how make my computer can boot from usb-flopy

[robin158]

hi,my computer's maiboard is msi socket 370 6153(bx chipset),i have update the bios to the newest(but it is 2000/12)when i buy a large harddisk, now i have a usb-disk,it support startup,but there is no usb-fdd choice in bios,thers is no latest bios in msi website,how can i
let my bios support boot from usb-fdd,thks!

[nihil]

OK,

1. What operating system are you using?

2. This "usb/fdd"..........is that an external hard drive attached by a USB connection?

I have a fairly good idea of your problem, but need the information to be sure.

Good luck

[robin158]

thks,my os is win xp, my usb hardware is usb(flash disk)disk,i want it can like Floppy boot my computer,but in my bios ,there is only A,C,CDROM choice ,no usb-fdd to choose,can you understand my word

[nihil]

Hi Robin~,

I am just going to start up two other machines to check this out, but I suspect that your problem is in two parts?

1. Your BIOS is older than USB flash disks, and does not fully support them. It "sees" that they are there, but will not treat them as bootable devices. The machine I am typing this on has the FX motherboard...................same thing...............I can boot from:

1. Hard drives
2. 3.5" floppy
3. Floptical (Zip Drive or LS120)
4. CD

but NOT from a USB device.

2. Also, I believe that some of the expensive USB drives come with software that will detect it, and allow you to boot from it, but this software is for a particular drive only, and comes with it. The more common drives are not detected as anything other than a general "USB" storage device, and require you to open them once mounted?

I do not believe that it is an operating system thing if you are running ME/2K/XP

I will edit this in a few minutes when I have had a chance to check it out


Cheers

EDIT: Yes I have just checked a pair of modern motherboard/BIOS combinations on XP..........I can do all of the above, plus boot from the Network and USB devices. I still think that the USB has to be of the type that is automatically detected and opened with its own software though.

I would say that your motherboard and BIOS are too old for this?

sorry..............

[jinxy]

Robin,
It looks like you maybe tying to do some thing that you can not with your system. However if you can turn your usb drive to a network drive it may be possible. Maybe a usb to ethernet converter. (not sure there is such a thing but google should help you out).

Sorry not much more help.

[nihil]

Nice thought Jinxy,

but if his motherboard BIOS is anything like mine, it won't support a network boot either?

And, he would have to specify a boot from the network as the "norm"?

That is a point, though, and the reason for this post.............


Robin~, would you want it to boot from this drive all the time? or would you want to select?............I have a sneaky suspicion that I may have a solution, depending on your answer to that question?

Cheers

[Nokia]

I havent used USB strorage devices much but if the USB Device requires its own drivers/software, surely these would have to be loaded for the device to work.

So booting from it would be impossible as the computer wouldnt know what it was untill the relevent information was loaded??

[nihil]

Hi All,

I think that we can assume that Robin's BIOS will not support a USB bootable device.

Nokia: you are quite correct, complex USB devices require their driver software to be loaded first. "Native" support will probably only recognise a keyboard and mouse?

If the USB flash drive is PERMANENTLY connected and its software is loaded, it should be possible to use some disk management software like System Commander to select that drive from the boot up prompt.

The principle is similar to using a software tool like EZDrive to recognise a hard drive that is too big for the BIOS. You are using the disk management tool to over-ride the BIOS?

Without a lot more information on the system as a whole I cannot give a better answer.............it might be better value to replace the motherboard?

I have just checked an old IBM PIII/533MHz, and its BIOS will not support a USB bootable drive. I think that this may well be the case with a lot of "Brand Names"............they don't want the support overhead and their corporate customers don't want people bringing in bootable USB devices?

Cheers

EDIT:

Robin~ If you get a motherboard with a BIOS that supports USB hard drives, you just set the boot sequence so the USB is above the fixed hard drive. Something like this:

1. 3.5" floppy
2. DVD/CD ROM
3. USB
4. Hard Drive (usually C:\)
5. Other Bootable Devices (search)

I will not confuse you by mentioning network boot or 5.25" floppy drives (B:\)

[SDK]

Maybe this will help.

http://www.antionline.com/showthread...hreadid=253433

[robin158]

hi,all ,thanks a lot ,especially nihil
yes ,i have checked my bios ,it is not support bootable usb device,i want update my bios ,but
MSI has stoped update the 6153 bios,is it there is no solution for my problem,thanks again,
here is a very good place, nice meet everyone!