Are External hardrives working...?

Question

Are External hardrives working like real hard drive or like usb keys?

I mean can you install OS (for example windows xp) on them? can you partition them?

Or are they just data holders like usb keys, floppy disks, or CD-roms?

I ask this question because iam planning to buy one to install linux and windows server 2003 on it for some server R&Ds. I want to avoid having to partition my existing hard drive. Can this work?

Thank you

Answer 1

For the most part, external hard drives are like USB keys and cd/dvd's in that they hold data.  Yes you can partition them.  However installing an OS on them is tricky.  Your BIOS must be able to boot from the USB's.  If it doesn't, then you can't put an OS on it.

Alternatively, you can buy drive bay devices which are nice.  What these do is that you have one bay with a removable HD, which you then have various holders with your different OS's on different drives.  This allows you to have what you need for various operations at your finger tips-more or less.  If you get the same size drives, you only have to set the bios once.  If other less experienced users will be using it, then you can have the bios auto detect. It can slow the booting process, but then novices won't be getting into the bios.

I personally have 2 external drives via the USB on my laptop.  One holds data and the other holds programs.