USB FlashDrive Not Booting

Forum: USB booting
Topic: USB FlashDrive Not Booting
started by: Mechcozmo

Posted by Mechcozmo on Jan. 19 2005,04:52

I followed the instructions in < this > thread but my drive isn't starting.

In the BIOS, under removable media, I chose USB ZIP and inserted the flashdrive in one of four of the rear USB ports. Right after where the BIOS scans the PCI bus, it hung. Just waited. I don't know exactly what it was waiting for, but it sure as heck wasn't starting. I gave it about a minute before killing the startup.

I then repeated the above with USB FDD, ATAPI MO, ZIP, and LS120.
I can see that the drive shows up and is recognized because it appears as "USB: LEXAR JUMPDRIVE" right above my various other ATA devices.

I also tried starting up from it in Virtual PC, but no-go there. Microsuck apparently didn't allow the virtual BIOS to start up from USB devices, but floppies are OK for some reason. Meh.

Anyone got an idea? My motherboard is an AV7600 by VIA. (A nice one too, IMO) And it seems to support USB startup because of the "USB ZIP" option. But no go....

Posted by ke4nt1 on Jan. 19 2005,05:50

Try this thread, specifically with using sfdisk to change your drive
geometry to be similar to what a usb-zip would be, specifically
having 32 sectors..

Run cfdisk /dev/sda to see what it is now..
Change it if necessary..

Booting from usb-zip usually works if your pendrive has the 32 sectors per track.

73
ke4nt

Posted by goldenratiophi on Jan. 19 2005,20:17

1. Boot DSL from the CD.
2. Go to the right click menu->Apps->Tools->Install to USB Pendrive. Running the script will take a few minutes. If it closes a few seconds after you answer all the prompts, then reformat (type 6 for fdisk users; aka DOS, and not DOS32) your pendrive and try again.

Posted by Mechcozmo on Jan. 19 2005,21:42

Is the geometry "sticky" or, if I reformat it with another utility will the geometry change?
I commonly use this drive to transfer files from my PowerBook to Windoze computers, so if I would be able to copy the files on and off at will it would be really nice.

Example: Files need to be transfered, so DSL stuff comes off, files go on. Then, they swap when I don't need the files anymore.
Make sense? So if I were to have the geometry set and then later reformat it for whatever reason would I need to change the geometry again?

I hope I made sense there...:D