Solved Using a external hdd insted of internal ssd

[Leon478]

Hello,
I have a dell 910 notebook and the ssd has failed.
I would like to know if I can load windows on a external hdd and run the notebook from that
Thank you in advance

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Leon478 welcome to SF,
Absolutely you can. I might recommend a new SSD though and a back up drive. On my work lappy I run a 256gb SSD and then a 1TB usb 3.0 HDD external. Another idea would be to get a large SD card and boot from it to a internal spinner. Lots of options but your idea is correct but you will need to change the boot order in your bios.

 

[patio]

I was under the impression that Windows...without a crowbar and much finagling was designed NOT to boot from external HDD's...
Has this changed recently ?

 

[mitchell65]

I am lso very doubful that you can run Windows from an Ext HD. If you could it would be dreadfully slow, surely!!

 

[jshinevar]

Windows doesn't care where it's installed as long as it's a bootable drive. However, it is correct to assume that it will run slow due to being run from a USB drive instead of a SATA connected drive.

 

[mitchell65]

It will also be totally unstble, or it was when i tried it some time ago.
More importantly lets ask Leon why he thinks the SSD has failed? Also how old is this laptop?

 

[jshinevar]

Agreed, even replacing the internal SSD with a regular HD internally is a better option. A lot of external hard drives are just enclosures for a regular laptop hard drive. If money is a concern, you could break open the external HD and take out the laptop drive in there and throw that in the computer.

 

[Leon478]

Thanks to everyone for your help, it is my first post and I am amazed how quickly help was given
Linneymayerhere- thanks,I don't have provision for a sd card money is tight at mo so buying a new ssd is not an option
Mitchell65- when I try to reinstall windows error 0x0300024 appears
Jshinevar- The notebook will only accept an ssd

 

[LMiller7]

Except for Windows 8 Enterprise edition Microsoft has never supported installing Windows to an external drive. This isn't really a practical proposition, even if you can make it work.

 

[mitchell65]

Mitchell65- when I try to reinstall windows error 0x0300024 appears

Earlier I asked "Also how old is this laptop?" Can you reply please?
I don't think that receiving that error message indicates that the SSD has died. My take on that is that the partition on the disc is not set to active!
Although you have not fully complated your System Specs my research suggests that your Notebook is getting a little old. According to the Dell site it originally came with Windows XP pre installed. Does the Dell sticker on your machine confirm this? That being so are you sure that the Notebook will run Windows 7? Also you might have a corrupted installation media. Is this a USB stick as I can't see that you have a DVD drive?
Where did your copy of Windows 7 Ultimate 32bit come from?

 

[Leon478]

I am sorry I missed the question, I believe it to be over 3 yrs old.
The guy I got it from said he was using win 7 before its demise, there is a sticker on the base but the print has rubbed off by wear and tear
I cannot give any specs because I cannot get an installation of windows on the machine
I do have an external cd rom

 

[Leon478]

The copy of win 7 came with the machine
Looks like I have been had

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Watching people boot from SD cards, USB thumb drives and such it's not a fast boot but it will eventually boot. Sorry to hear you don't have a W7 disk. Are you sure the SSD is dead? If it is toast then it looks like a fresh install of W7 and a new 2.5" drive will be your best option or maybe a whole new discounted lappy. Let us know how and if we can further help. I was able awhile ago to grab a nice 15" i3 lappy and I scored it for $349.00 usd added a ssd and maxed the ram @ 8gb and it runs well for business of course it's not for gaming rig just for a point of reference if you are looking for a W7 and a drive to make the Dell work again.

 

[Leon478]

Thanks for your help, will bin it and wait for a substitute

 

[mohavepc]

Just as a passing thought. You might have indeed been had but here is a quick tip. I have an old Dell Netbook myself that the old 64mb internal ssd failed. No reading it no matter what. What I did was get to a windows or Linux machine and download and install Damn small Linux on a flash drive. Boots fast, Runs all the hardware, Great for surfing and playing around. Battery lasts about 4 to 6 hours depending on screen brightness and wifi distance. There are tons of tutorials on using Damn Small or other Linux distros on a flash drive.
DSL information

 

[Leon478]

Thanks for that mohavepc will give that a
go