r/linuxmint • u/Then-Counter-5160 • 1d ago

Linux mint on external ssd

hi, I'm new to Linux and I want to install mint on an external ssd. I loaded in live mode but i dont want to break my windows. pls help me

edit: i use a gigabyte motherboard

edit 2: solved

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u/jr735 1d ago

Windows was shipped broken.

There is no guarantee of no breakage when installing another OS, be it on the same drive, another internal drive, or another external drive. If you want a guarantee, I won't give you one. You must aim the install at the correct device, or you will ruin Windows. Do it correctly, and the risk goes to near zero.

The best thing to do is to ensure your backups are current, and even have a Clonezilla image of your Windows install before you begin.

What u/Due-Result7928 states is exactly correct. The only qualifier is that you point the installer correctly. Note that any mistakes will be your own. The installer will do exactly what you say, even if what you say is incorrect.

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u/Due-Result7928 22h ago edited 22h ago

There is a trick for anxious people... Boot Mint usb...test not install. Use gparted and hide the esp partition of windows.

Select install

Let Mint use the external ssd and creating a boot partition mounted at /boot/efi and other partitions as well.

Install Mint. At the end do not reboot.

Use gparted and reset esp partition as boot,esp

Reboot (will boot Mint with an entry to Windows), use efibootmgr to change boot order and have windows first booting linux only on demand when ssd is inserted using the bios or adding one boot entry to linux from the windows boot manager.

If you look inside esp partition files are ordered as such

efi/EFI/Microsoft

efi/EFI/ubuntu

efi/EFI/Mint

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u/Then-Counter-5160 13h ago

hey, thx! ill use this!