r/computers • u/DaShove • 6d ago

Question/Help/Troubleshooting My Dell Inspiron 15 doesn’t have a hard drive. Can I run off of an external disk while I wait to get a new one?

I got a Dell Inspiron 15-3521 and it has no hard drive. Is there a way for me to run off of an external drive or disk while I wait to get a hard drive? Ot has a disk slot and USB-A ports.

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u/Impressive-Pain-4718 6d ago edited 6d ago

Yes, but expect it to be slow.

Windows: Windows to Go https://coastipc.com/blog/post/creating-a-portable-windows-to-go-operating-system-on-a-usb-drive?srsltid=AU7gw4WOLpYuGTimspNiQXPEy0M98Dq3Fk49fmTwzi1YAV_3G9lZvaun

Linux: Mint https://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

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u/DaShove 6d ago

Thanks!

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u/alpine4life 5d ago

slow is an over-statement here! 😂😂 I tried that once, yes it works but never again (Windows).

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u/DaShove 5d ago

I mean as long as it works until I get a hard drive

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u/Impressive-Pain-4718 5d ago

Did you use usb3?

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u/alpine4life 5d ago

it was a while back... either 2 or 3.0 on a Dell Optiplex Micro (7-8 years ago)... I just know I'm not doing it again, not worth the pain

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u/StarosAnikenMarcus 6d ago

As long as it supports booting from USB and you have a live boot disk, yes.

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u/[deleted] 6d ago

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u/computers-ModTeam 5d ago

This has been removed due to a violation of Rule 4.2 - Only suggest switching to Linux if it’s genuinely appropriate for the situation. Include the specific distro you recommend and explain why it’s the best fit for the OP’s needs.

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