Can you boot from flash drive if no provision in bios?

lugoteehalt · 04-01-2008, 07:53 AM

Prepared a bootable usb flash drive as per debian.org's instructions. Mainly put on the boot loader syslinux and its mbr. Debian says to hard re-boot and it'll boot from the flash. It did not work.

But surely a computer cannot boot from the usb flash unless provision is made in the BIOS. The question is: Is that true? My computer appears to have no such provision, unless it's cryptically worded. TIA.

ronlau9 · 04-01-2008, 09:49 AM

I recently buy a new computer and of course I ask the retailer can I boot
from USB because even my BIOS did not specify it.
His answer was yes when you put a HDD in USB you can boot from USB
Another think that is that my BIOS specify 4 Generic mass boot device to boot from My retailer told my that it is a kind off flash card with a MAXimum of 5oo MB if I look to it ,it is not a USB port
He said if you can avoid it do not boot from USB it is slow
So in my BIOS setup usb boot is not mentioned and if he is wright I can boot from usb I have not find it out yet

lugoteehalt · 04-02-2008, 05:49 AM

Thanks ronlau9. That's very interesting indeed. I'll have to think about it and maybe get back.

lazlow · 04-02-2008, 07:04 AM

There are also IDE to flash converters.

lugoteehalt · 04-03-2008, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lazlow

There are also IDE to flash converters.

Doutless am being thick but how does that help?

lazlow · 04-03-2008, 10:54 AM

IF you use a IDE to flash converter you can boot to the flash just like you would a HD.

michaelk · 04-03-2008, 11:15 AM

What lazlow is suggesting is a Compact Flash - IDE adapter. Your computer will see the CF card as an IDE hard drive. CF is not the same as USB Flash drive. However, we do not know your requirements as so do not know if you are wanting to use the drive as a portable boot device.

What is the make/model or your computer?

TB0ne · 04-03-2008, 12:11 PM

You can't boot from USB if it's not an option in BIOS, period. That would be like saying "There's no boot from floppy option, but if I plug a floppy drive in, it'll boot".

Your system can only boot from what your BIOS lets it boot from, no matter what you plug in to it. Plugging in a USB hard drive is nothing special; your USB bus and connections aren't up and available, since they're probably not activated until the system is ALREADY up and booted.

lazlow · 04-03-2008, 06:13 PM

If you are trying to run a system off of a USB device (as opposed to flash as the title suggested) you can side step the issue by booting to a CD that passes the system over to the USB device. Think grub on a CD.

lugoteehalt · 04-04-2008, 05:36 AM

Computer is: Dell Inspiron 1000 I'm afraid. Am getting a better one.

What TB0ne said is what seemed to me.

Booting from CD would be helped if cdrom drive could see writable media more than 1 time in 20, if you're lucky.