Boot from USB Flash

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jsteele · #1 Post by **jsteele** » Tue May 16, 2006 9:46 pm

I'm trying to find out if it is possible to configure the T40 to boot from a USB Flash device. I've loaded Acronis Recovery files onto a USB Flash.

I went to the BIOS and the USB HDD (Flash) is in the list of "Excluded Devices". I am unable to move it up into the list of boot devices along with the USB FDD and USB CD. Is it not possible to boot from a USB HDD/Flash device?

JHEM · #2 Post by **JHEM** » Tue May 16, 2006 9:54 pm

Do you have USB BIOS support enabled in Config?

Did you enable the BOOT device in the excluded list by selecting it and entering "x"? Then move it into the BOOT order with F5?

Regards,

James

jsteele · #3 Post by **jsteele** » Tue May 16, 2006 11:13 pm

Yes the USB support is enabled. And I put the highlight on the USB HDD and hit "x" and it just beeped at me

Same with the F5/F6, just beeps.

klystron · #4 Post by **klystron** » Wed May 17, 2006 8:33 pm

It is definitely possible to boot from a flash drive because I have done it with my T40. I formatted the flash with fat32 and copied the necessary system files from a win98 floppy.
I booted the flash as a USB/FLOPPY and it worked fine.
You will need an HP utility (google) to format the flash.

christopher_wolf · #5 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Wed May 17, 2006 8:42 pm

klystron wrote:It is definitely possible to boot from a flash drive because I have done it with my T40. I formatted the flash with fat32 and copied the necessary system files from a win98 floppy.
I booted the flash as a USB/FLOPPY and it worked fine.
You will need an HP utility (google) to format the flash.

Can't you just use the Windows FAT32 formatter as well? I have heard that you should use that utility, but never actually encountered anything that indicates any other program that formats the media into FAT32 won't inherently work.

jsteele · #6 Post by **jsteele** » Wed May 17, 2006 11:40 pm

I don't think its the boot format, its that the device is not in the boot device list and I can't figure out how to get it in the list

klystron · #7 Post by **klystron** » Wed May 17, 2006 11:49 pm

Yes you can format the flash drive with the windows format utility but that doesn't make it bootable. If you put "bootable flash drive" into google it will pop up a number of links including one to the HP utility I used.

w0qj · #8 Post by **w0qj** » Thu May 18, 2006 12:58 am

Just realized that my old HP web sit USB formatter utility download page URL link is now broken...

but here is the OLD info fyi

HP USB Formatter Utility:
http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files ... 20306.html

Windows-based Format Utility for HP Drive Key or DiskOnKey USB Device
version 2.00.006 A (6 Feb 04)

***btw, can anyone find the new web site page for our reference?

w0qj · #9 Post by **w0qj** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 8:55 pm

OK, think I've found the new HP USB formatting utility to make a USB memory key bootable... anyone can verify this?

HP (USB 2.0) Drive Key boot utility.
45 MB in size!!

http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files ... 23839.html

USB drive key. This device can be formatted as a floppy or as a hard drive and made bootable using the hp drive key boot utility. When formatted as a floppy, the drive key will look like a bootable USB floppy that is 1.44 MB. When formatted as a hard drive, the drive key will be bootable with the full capacity of the device and can be used to flash system ROMs or boot existing floppy images.

Boot from USB Flash

Boot from USB Flash

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