can you boot from an external hard drive

Moving an external drive into a PC is generally done as a convenience. Can I Use an Internal Hard Drive from an Old Machine as an External Drive on a New One? covers the topic. While moving an external drive into a computer is possible, the reverse is actually much more common: moving an internal drive into an external USB enclosure. Drive speed is typically not a limiting factor when placed behind a USB interface, and slower drives also run cooler, reducing the need for an external drive to include powerful cooling fans, or perhaps any fan at all. My expectation is that drive manufacturers use their slower drives in external boxes.

It probably won’t be one of your faster drives.

If you’re installing into a desktop machine, there may also be mounting converters you can use 1. This normally limits you to 3-1/2-inch drives, though some computers accept 2-1/2-inch drives.

Make sure the physical size of the drive matches what your computer can use.

Most computers and drives now use the SATA interface, but if you have an older computer or drive, you might be faced with an IDE interface. After you break the seal and open the box, you’re on your own.

Doing so instantly voids the manufacturer’s warranty.

There are a few things to be aware of before you crack open that box, however. So yes, open the case and you’ll likely find a standard hard drive you can then install directly into your PC. Depending on the drive, there might be an external power supply, or “ brick”. Most external hard drives are simply standard hard drives in a box with an additional circuit board that converts their native interface to USB. Inside that external hard drive is an internal hard drive. However, there are a few caveats to be aware of. In most cases, the answer is a resounding yes.

Can you boot from an external hard drive