Want to Install Linux Mint on External Hard Drive? Heres How!

Well, howdy there! You wanna learn about puttin’ that Linux Mint thingy on an outside hard thingamajig? Alright, let’s get down to brass tacks, no fancy talk here, just plain speakin’.

First off, you gotta get yourself one of them external hard drives. Don’t go gettin’ somethin’ too small, ya hear? Gotta have enough room for all that computer stuff. And make sure it’s one of them newfangled ones that can boot up a computer, or else you’ll be stuck starin’ at a blank screen like a bump on a log. This whole thing is about how to install Linux Mint on external hard drive, so listen up.

Now, before you go doin’ anythin’, you gotta prepare that hard drive. It’s like gettin’ the garden ready before plantin’ seeds, ya see? Gotta clean it all out, make sure there ain’t no weeds or rocks in the way. On the computer, they call it “format,” but it’s the same idea. Just means gettin’ rid of all the old junk so there’s room for the new stuff. And for the love of biscuits, back up anythin’ important on that hard drive ‘cause once you do this cleanin’ thing, it’s all gone like yesterday’s supper.

• Get a big enough external hard drive.
• Make sure it’s bootable.
• Back up your stuff.
• Format that hard drive clean.

Next, you gotta get yourself a copy of that Linux Mint. It’s like gettin’ a new recipe for a cake, but instead of cookin’, you’re puttin’ it on the computer. You can get it on one of them little USB stick things. Folks call it “burnin’” the image, but it ain’t nothin’ like burnin’ wood in the stove. It’s just puttin’ the Linux Mint stuff onto that USB stick so you can use it to start up the computer and get this here show on the road. I hear some folks use this here Rufus thingy to do this. Sounds like a dog’s name, don’t it? Well, whatever works.

Now comes the tricky part, but don’t you fret none, we’ll get through it together. You gotta plug that external hard drive and that USB stick into the computer. Then, you gotta tell the computer to start up from the USB stick instead of the regular way. It’s like tellin’ a horse to go left instead of right, ya see? You might have to go into the computer’s “BIOS” or somethin’, but don’t let them fancy words scare ya. Just look for somethin’ about “boot order” or “boot device” and tell it to start from the USB.

Once the computer starts up, you’ll see the Linux Mint thingy. It’s like openin’ the cookbook to the right page. There should be somethin’ that says “Install Linux Mint” right there on the screen, plain as day. Click on that, and the computer will start doin’ its thing. Don’t go clickin’ on everythin’ like a chicken with its head cut off. Just take it slow and easy.

The computer will ask you some questions, like where you live and what language you speak. Just answer them like you’re tellin’ someone how to get to the post office. Keep it simple. Then, it’ll ask you about where to install Linux Mint. This is the important part. You gotta make sure you tell it to install on that external hard drive, not on the regular one inside the computer. Otherwise, you’ll be makin’ a big mess, and we don’t want that.

Some folks say you should unplug the inside hard drive so you don’t mess things up. It’s like takin’ the good china out of the cupboard before the kids start runnin’ around. But if you’re careful and pay attention, you should be fine. Just make sure you pick the right hard drive from the list. It’ll probably have a name and a size, so you can tell which one is which. If you pick wrong, that ain’t good, so you must pay close attention to the screen, okay?

Then the computer will ask you about partitions. Now, don’t go gettin’ all flustered. Partitions are just like dividin’ up your garden into sections for different vegetables. You can let the computer do it automatically, or you can do it yourself if you’re feelin’ fancy. But if you don’t know what to do, it’s best to let that machine do all the thinking. For most folks, just lettin’ the computer handle it is the easiest way.

After that, the computer will start installin’ Linux Mint. It’s like plantin’ the seeds in the garden. It’ll take a little while, so you can go get yourself a cup of coffee or somethin’. Just let it do its thing, and don’t interrupt it. Once that’s done, the computer will tell you to restart. And when it starts back up, if you did everythin’ right, you should see Linux Mint, runnin’ right off that external hard drive. Now ain’t that somethin’?

And that’s it! Now you can use Linux Mint on any computer, just by pluggin’ in that external hard drive. It’s like havin’ your own little portable computer, without havin’ to buy a whole new one. And the best part is, you can still use your regular Windows thingy too, just by unpluggin’ the external hard drive. It’s like havin’ two cars, one for work and one for fun! Now, if you got any questions, just ask. I may not know all them fancy computer words, but I can sure explain things in a way that makes sense.

This way of doin’ things lets you carry your computer around like a sack of taters, pluggin’ it into any computer you want. You ain’t stuck with just one machine no more. You get the best of both worlds, that Windows thing and that Linux Mint too, without losin’ any space on your computer. It’s like havin’ your cake and eatin’ it too, as them city folks say.