I'm planning to use an NVMe SSD in a USB enclosure as a drive to install and run Linux Mint from. I understand that flashing an ISO to a USB drive normally overwrites the drive's existing contents, so I want to know whether writing the Linux installer to the SSD will erase everything on it as well. If it can be preserved, what should I watch out for during installation?
3 Answers
Assume the drive could be erased and back up anything important first. The installer will only wipe the partitions or disk you select, but choosing the default automatic installation option generally uses the entire target disk. You can also manually partition it or set up a dual-boot arrangement, but that requires extra care.
Yes, writing the ISO directly to the SSD as bootable installation media will normally overwrite its existing partition information and files, just like a USB thumb drive. If you want to install Linux onto that SSD, make sure your important data is stored somewhere else before starting.
If you’re new to Linux, consider trying it in a virtual machine first. VirtualBox or Hyper-V can let you learn the basics inside Windows without risking your real files. Once you’re comfortable, install it to the SSD and carefully confirm that the installer has selected the correct disk before accepting any erase or format option.
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