if internal hard disk is dead, can an external hard disk run the laptop

[maxxam]

the laptop i'm using is prettry old one. its an old HP Compaq centrino.. spare hard disks for the machine are NOT manufactured now, since its a pretty old machine

now my laptop's hard disk is dead. and as i mentioned, i cant get a new internal hard disk for this machine.. at least not in my country .. everything else with this machine is ok..

now if there is a way that this machine recongnises my external usb hard disk as internal upon laptop start, like on bootup, and afterwards, my laptop will just be fine .......

 

[maxxam]

i mean i cant find an internal hard disk, and i want an external hard disk to behave totally like an internal hard.... hope you guys get my point ... because there is nothing else thats wrong with the machine and if i cant find a solution to this hard disk issue, this decent laptop is basically dead

 

[USAFRet]

Not Windows, no. Not without a LOT of work, anyway.

But what drive is it? Laptops almost certainly use all the same size drive. Have you taken it apart and looked?

 

[popatim]

I agree, windows would be awful slow over a usb drive.
I might have an old 80 ide laying around.

 

[USAFRet]

I agree, windows would be awful slow over a usb drive.
I might have an old 80 ide laying around.

I have a couple of 2GB IDE laptop drives that see very occasional use. Win2000 and PuppyLinux. Swap in and out on an old Dell P233.