How does it feel when someone asks, “can a computer run without a hard drive”? People usually assume that it’s unfeasible. That’s because everyone knows the hard drive is one of the most crucial factors in any computer’s hardware specifications.
But, since many people are asking this question, we will answer it in this post. We will highlight some of the easiest ways to work on a PC having no hard drive attached. You will also learn what problems you’ll face without a hard drive. So, let’s start the process.
Can a Computer Operate Without a Hard Drive?
HDD, an abbreviation of Hard Disk Drive or hard drive (in short), is the primary storage hardware. This is where a computer’s operating system is installed. Without this storage memory, your system may not process things as efficiently as it should.
There might be a risk of data loss as well. Since there would be no memory storage, you would start wondering how to manage files on Mac or other computers. Luckily, to run your laptop without HDD, you can boot it over the network via a USB drive or a CD or DVD.
Power on Self-Test at Computer Startup
When you run your computer initially, a POST (Power On Self Test) is performed. This test examines all the hardware components to confirm that everything is working efficiently. After that, you will hear some system beeps. Now, it will load the BIOS.
Your PC will find a boot device depending on the memory order. The apparatus may include network drives, removable media, hard drives, or external drives. Various servers can run off single-network machines with the hardware loading OS into RAM over the network.
When No Devices Are Found
When your computer runs via a list of various devices in BIOS, it will do a series of beeps. This will happen when it finds nothing for booting. When it happens, you will be notified. You will see a blank screen, a blinking cursor, and one message.
However, change the BIOS settings when your PC finds any available bootable device but the appliance cannot identify it. Then, you may need to rearrange the booting order to determine the device quickly.
Boot System via External Storage Drive
Companies design diskless systems that can boot over the web. A single server controls all these systems. It will quickly virtualize the desktop system on the remotely available device. Network booting over hard disk booting is better than bouncing via external storage.
The reason is that it allows controlling on one server with complete redundant backups. Eventually, this may eliminate the hard drive failure as a method to lose the entire device. This would further help in using easily replaceable and cheap hardware.
Boot via a Peripheral
Peripheral devices are typically the internal and external devices used for booting the diagnostic tools and several Live systems. It also includes operating environments entirely loaded into the computer’s RAM.
The most recent machines can quickly boot flash memory cards, external hard drives, and USB flash drives. Moreover, many well-recognized Cisco routers use flash memory cards like the boot medium. It also increases storage for the configuration files.
Is a Hard Drive Essential?
Your PC will turn on when you remove its hard drive and don’t use another drive in place of it. Lacking a hard drive means no operating system. Hence, your PC would not load, and you would be unable to perform anything.
Your hard drive is not necessary if the price doesn’t matter. That’s because you can use SSDs, which are more reliable than traditional HDDs. You can prefer HDD only when storing vast amounts of data without accessing them frequently.
Upgrade PC With SSD
Compared to HDD, SSD can be about ten times faster. Even this non-volatile memory is highly shock resistant. That means this memory is probably the least affected by the magnetic fields.
SSDs are an excellent option for users who want to optimize their system performance. They are fully compatible with PCs and Mac computers and offer faster load times and increased storage space. If your system uses an off-the-shelf SATA HDD, upgrading it to an SSD is a great way to improve system performance.
The Conclusion
At the bottom line, a computer can work without any hard drive, but it might be of very little use. That’s because there is no OS (operating systems) or programs. However, you may use a USB thumb drive as the program or a virtual drive to prevent temporary files.
Some programs on the hard drive create temporary files. These files may cause numerous issues. You can also use a dream of solid memory to have a resistible hard drive. It would have all the properties of a usual hard drive.
