Installing Linux Ubuntu on an HDD, without uploading it onto a Laptop for dual boot

[ET/IT]

Ok, this the drill.

External Hard Drive is on F. My Laptops main Hard Drive, is on C.

My goal, is to download ubuntu onto F, and install it on F. And be able to turn on my laptop, and choose drive F to boot from, or drive C.(Ubuntu, or VISTA)

I'm stumped on what should be the first order of business. I don't want to F* my drive in my laptop, because I have school work on it. (I can't afford to lose it, making a backup is impossible, because it's literaly parameters I've had to put in place for a project, which I can't transfer, because my HDD is the one I'll be using for ubuntu, hopefully)

 

[Eric1]

Re: Installing Linux Ubuntu on an HDD, without uploading it onto a Laptop for dual bo

What about using a live CD of Ubuntu? That way you can run it on RAM and not have to install it on the hard drive. Not sure if this will meet your needs, just a suggestion.

 

[farinha]

Re: Installing Linux Ubuntu on an HDD, without uploading it onto a Laptop for dual bo

Why don't you install the ubuntu on a pen disk? I think it's a lot more practical than a hdd.

 

[kmote]

Re: Installing Linux Ubuntu on an HDD, without uploading it onto a Laptop for dual bo

Ok, this the drill.

External Hard Drive is on F. My Laptops main Hard Drive, is on C.

My goal, is to download ubuntu onto F, and install it on F. And be able to turn on my laptop, and choose drive F to boot from, or drive C.(Ubuntu, or VISTA)

I'm stumped on what should be the first order of business. I don't want to F* my drive in my laptop, because I have school work on it. (I can't afford to lose it, making a backup is impossible, because it's literaly parameters I've had to put in place for a project, which I can't transfer, because my HDD is the one I'll be using for ubuntu, hopefully)

Make a backup. Even if you think you can't, you must find a way. Data that important needs at least one backup.

Disconnecting a HDD with important data on it while installing an OS somewhere else is a good idea but I'm not sure how a laptop would deal with that.

Don't be this guy