Can you use a desktop harddrive as your laptop harddrive? (using an enclosure)
 

I have a western digital velociraptor drive, all my things are on it, data, music, operating system..

Is it possible to use this drive (with no performance loss) as my main drive for a laptop? I want to use an enclosure and USB2.0, but if there is another option thats fine too.

I have to move constantly between countries for school and work and there is no way I can take my desktop everywhere. If I had a great laptop and the ability to use a fast hard drive like my velociraptor I could have a desktop replacement and would not have to suffer with the bullshit slow 5400rpm drives laptops tend to have.., especially when I am in a static location and have a power outlet beside me.

Anyone know if this is possible? I heard something about eSata but I have no clue what that is

bumpbump

Depends on the laptop, but many nowadays do support booting from an external device.

The only problem is that when you boot up from the enclosure on the laptop for the first time, all of the drivers are obviously going to be out of whack. You may even get a Windows blue screen relating to the hard drive controller.

But let's start from the beginning...

(Checklist would include your Laptop having an eSATA port and (for convenience) your desktop having one as well. Otherwise you will have to inconvenience yourself by taking the HD out of the enclosure to connect it to your Desktop. If your laptop doesn't have an eSATA port, then don't even try this because adding a PCMCIA eSATA card will slow down the overall throughput and performance will be drastically reduced)

For a project like this, I would clone the desktop hard drive FIRST and VERIFY that it's fully working and operational. Even if all goes well, the money spent for a working backup is worth it.

Next, I would put the desktop hard drive in the eSATA enclosure. Connect the enclosure to the laptop eSATA port, boot up and then configure the BIOS to boot from the external device. (For safe measure, you will want to disable the native HD in the laptop)

If it boots and gets you to your desktop where you can log in, then all that you have to do is load the corresponding drivers for the laptop.

If you get a blue screen, then reboot and try going into safe mode. If you can get into a desktop using safe mode, then on consecutive boots the system should be fine.

If that still doesn't work, the next step is to do a repair installation of Windows on the laptop. This way, you will not destroy any of your files and installed programs. Windows setup automatically should ask you to repair Windows, but if it takes you as far as the partition setup screen, then that means it did not detect the previous installation. Only proceed further if Windows succeeds in detecting the previous Windows installation and asks you to repair it.

When the repair installation succeeds, just load the drivers and you should be set.

The next step is to disconnect the eSATA enclosure from the laptop and use it on the desktop. Remember to configure the bios to boot from the external port. Windows should boot normally as the drivers for the previous configuration are still there.

There are other hacks out there, but this is the path I would follow.

interesting guide eroticsexxx :thumbsup

to the op, the usb2.0 external hard drive I used is too slow to be used as a main hard drive, ok for back up and an extra drive, but I wouldn't use it for a main drive

thanks eroticsexxx !!

Putting a Velociraptor into a USB2 HD enclosure? It won't be "fast" any more...

no not a usb2 enclosure, but a esata enclosure

Just in case you don't yet own the Velociraptor, FYI you can now buy 7200RPM laptop drives.

The Velociraptor is a 2.5" drive but removing it from the heatsink will void the warranty, and it's probably a bit too tall to fit into a laptop anyway :D

get a drobo ... best money I ever spent !