Can anyone answer some questions on partitioning a hard drive?

[petamartt]

hey everyone.

im using windows vista.

i just recently bought a 500gb western digital external hard drive. i would like to know, how can i install an operating system on the external hard drive and keep the one that's currently on my pc, i would like to use the external hard drive to keep different documents, games, applications and files on, and to randomly boot of. (so its like their are two computers.)

also will booting of another external hard drive have any affect on my computer or current files or hard drive. one last thing, could i use the external hard drive to store flies on like i normally would. so what im asking there is that, do you have to use the whole external hard drive as an operating system, or could you sort of partition the external hard drive, so you could boot of it, but also connect it to a computer and use it like a normal usb when your not booted of it.



sorry if this sound confusing i know a bit about computers but not too much. just ask any questions. thanks in advance.





Post Originated from http://www.VistaForums.com Vista Support Forums

 

[Richard G. Harper]

Windows does not support being installed on an external drive at all. There

was a hack that allowed XP to do this but neither Vista nor Windows 7 can be

installed to any kind or type of external drive.



"petamartt" wrote in message news:uh120G24KHA.5880@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> hey everyone.

> im using windows vista.

> i just recently bought a 500gb western digital external hard drive. i

> would like to know, how can i install an operating system on the external

> hard drive and keep the one that's currently on my pc, i would like to use

> the external hard drive to keep different documents, games, applications

> and files on, and to randomly boot of. (so its like their are two

> computers.)

> also will booting of another external hard drive have any affect on my

> computer or current files or hard drive. one last thing, could i use the

> external hard drive to store flies on like i normally would. so what im

> asking there is that, do you have to use the whole external hard drive as

> an operating system, or could you sort of partition the external hard

> drive, so you could boot of it, but also connect it to a computer and use

> it like a normal usb when your not booted of it.

>

> sorry if this sound confusing i know a bit about computers but not too

> much. just ask any questions. thanks in advance.

>

>

> Post Originated from http://www.VistaForums.com Vista Support Forums

 

[Heywood Jablowme]

"Stan Starinski" wrote in

message news:OxQbAG74KHA.4520@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> Can you use Google or Bing?

> if you can, why ask a question already answered a million time s- just

> Google for an answer



Can you import Chinese workers? If not, move to China.

 

[Doum]

"Richard G. Harper" écrivait

news:uLakOO54KHA.3184@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl:



> Windows does not support being installed on an external drive at all.

> There was a hack that allowed XP to do this but neither Vista nor

> Windows 7 can be installed to any kind or type of external drive.

>

How about eSata? Have you tried?



There are two eSata connectors on my PC, one on the front of the case and

the other on a backplate. They're both connected on regular sata connectors

on the motherboard I don't think Windows would know that the drives

connected to those are external.



The problem the OP would have with such installation would be activating

both installations unless he has two licenses.



BTW when I click on the "Safely remove" icon in the taskbar in Win7, all

the sata hard drives(4) in my system show up for removal even internal

ones.