You can install on an external USB drive. As long as it’s USB 3, there will be little performance difference vs an internal HD (SSD likely slower, but good enough for everyday work)
I’ve been wanting to install Linux, but I don’t have a drive large enough to back up my windows installation.
Railcar8095@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Blemgo@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Do you really need the entire installation? Would only the user folder(s) (C:\Users) suffice?
Alternatively, you could install Linux mint on a large enough USB stick and run it off there, if you don’t mind the longer read/write times. You’d also need to change the boot order for it too.