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    Installling Linux

    Discussion in 'Linux Compatibility and Software' started by rick0415, Jul 3, 2008.

  1. rick0415

    rick0415 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I'm about to install Ubuntu on an external USB HD and I have a few questions.

    1. I've read somewhere that it's a good idea to remove the laptops main HD before installing on the external. Will this cause any problems booting to Vista from the main HD?

    2. Will Vista boot normally if the external HD is not connected to the laptop?

    thanks
     
    rick0415, Jul 3, 2008
    #1
  2. Bog

    Bog Losing it...

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    1) You don't need to remove your internal HD. The LiveCD won't touch it unless instructed to do so.

    2) Yes.

    Remember to check that your laptop can boot from USB. If its a modern laptop, it probably can.
     
    Bog, Jul 3, 2008
    #2
  3. rick0415

    rick0415 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I'v installed to an external USB HD. The installation went smoothly but when I rebooted I get a black screen with a flashing cursor in the upper left corner and there it sits.
     
    rick0415, Jul 4, 2008
    #3
  4. Amranu

    Amranu Notebook Consultant

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    External HDs are not good for putting an OS on...
     
    Amranu, Jul 4, 2008
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  5. lemur

    lemur Emperor of Lemurs

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    This is not something I'd want to do as a permanent setup but as a temporary thing, that's fine. I had a Dell laptop on which the internal drive failed. I was not ready yet to buy another laptop and I did not want to buy an HD which would have fit in that machine. That HD would have had to be using obsolete tech. So I ran Linux on an USB drive for about 2.5 months.
     
    lemur, Jul 4, 2008
    #5
  6. Lysander

    Lysander AFK, raid time.

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    What did you install? How did you install it? And what are you running it on?
     
    Lysander, Jul 5, 2008
    #6