Running a OS without a hard drive?

[Biz.Kid09]

Basically, I have just bought a old Toshiba Satellite and it has no hard drive. Is there any way i can run an os on it without a hard drive? or willl i have to go and buy one?
Thanks guys

 

[petriodet]

Basically, I have just bought a old Toshiba Satellite and it has no hard drive. Is there any way i can run an os on it without a hard drive? or willl i have to go and buy one?
Thanks guys

i think you can run an os from a memory stick.
google is your friend..... i can't be bothered just google it

edit ..http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/windows-pocket,1113.html

 

[Biz.Kid09]

Ok thanks.
I think i need to do a 'live cd'?
I have found this website:http://www.livecdlist.com/
But i have no idea which one i need.
I just want to quickly check its all working as the last person who had it said the windows was completely broken hence why he didnt give me the hdd. So i dont need a full blown os i just want to check it boots etc.

 

[StephenLawUK]

Technically u can use a bootable CD but it wont be persistant so you cant save anything to the system. Generally they are used for salvaging files from an inaccessible hard disk rather than as a day to day OS. Also bootable USB stick as mentioned but making them persistant can be hassle. But you could save stuff to another USB stick I guess but tbh its not gonna be much use without being able to install software to your system.

Best to just buy a cheap hard drive not like they cost much you can get 1TB on the site for a lil over £40 then install an operating system, if your feeling cheap linux is free to install.

 

[Biz.Kid09]

I dont need to save anything mate i just want to check it all boots etc and if it does then i will go buy a hdd .
Can you recommend me a small quick live cd/usb os i should use?

 

[StephenLawUK]

I normally use the XP live cd thats part of hirens boot CD. Pretty useful CD comes with lots of diagnostic tools also so worth keeping around.

Can download it from here.

http://www.hirensbootcd.org/download.html

Then just burn onto a CD and boot it up.

 

[Biz.Kid09]

Ok thanks mate.
Would something like this work?
http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/
Then install to a usb?
If not can you give me some instructions on what i do once i have downloaded hirens?
extract etc?

 

[StephenLawUK]

I dont have instructions for installing to a USB on hand but its a bit of hassel as you need to get some software to manipulate it so it can be bootable. Also not all systems will accept booting from USB especially older machines.

Your best getting the ISO file that either that linux install or hirens boot CD gives you then using a CD burner burn that onto a standard CD. Hirens is in a zip file so unzip that first. You will ofc need to borrow a PC with a CD-RW drive to do this. If you need some CD burning software CDburnerXP is pretty simple and effective.

You can get it here: http://www.cdburnerxp.se/

Once you have your CD just put it into the system, go into bios usually f2 or del button shud be a lil message when loading the system. Then find the option for boot prioritys and set it to boot from CD first.

 

[Biz.Kid09]

I have the software etc...i found a guide. I was just wondering if the damnsmallinux was ok for what i wanted?

 

[StephenLawUK]

yea its fine its just another one of the many linux variations, any of them will do for testing to see if it works.

 

[Biz.Kid09]

Thanks mate.

 

[gbradders123]

http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/ is what you want. dld a iso and that program will install it as bootable. Any of the linux variotions will work fine. i use ubuntu. you can make it so it saves, but that is a pain to do. google will help with that quest.

 

[Biz.Kid09]

Thanks Gbradders123 but i took Stephens advice and made a hirens boot cd which has worked perfectly.

 

[DoubleCheese]

Or an Ubuntu disc...

 

[wannabedamned]

Just get Ubuntu and run it from the CD, it gives the option on booting from it

Ah, Spotted you're up and running already, good stuff

 

[Serpantine]

Chrome OS on USb Drive?

 

[Biz.Kid09]

Ok guys.
So Hiren's boot cd works fine and i booted into mini linux. Now, This laptop is only going to be used for internet,office and a other specialized program. Now is there any way i could possibly run a os like i have with the hirens cd but unlike hirens cd i could install programs etc?

 

[Swordfish]

No.

Hiren CD uses ram to make a ram drive to store files.

Best bet is to use a flash drive and find portable versions of the software you want to use.

 

[Biz.Kid09]

Right,
On the Hiren's boot cd there is mini windows xp. Now could i just run this every time i turn it on. Then have a flash drive plugged in it and set the programs to install to the usb?
Would that work? or is it just easier to buy a hard drive
If i installed something like Puppy Linux (http://puppylinux.org/main/Overview and Getting Started.htm) to a small usb. Then booted off that, i then if i had another usb plugged in could i simply install the programs i wanted to the other usb? like a hard drive?

 

[StephenLawUK]

I dont think that would work as swordfish said the CD is only temporary and does not allow for persistant storage so it would not maintain the connection to the programs on the other drive. Unless you used purely portable programs but these are not always available. I know firefox and chrome have portable versions for surfing the net. As for office you could see if openoffice has a portable version but i dunno about that. Also your specialised programs you mentioned maybe hard to find portable versions of.

In the long run a hard drive is much easier you dont have to worry about all that rubbish and you can install and save as you wish . Have a look in the members market you can find some old small drives people are for about £10-£20.