I've recently got an external SSD (it's a SATA 2.5 in a case) mainly for extra storage. Now, I'm thinking about installing Linux on it after trying it out on an old laptop. I want to dual boot with Windows 11 on my main internal SSD, but I've heard that it's best to remove the Windows SSD during the installation. The issue is, I have a prebuilt system and taking it apart might void my warranty. So, I'm curious if it's safe to proceed with both SSDs connected and if there are any guides to do this with minimal risk. Thanks for your help!
4 Answers
You can check out some installation tips in our wiki! Always try to use an Ethernet cable during installation and remember to remove the boot media afterward. For detailed steps, there are many resources available if you search around. Good luck!
That warranty warning might not even apply in the EU; it's often just a scare tactic. When you install, you should see an option to choose the drive. Just ensure you select your external SSD as the installation target, and it won’t mess with the Windows boot partition. You'll be fine!
I tried this on a USB stick and it worked fine, but definitely double-check before partitioning. Also, don’t forget to disable Secure Boot; a friend had issues when BitLocker kicked in. Ultimately, as long as you carefully select the right drive during installation, you should be good. Good luck!
I appreciate the heads-up about Secure Boot!
The advice about removing the Windows SSD is mostly to prevent accidental overwriting. The installer typically won't touch other drives unless you instruct it to. If you know your way around your device, you can leave it as is. Just make sure you're formatting the correct external SSD for Linux!
I wasn't sure about the formatting part since I already used my external SSD. Thanks for the tip!
Yeah, warranty stuff can be confusing. Thanks for clarifying!