I'm wondering if I can just plug in a brand new storage drive and install Linux without any issues, or will I encounter errors like I did when trying to switch from Windows to Linux?
5 Answers
If you decide to format the drive to EXT4, keep in mind you may need to set permissions manually the first time you use it. But once that's done, it should just work until you reformat the drive.
Generally, it should work without a hitch. USB drives and SD cards come pre-formatted with FAT32, which is widely supported. For new hard drives and SSDs, you'll need to format them yourself. You can choose FAT32 or NTFS for compatibility with Windows, or go with EXT4 if you'll only be using it with Linux.
Are you switching a boot drive or adding another one? For a new boot drive, you will need to install the OS. If it's an additional drive, just format and mount it in Linux.
It's normal to feel uneasy after an error like that. If you get a new SSD and reinstall Linux from scratch, you should hopefully avoid those issues. Just make sure to disable encryption and any boot settings in your BIOS that could cause conflicts.