Gaming World Forums

General Category => Technology and Programming => Topic started by: something bizarre and impractical on November 23, 2007, 03:52:50 am

Title: Just wondering
Post by: something bizarre and impractical on November 23, 2007, 03:52:50 am

Is it possible to install an OS on an eHDD and then boot from that? How slow would it be using USB2.0 compared to IED?

Title: Just wondering
Post by: Zeratul on November 23, 2007, 05:19:59 am

I'm not sure that you can boot from an external HD, and if you're using USB 2.0 I wouldn't advise it anyways. The data transfer rates of the IDE are MUCH faster than that of USB 2.0. External hard drives are really for loading data files and music and videos and such; you probably wouldn't be affected by the slower data transfer. I wouldn't advise anyone to boot up from one or run programs from one.

Title: Just wondering
Post by: ATARI on November 23, 2007, 05:39:04 am

Yes you can boot from a portable hard drive depending on what the connection type is.  I know that you can boot to USB, and I think with OSX you can also boot to a firewire 400 or 800 drive.   However, unless your connection is Firewire 800, your speed difference between the external, and running it as an internal drive is going to be much slower.  800 will be slower as well, but it won't be as obviously noticeable.   As far as I know, it isn't possible to boot of an esata connection.