Bootable USB HD?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Crimson*
  • Start date Start date
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Crimson*

Does anyone know of a way to boot directly from a USB HD? I've tried
formatting it and then copying over the proper system files and I've tried
using MKBT, both w/ no luck.
 
As far as I've been able to tell, it's impossible to boot from a USB
device. I've tried using an external USB floppy drive to test this
out, it didn't work.
 
Crimson* said:
Does anyone know of a way to boot directly from a USB HD? I've tried
formatting it and then copying over the proper system files and I've tried
using MKBT, both w/ no luck.
Click to expand...

I have a Biostar MB and its BIOS lists USB-FDD and USB-HDD as choices in the
boot sequence. I haven't tried it since I don't have a hard drive with XP
on it (except for my main drive).
 
I have a usb floppy which I can use to boot my laptop if I need to do a
complete reformat.
Also in my bios on my desktop ( ABit nf8) it gives the options of USB
floppy, hard drive and cd rom as boot drives.
Mike
 
Does anyone know of a way to boot directly from a USB HD?
Click to expand...

Yes, you plug it into a motherboard that has the
boot-from-USB working properly then set the bios to the USB
device type.

Not all board that supposedly support it, can actually do
it, and not with all USB devices. Further, you write "boot"
but is that what you really mean, or do you mean to boot
something specific?
I've tried
formatting it and then copying over the proper system files and I've tried
using MKBT, both w/ no luck.
Click to expand...

You don't provide specifics of exactly what you're doing.

Don't format and copy, format /s it if you want DOS.
 
Yes, you plug it into a motherboard that has the
boot-from-USB working properly then set the bios to the USB
device type.
Click to expand...

Like I said, it's not a BIOS issue.

Don't format and copy, format /s it if you want DOS.
Click to expand...

XP doesn't support the /s option, only 9x vers of Windows do. However,
copying the correct system files over with their proper attributes is the
same as /s. Also, like I said, I've used MKBT on it as well. I'm just
trying to boot to a prompt. The partition's active, formatted to FAT, and
has boot files on it.
Other USB devs boot from it.
 
Like I said, it's not a BIOS issue.
Click to expand...

Being able to boot from one USB device but not another, does
not rule out the bios as the problem. It "might" not be the
problem, but that is no evidence of it.

The bios may not be able to find the device in some
instances, for example if the external enclosure has a USB
hub (even if only to provide one single additional port)
inbetween the cable and the USB-drive bridge chip.
Similarly a board might be able to boot off a SD flash card
in a SD flash (only) reader but not in one of those
8-gazillion-in-one formats card reader.

XP doesn't support the /s option, only 9x vers of Windows do.
Click to expand...

So you are trying to do something specific, not just get a
drive to boot but only to do it one way.
However,
copying the correct system files over with their proper attributes is the
same as /s. Also, like I said, I've used MKBT on it as well. I'm just
trying to boot to a prompt. The partition's active, formatted to FAT, and
has boot files on it.
Other USB devs boot from it.
Click to expand...

Hook the drive up to the motherboard controller directly and
see if the system can boot it. If it can't, you haven't
made it bootable, correctly. If it can, all you have left
is trying another enclosure/USB-controller or hoping there's
some bios setting you missed, perhaps a different USB drive
option.

When you have it connected, does the BIOS post screen shown
this USB device? AFAIK, on any board I boot USB devices
from, it always shows them, not among the enumerated HDDs on
the integral controller but right before it'll go to boot...
and at that point the USB devices' LED will flash as
expected (if it has an LED, of course).
 
Doesn't the BIOS, USB enclosure, and hub (if it passes through a hub)
ALL have to support booting from the USB HDD?
 
I got it working. No problem with the BIOS. MKBT apparently wasn't copying
the boot sector to the correct sector on the HD. I wound up sysing it from
diskette and it worked.
 
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