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Installing windows on an external hard drive

Derkatwork

Derkatwork

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 8, 2010
454
0
Milwaukee
I purchased a computer that comes with OS X, and I can't run boot camp according to the seller. He said that I can however install windows by disconnecting the hard drive it came with and use a SATA compatible drive to install windows on that. From there reconnect the first drive and it should boot to either OS at launch. I'm a little unsure on this, but learning sometimes means stepping outside the box. Is there any guidance on this somewhere? And more importantly, I was going to use an old hard drive from a 2009 MacBook Pro as the windows drive after erasing it. How can I tell if it is SATA compatible?
 
heisenberg123

heisenberg123

macrumors 603
Oct 31, 2010
6,496
9
Hamilton, Ontario
Derkatwork said:
I purchased a computer that comes with OS X, and I can't run boot camp according to the seller. He said that I can however install windows by disconnecting the hard drive it came with and use a SATA compatible drive to install windows on that. From there reconnect the first drive and it should boot to either OS at launch. I'm a little unsure on this, but learning sometimes means stepping outside the box. Is there any guidance on this somewhere? And more importantly, I was going to use an old hard drive from a 2009 MacBook Pro as the windows drive after erasing it. How can I tell if it is SATA compatible?
Click to expand...

what did you purchase? what MAC model?
 
Derkatwork

Derkatwork

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 8, 2010
454
0
Milwaukee
It's a late 2009 MacBook Pro 13 in. That is the hard drive that I am curious about. Is there a good way to tell if it is SATA compatible? The newer computer I bought is not an official mac product. The drive I am hoping to install windows on is the old laptop drive after erasing it.
 
heisenberg123

heisenberg123

macrumors 603
Oct 31, 2010
6,496
9
Hamilton, Ontario
Derkatwork said:
It's a late 2009 MacBook Pro 13 in. That is the hard drive that I am curious about. Is there a good way to tell if it is SATA compatible? The newer computer I bought is not an official mac product. The drive I am hoping to install windows on is the old laptop drive after erasing it.
Click to expand...

it should have a SATA II drive in it to confirm take the bottom off the MBP and the label on the hard drive should be visible, it should say on it
 
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