USB key instead as floppy ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Natéag
  • Start date Start date
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Natéag

Is there a way, with the A7N8X-E to format/use a USB key as a
floppy to update BIOS for instance ?

In the BIOS there are settings to boot from a number of
USB devices. None is shown for USB floppies.

Your advice please.
 
Natéag said:
Is there a way, with the A7N8X-E to format/use a USB key as a
floppy to update BIOS for instance ?

In the BIOS there are settings to boot from a number of
USB devices. None is shown for USB floppies.
Click to expand...

I'd love to be able to do this on my P4C800E but haven't had any luck.

I think it's more of a function of the memory stick than the PC
configuration. You need to be able to format the USB stick with a boot
sector, etc. that the PC can recognize (not to mention have a standard
interface so the BIOS can read the memory without any special drivers)
 
Noozer said:
I'd love to be able to do this on my P4C800E but haven't had any luck.

I think it's more of a function of the memory stick than the PC
configuration. You need to be able to format the USB stick with a boot
sector, etc. that the PC can recognize (not to mention have a standard
interface so the BIOS can read the memory without any special drivers)
Click to expand...

Yep, that would rock!
I saw this happen on an episode of ITV's A Touch Of Frost recently when a PC
savvy cop used a USB stick to bypass the password upon boot. Guess it was a
TV thing though!
 
The Old Man said:
Yep, that would rock!
I saw this happen on an episode of ITV's A Touch Of Frost recently when a PC
savvy cop used a USB stick to bypass the password upon boot. Guess it was a
TV thing though!
Click to expand...

What would really be cool is booting a Linux box from it so you wouldn't
need any mechanical drives at all in the computer.

I imagine these things are pretty cheap. I wonder if anyone considered
tossing a 256meg (or so) memory chip right onto the mainboard so users could
store boot images? Or maybe something that would just plug onto the USB
mainboard header?
 
With my motherboard no need to have a bootable floppy.
But the BIOS only detects floppy disk A:
The USB key would have to be recognized as such.
 
Natéag said:
With my motherboard no need to have a bootable floppy.
But the BIOS only detects floppy disk A:
The USB key would have to be recognized as such.
Click to expand...

Perhaps BIOS manuafacturers will one day allow for them in furture BIOS
versions.
I just spent 2 hours looking for an old floppy drive so I could use the
built in Award Flash flash in my Asus motherboard's BIOS, only to find you
need to stick the damn new BIOS file on a floppy! Sticking a USB pen in
would be a lot easier.
 
There has been discussion here before about booting from a USB key drive -
and it can be done.
Your BIOS must support booting from a USB device.
Go to http://www.memorykeytools.com for further information. Try the
utility from that site and see if you can get it to boot from the key.

Otherwise - doing a google on "booting from USB" will bring up tons of
info.
First one to report back a successful boot wins a prize.........

JT
 
Thanks.
I now am going to get one of those keys and see what happens.

Not quite what I was looking for - the BIOS allowing upgrade
from a diskette. but that would be a pretty good solution solution, using
flashing software...
 
Please let us know how you get on.

Natéag said:
Thanks.
I now am going to get one of those keys and see what happens.

Not quite what I was looking for - the BIOS allowing upgrade
from a diskette. but that would be a pretty good solution solution, using
flashing software...
Click to expand...
 
Sure.

I wanted to add that the only way I know of installing Windows XP on a SATA
drive
is with a OEM setup diskette. Same problem with software such as
Drive Image 7 which starts from the CD when restoring A SATA system drive.


<
 
I've booted from flash memory cards in my 6-in-1 USB reader attached to my
P4C800-0E Dlx MB. Works fine. Bios detects USB memory devices as
additional floppy drives (at least that is how DOS sees them.)

DanO
 
Most interesting. Sound like exactly what I wish to do with the same
setup. How did you format / set active the flash card?

kda
 
Noozer said:
What would really be cool is booting a Linux box from it so you wouldn't
need any mechanical drives at all in the computer.
Click to expand...

You can already do this with CD (see Knoppix.com), so I'd imagine if your
mobo supports booting from USB, you could do the same thing with a USB key.
 
I believe I simply copied a Win98 Boot Disk to the Compact Flash Card using
disk copy....

Or I may have booted from the Win98 floppy, typed "Format /S B:" and then
copy the remaining Win98 Boot Disk files to the "B:" drive. It's been a
while since I've done it.

Then you go into the BIOS and select the boot device order to include the
USB Flash Memory device.
 
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