Is there a way to trick the windows 10 install into thinking an external drive is an internal drive? I have a kioxia that just will not be read by my framework 11 gen intel, no matter what I do. I’ve tried updating the BIOS, btw; just plopping the files onto a flashdrive and expecting it to boot off of it does not work at all.
Here’s one way: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/installing-windows-to-an-external-drive-literally/c5f46404-acfa-4a9e-845e-39b4a1889553
Another would be installing the external drive internally first, installing it, then shut down before the first boot (before it enters the OOBE), then pulling the drive out and put it back into it’s external enclosure.
Another would be to use DISM to apply the install.wim image onto an external drive.
Please read up on how to use DISM and how WIM images work. It’ll give you a better understanding of how windows installation and imaging work so you can manipulate it in very interesting ways.
You can use Rufus on another pc to install windows on that external SSD choosing the windows to go option in Rufus. Then you should be able to just plug it into the laptop and boot from it. Or just use Linux and you can install it on an external SSD