as the cache is read, I have yet to see an external hdd that can read or write at a sustained speed much higher than 50 MB/second.. so it really doesn't whether an external is connected via eSATA or USB. Sure the specs will say 1.5, 3.0, or even 6 Gb/s for eSATA but the HDD itself can't read or write at a speed that even approaches the max for USB

Thats a good point but I'd rather go with a connection that will give me that short burst. I do music production and I've found that eSATA makes a huge difference compared to USB. Your right that in most cases its not going to be seen but from my experience I'd rather use eSATA.