How to Boot from External SSD on Windows 10/11

External SSDshave better performance than HDDs, and the average boot time for SSDs is 10-13 seconds, compared to 30-40 seconds for HDDs. In addition to booting Windows from a USB or SD card, many users wonder if they can boot their computers from an external SSD. The following is a typical case study:

Don't worry.EaseUSwill walk you through the feasibility of booting Windows from an external SSD and provide a detailed solution.

View the Necessary Information to Boot from External SSD

Is It Possible to Boot from External SSD?

Yes, you can boot from external SSD; it helps to have a bootable external drive if the OS on the internal drive is corrupted. There are more benefits to booting Windows from an external SSD. Here are some of the main reasons why:

• External SSD is more durable:it has no moving parts and can take more of a beating. And the SSD generates less heat and noise, which means it's more energy efficient, which can lead to longer battery life for the laptop.
• External SSDs offer faster speeds:SSDs can load and transfer files and applications faster. And it can reduce the time it takes to boot up your computer.

Whatever your reason for wanting to boot from an external SSD, this article has a detailed solution. Next, we will discuss how to boot Windows from external SSD.

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How to Boot from External SSD

There are three stages to booting an SSD from an external drive. I will provide detailed steps for each stage. Please adhere to the instructions in this article to properly navigate and efficiently use an external SSD as a bootable drive.

Stage 1: Prepare the External SSD and Put It Into Your PC

1. Connect the external SSD to your computer using a compatible interface (USB or Thunderbolt).

2. If it is a new SSD, please initialize it. And format the SSD to the NTFS file system

• Press and hold the Windows icon, and select and open Disk Management.
• Right-click on the external SSD to be formatted and select "Format."
• Choose the file system, then adjust the cluster size to your liking.

3. Make sure the SSD has enough space for partitioning

You need to ensure that there is enough space on the external SS to accommodate your Windows 11/10 operating system.

Stage 2: Install OS on External SSD

There are several ways to install an operating system on an SSD: you can do it via a Windows ISO file or by cloning the Windows operating system. Whichever way you choose, the best tool to use is theEaseUS Partition Master.

This tool provides powerful features to help you install an operating system. And it simplifies installing an operating system, providing a safe and fast solution. Read on to see the detailed step-by-step guide.

Method 1. Burn ISO to External SSD

EaseUS Partition Master is the bestfree ISO burnerthat enables external SSDs to boot Windows installation files or Windows PC systems.

Note:Before you start, please ensure you have a Windows ISO file on your PC. If not, please download it from Microsoft:https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download.

Follow the steps to burn ISO to an external SSD:

Step 1.Launch EaseUS Partition Master and go to the Bootable Media section. Click "Burn ISO" and click "Next".

Step 2.Select the ISO image that you have downloaded on your PC, and click "Open".

Step 3.Click "Next" and select the target USB as destination and click "Burn" to execute the operation.

EaseUS Partition Master is a powerful tool. It supports all external and internal devices. With this way, you can alsoinstall Windows 10 from USB. Besides, if you want to know how to boot Windows from SD Card, click the following link to get more information.

Method 2. Clone Windows ISO to External SSD

If youcannot burn ISO to USBor external SSD, you can also use the clone feature provided by EaseUS Partition Master, which allows you to migrate your Windows OS to a new external SSD.

The following is a step-by-step guide:

Steps to migrate OS to HDD/SSD:

• Run EaseUS Partition Master, and select "Clone" from the left menu.
• Check "Migrate OS" and click "Next".
• 选择磁盘和固态硬盘或硬盘作为目的地click "Next".
• Check Warning: the data and partitions on the target disk will be deleted. Make sure that you've backed up important data in advance. If not, do it now.
• Then click "Yes".
• Preview the layout of your target disk. Then click "Start" to start migrating your OS to a new disk.

Note:The operation of migrating OS to SSD or HDD will delete and remove existing partitions and data on your target disk when there is not enough unallocated space on the target disk. If you saved important data there, back up them to an external hard drive in advance.

After installing the operating system on the external SSD, uninstall the SSD from the computer. Then follow the steps below to set up the external SSD. With the clone feature, you can upgrade or replace hard drives easily and quickly. Here are some examples:

Stage 3: Set up the external SSD as a boot drive in BIOS

When you make the external SSD bootable, you will also need to change the boot order of the external SSD in the BIOS. Whenever you start your computer, it will automatically check if the external SSD is available. If the external SSD is available, you can successfully boot Windows from the external SSD.

Here are the steps to set up an external SSD as a bootable drive on Windows:

Step 1.Reboot your computer and enter BIOS setup: Use F2/F12/Del to enter BIOS.

Step 2.Change the boot order in the boot options: Find the target external SSD under the Boot Priority tab and move it to the top.

Step 3.Save the changes and exit.

After setting the external SSD as a bootable drive, you can use the new SSD as your system operating disk.

Conclusion

Is it possible to boot from an external SSD? This article provides an easy-to-follow method. In three stages, you can set up an external SSD as the primary boot drive. With EaseUS Partition Master, you can burn Windows ISO files or clone your Windows system to an external SSD.

If you enjoyed this article about how to boot Windows from an external SSD, don't forget to share it to help more people in need!

FAQs About Booting from External SSD

If you have further questions about booting from an external SSD or setting it as the primary drive, our FAQ section may provide your answers.

1. How can I boot from SSD instead of HDD in BIOS?

Once you have the required operating system on the external SSD, you can set the drive as the boot drive by following these steps:

Step 1.Press and hold F2/F12/Del to enter the BIOS.

Step 2.Change the boot order to set the operating system to boot from the new SSD.

Step 3.Save the changes and reboot the PC.

2. Why can't I set an external SSD as a boot drive?

启动模式的错误可能会导致设置外部SSDs boot drive: If the SSD is a GPT disk, you need to enable EFI/UEFI boot mode. And enter BIOS setting to change boot mode. Or convert SSD to MBR disk. Otherwise, it can't boot from SSD.

3. Why does BIOS not recognize SSD boot?

The cable may be damaged or incorrectly connected if the BIOS does not detect or recognize the SSD. The Serial ATA cable may sometimes be disconnected. Please check if the SATA cable is firmly connected.

4. How to boot Mac from an external SSD?

An external SSD as a boot disk can provide better performance for your Mac regarding system response, applications, startup, and more. Here are the steps to boot from an external SSD on Mac:

Step 1.连接外部的SSD Mac和擦除external SSD: Reformat the external SSD using Disk Utilities.

Step 2.Install macOS to the external SSD.

Step 3.Reboot the Mac and hold down the Option key until Boot Options appears.

Step 4.Set "Allow booting from external media or removable media" under Utilities.