Topic: External hard drive

[dcourtneym]

Can I transfer all the data (including the operating system) to an external hard drive.
I have a Sony laptop with a 40gbyte hdd which I like and want to keep.
Probably needs to be mains powered.
Thanks.

[Rik]

You can't transfer the OS as such to a new drive. (I'm assuming you are thinking of running the drive as the boot drive, not just backup?)

[sam]

but you will be able to transfer all of your data...

[dcourtneym]

I appreciate that I can transfer data to an external drive but why not an operating system or is there a simple answer ?

[sam]

well if you just copy the files then it really will mess up, as files will hard linked... though if you were able to clone the disk that might work but I'm not sure how todo that in windows...

[Sandra]

You could clone it but then you would need the laptop to be capable of booting from the external drive.
If it only has a 40 gig drive then I assume thats its quite old and so that would be unlikely.

Programs need to be installed to be able to run from the drive they are on, an OS is just another program, albeit a large one,
Thats why you can copy data to an external drive and use it but any programs would need to be installed.