If you’ve been curious about Linux but weren’t ready to commit to replacing Windows, this tutorial is exactly what you’ve been waiting for. In this video, I walk you through how to install Linux Mint on an external SSD — giving you a fully working Linux system that lives on a portable drive you can plug in whenever you want, while your Windows installation stays completely untouched.
This method is a fantastic alternative to traditional dual-booting, and it’s one of the safest ways for beginners to explore Linux without the risk of losing files or accidentally overwriting Windows.
What You’ll Need
Before you get started, you’ll want to have three things on hand: an external SSD (much better than a standard USB flash drive for speed and reliability), a smaller USB thumb drive of at least 8GB to use as the Linux installer, and a Windows PC.
You’ll also need to take a couple of preparatory steps in your computer’s BIOS settings. Specifically, you’ll want to disable Fast Boot and Secure Boot before you begin. If you use BitLocker to encrypt your drive, make sure that’s decrypted first as well — the video covers this in plain, easy-to-follow language.
Creating the Linux Mint Installer
The tutorial covers downloading the Linux Mint ISO (the Cinnamon edition is recommended for its familiar, Windows-like look and feel) and using a free tool called BalenaEtcher to flash that ISO onto your small USB thumb drive. This turns the thumb drive into your installation media.
The Install Process — And the Critical Step
Once you boot from the USB installer using your computer’s Boot Options Menu, the installation process itself is straightforward — but there is one step where you need to pay close attention.
When the Linux Mint installer asks how you want to set up your storage, you must choose “Something Else” rather than the automatic option. This is what allows you to manually tell the installer to put everything — including the bootloader — on your external SSD rather than on your internal Windows drive. The video walks through this partitioning step carefully, including how to set up the required EFI, root, and home partitions.
The Result: A Truly Portable Linux System
After installation, the video demonstrates the best part: with the external SSD unplugged, the computer boots straight into Windows as normal. Plug the SSD back in, select it from the boot menu, and you’re in Linux Mint. Two operating systems, zero compromises.
Whether you’re exploring Linux for the first time or looking for a safe way to learn without risking your Windows setup, this approach is highly recommended.
Watch the full step-by-step tutorial in the video at the top of this page!
As always, make sure you have a backup of your data before taking on a project like this – just in case!
Other Linux install tutorials on tektoc:
Dual-boot installation on one drive.
Dual-boot installation on two drives.
Things to know before switching to Linux.
Inexpensive drive enclosures and SSDs on Amazon
(products used in this video – affiliate links)
Orico 2.5” External Hard Drive Enclosure Type-A USB 3.0.
Orico 2.5” Hard Drive Enclosure Type-C USB 3.1 Gen2.
Sabrent USB-C NVMe Enclosure, 10Gbps Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2.
Patriot 2.5” SATA III SSDs.
