Start your PC without a hard drive - how it works

If you want to start your PC without a hard drive, you need a different bootable medium. The easiest way to do this is with a live CD.

How to create a live CD on your PC

You can easily create a live CD yourself to start your PC without a hard drive.

Download the Linux tool GParted. It is also available as a 64-bit version.
You can also use all other live systems, for example the JonDo Live CD, to surf the web anonymously. The procedure described is the same in any case.
Burn the downloaded ISO file onto a CD. For this you can use the software CDBurnerXP under Windows.
If you have no way to do this, you can also buy live CDs from specialist retailers.

Now insert the Live CD into the CD / DVD drive of your PC and start it. Often the PC automatically recognizes the Live CD as a boot medium if it cannot find a hard drive.
Otherwise you have to change the boot order manually in the BIOS so that your PC can start from the CD. Depending on the manufacturer of your PC, press the [F8], [F12] or [DEL] key.
You will find detailed instructions on how to get into the BIOS and change the boot sequence in another practical tip.
When this is done, the live system starts when you start up your PC and you can work on it without a hard drive.

In another practical tip, we will help you with the problem that an external hard drive is not displayed.