Install and run Vista using e_SATA drive?

[Donald L McDaniel]

1) Is it possible to install and use Vista from an e_SATA HD
(@3.0GB/Sec)?

2) If this IS possible, how would it be done?
(Please, reply with full directions (using small, concise paragraphs
with proper English grammar and punctuation, Please?)

I am asking for advice on how to DO it, NOT whether or not I SHOULD do
it.

Thanks in advance...


Donald L McDaniel
Please reply to the correct thread and article.
================================================

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Yes. I run Vista Ultimate x64 and Vista Ultimate x86 from two drives
connected by passthrough to the mobo on my test box. On a computer with an
integrated eSata port you simply hook up a SATA enclosure and the drive is
seen by the system as just another internal drive. There is really nothing
special you have to do as long as there isn't some BIOS setting to enalbe
the port (which I doubt). Boot with the dvd and select the external SATA
drive as the target and go. I know of no special directions needed.

 

[Donald L McDaniel]

Yes. I run Vista Ultimate x64 and Vista Ultimate x86 from two drives
connected by passthrough to the mobo on my test box. On a computer with an
integrated eSata port you simply hook up a SATA enclosure and the drive is
seen by the system as just another internal drive. There is really nothing
special you have to do as long as there isn't some BIOS setting to enalbe
the port (which I doubt). Boot with the dvd and select the external SATA
drive as the target and go. I know of no special directions needed.

Thanks, Colin: That really opens up a lot of possibilities for me.

I still have a few lingering doubts, however:
1) What about Windows refusing to boot from external drives (USB and
Firewire I am sure won't, but I'm not so sure about the new e_Sata
standard.)
2) If the ONLY OS is installed on an e_SATA drive, will that drive be
Drive 0? And will the boot partition be Drive 0, Partition 1? (i.e.,
"C:")
3) Or must the Vista boot partition live only on an Internal drive?


Donald L McDaniel
Please reply to the correct thread and article.
================================================

 

[Kerry Brown]

Thanks, Colin: That really opens up a lot of possibilities for me.
I still have a few lingering doubts, however:
1) What about Windows refusing to boot from external drives (USB and
Firewire I am sure won't, but I'm not so sure about the new e_Sata
standard.)
2) If the ONLY OS is installed on an e_SATA drive, will that drive be
Drive 0? And will the boot partition be Drive 0, Partition 1? (i.e.,
"C:")
3) Or must the Vista boot partition live only on an Internal drive?

All SATA controllers that I have seen do not treat eSATA drives as removable
or external drives but as hot swappable drives. To all intents and purposes
they behave exactly the same as an internal SATA drive on the same
controller. How the drive shows up (drive 0) depends on the controller,
which SATA port the external drive is plugged into, what other drives are
installed, how your BIOS deals with SATA drives, and a few other variables.
What this means is that no one can tell you the answer to some of your
questions without some very detailed information about your system. Even
then it would be just an educated guess. It doesn't really matter in any
case. Vista will call whatever partition it is installed on drive C: except
for very unusual cases. To install Vista on an eSATA drive boot from the
Vista DVD. If Vista sees your drive at the screen where you specify what
partition to install on then all is good. If not, click on the Load Driver
link and load the driver for the SATA controller the drive is connected to.

 

[Dwarf]

Hi Donald,

In addition to the information given by Kerry, this does open up a new
method of having multiple operating systems on one machine. Simply connect a
disk to the machine and install the required system (providing, of course,
that you have suitable storage adapter drivers available for the OS that you
are proposing to install). When you wish to run that operating system, simply
connect that disk up to your machine and reboot. This can eliminate some of
the problems caused by having multiple operating systems installed
simultaneously.
Dwarf

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

The drive number is determined by the number of the drive controller you are
connected to. It doesn't matter anyway. Setup will write the id to the
boot configuration data file (Vista does not use a boot.ini file)

There is no difference between the eSATA port and the SATA ports on the
mobo. They are electrically equivalent. There also is no direct
relationship between the controller numbers and the drive letters assigned
by Setup during installation.

Forget that the drive is physically external and just think of it as your
primary drive.

There is no relationship between USB and Firewire and SATA. They are on
different busses. The problem with USB and Firewire is that Windows does
not look for a bootable device on those busses. SATA drives are on the PCI
bus which Windows does scan for bootable devices. External vs internal is
not the issue. It is all about the busses.

To ensure that the boot files are on the same drive as Vista I suggest you
disconnect any internal hard drives then install Vista and reconnect the
internal drives, but even this is not necessary since you can use VistaBoot
Pro to write a copy of the boot files to the Vista drive after the fact.

Just do it and quit worrying about it. The fact that the drive is sitting
outside of the box is a purely psychological matter. It makes no difference
to the computer.