Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Windows 8 to External hard drive?

C

-Concept-

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 11, 2012
89
1
In front of a computer. Any computer.
So I have a nice, new blank hard drive and a macbook. I was wondering if I could install Windows 8 onto that hard drive so I wouldn't have to partition the hard drive that's currently in my MacBook. Would it work the same way? I know that Apple doesn't have Windows 8 drivers yet so it wouldn't work well with the partition thing... but I installed Parallels and I don't like how it works. Sooo I was wondering if I could just install Windows 8 cleanly onto that external drive, and how I would do it from a USB.
 
Last edited:
R

Rileyx2

macrumors member
Jun 20, 2012
34
0
From what I have found here on MR, and from Apple, is that Windows (in general) will not install on an external disk.

Even if you could install it on an external disk, the performance would be reduced (as the "throughput" of the drive would be restricted to whatever interface the external drive is connected by, as opposed to a direct SATA I,II, or III connection speed).

Perhaps other MR members have more insight on this, but I thought I would share what I know. :D
 
C

-Concept-

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 11, 2012
89
1
In front of a computer. Any computer.
Yeah, I read through some of the posts and discovered the same thing. I'm working on it though.. the external drive is currently USB'ed through a SATA case if that's any new information. I might just install the firmware for BIOS, which is what a friend of mine recommended, and see what happens.
 
Last edited:
P

Penn Jennings

macrumors 6502
Apr 22, 2010
350
48
Michigan
-Concept- said:
Yeah, I read through some of the posts and discovered the same thing. I'm working on it though.. the external drive is currently USB'ed through a SATA case if that's any new information. I might just install the firmware for BIOS, which is what a friend of mine recommended, and see what happens.
Click to expand...

The question is: Is it USB 3.0 or 2.0? USB 3.0 should sustain 100 MB/second, thats close to the the drives sustained throughput. That is assuming that you have a HDD and SSD. If its USB 2.0... well that blows :(
 
C

-Concept-

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 11, 2012
89
1
In front of a computer. Any computer.
Assumption correct, & it's USB 3.0. I'll worry about speed after I figure out how to boot form it though. I got close, it booted form it then prompted me for a clean install because of some issue or another. I can get to the part where it asks to select a drive to install it on.. Does anyone know if I could just install Windows onto the external drive from a Windows machine and boot it from my Mac?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom