[solved] T430 boot from mSATA

[AndyMH]

Bought a cheap T430 to supplement my main T430 for testing. Came with a 320G HDD so have speeded it up with a 120G mSATA SSD. Installed linux mint onto the mSATA and wiped the HDD (had win7 on it). When I boot it just hangs, the only way I can get it to boot is hitting F12 on start and telling it to use the mSATA.

Can't find anywhere in the BIOS to change the boot order, nothing in setup, F12 is only temporary. Is there any way to permanently change the boot order? BIOS version is 2.72 (G1ETB2WW).

Note - have tried boot-repair but the only option it gives me is to re-install grub on sdb which is the mSATA (I want it on sda = HDD).

[axur-delmeria]

Is it in Legacy or UEFI boot mode?

[TankPad]

What do you see in the BIOS screen? Are you locked out of the BIOS?

It's usually 3 tabs to the right under "Boot/Boot priority" or something to that effect. You'll be able to set which device you want to boot from by default.

[AndyMH]

Legacy mode, easier than getting linux to boot up under UEFI. Not locked out of BIOS and I've been through every menu and every menu item and can't find anything that gives me the boot order. I'll post a screenshot(s) tomorrow.

Too much work to take photos and resize - BIOS contents:

Main menu (across top)

• Main - nothing to change just info

• Config

• Date/time

• Security

• Startup

• Restart

Config = network/USB/Keyboard mouse/Display/Power/Beep & alarm/Serial ATA/CPU/Intel AMT

Security = password/fingerprint/security chip/UEFI BIOS update option/memory protection/virtualisation/IO port access/anti theft/secure boot

Startup

• Network boot - gives list, have selected mSATA but this is wakeup on LAN

• UEFI/legacy boot = both

• Boot priority = legacy first

• Boot mode = quick

• Option key display = enabled

• Boot device list F12 option = enabled

• Boot order lock = disabled

Nothing there that enables me to change the boot order???

[skx]

Startup

• Network boot - gives list, have selected mSATA but this is wakeup on LAN

• UEFI/legacy boot = both

• Boot priority = legacy first

• Boot mode = quick

• Option key display = enabled

• Boot device list F12 option = enabled

• Boot order lock = disabled

Nothing there that enables me to change the boot order???

yes, in your bios, you also should have boot order menu where can define the boot order priorities

[Cigarguy]

Keep looking. Boot order is there somewhere.

[AndyMH]

Found it!!

It's not obvious, on the startup menu first item is >boot, looks like a title for what is below, it's not. If it is highlighted, hit return and it takes you into a sub menu that shows the boot order list which you can then change.

What is misleading is that when >boot is highlighted there is no help text in the right hand pane, whereas for everything else there is.

I thought it was odd that you wouldn't be able to change the boot order.

My T430 is now happily booting from the mSATA