Boot an OS from an External Drive Without Putting the Software on the Computer's SSD

Larissa updated on Jan 31, 2024 to Data Backup Questions Answered | How-to Articles

Hey, I am trying to boot an OS from an external drive. Can anyone tell me if there is a safe way to do it without putting the software on the computer’s main hard drive? I would really appreciate your help.

Sure, there are several ways to achieve this goal. For example, you can do it manually. When the computer boots, a keypress must be made to enter the BIOS. To learn what key to hit on the manufacturer's help sites, you might need to consult the Owner's Manual that came with the device or Google the make and model. After completing that, you can start your computer using the external disk. Similar to that, there is probably a key you can press to get to a menu of options for where to boot from. Your external drive is going to be one of them. If you don't plug it in before you boot, it will not show up on the list.

Another effective way is to create a bootable USB drive using software like EaseUS Todo Backup. Using software like this, you can:

  • Easily select your operating system with a few clicks to create a bootable USB drive.
  • Follow a user-friendly on-screen wizard to clone your system onto the USB drive.
  • Utilize advanced backup and cloning software to enhance data protection and manage your hard drive effectively.

You can use EaseUS Todo Backup to create a bootable USB drive that contains the operating system you want to use. Once you have created the USB drive, you can modify the boot order under BIOS settings to start up the computer. Here is how you can do this:

  • Prepare a USB drive which can be written and read.
  • Launch and install EaseUS Todo Backup on the Computer B.
  • Find and click "Tools" and choose "Create Emergency Disk".
  • Choose the Boot disk location. You can create an ISO file, a bootable USB or CD/DVD disc.
  • Then click "Create" to start.

This comprehensive backup tool not only includes the mentioned features but also offers an automatic backup function.Don't hesitate to download it and give it a try. You should never miss it.

🔗Related article: 2023 Complete Guide: How to Boot from SSD After Cloning