dombah02
asked on
Booting from a USB hdd from startup disk
Hi,
first of all, i have a 40gb ide hdd in a usb case. it works in windows 2000, perfect on my computer. i installed the os on the hdd drive and it boots of my computer perfectly when i enable boot from usb Hdd.
on my laptop, i have a a21m IBM, 800mhz, i can access the usb drive in windows, but i cannot boot the OS from the usb hdd as the bios does not have the option to boot from usb hdd.
therefore i was wondering if it was possible to use a startup disk, have some kind of software that will boot the usb hdd? and load my os?
first of all, i have a 40gb ide hdd in a usb case. it works in windows 2000, perfect on my computer. i installed the os on the hdd drive and it boots of my computer perfectly when i enable boot from usb Hdd.
on my laptop, i have a a21m IBM, 800mhz, i can access the usb drive in windows, but i cannot boot the OS from the usb hdd as the bios does not have the option to boot from usb hdd.
therefore i was wondering if it was possible to use a startup disk, have some kind of software that will boot the usb hdd? and load my os?
Gareth Gudger
Not that I know of, unless the drive manufacturer produces something. Laptop BIOSes are typically limited in operation.
You can boot off a USB device as long as your Motherboard/BIOS supports it. For example, Macintoshes can boot off USB along with PCs based on the MSI 845GEM-L and MSI 865GEM2-L motherboards.
You will be looking at the newer boards to find this function.
http://www.le.ac.uk/cc/dsss/docs/usb_boot.shtml
You will be looking at the newer boards to find this function.
http://www.le.ac.uk/cc/dsss/docs/usb_boot.shtml
1) You might want to try upgrading your Bios
Here's sumtin else i thought of, attach the external hdd to your laptop while it is windows, make sure it works properly then restart. if your laptop's motherboard can handle it, it should prompt you to boot from the hdd. Since the hdd drive was already present before shutdown
Here's sumtin else i thought of, attach the external hdd to your laptop while it is windows, make sure it works properly then restart. if your laptop's motherboard can handle it, it should prompt you to boot from the hdd. Since the hdd drive was already present before shutdown
ASKER
hmm, i should add that my bios upgraded does not support booting from usb hdd. i want to know
is it possible to use a startup floppy disk which has some kind of usb drivers on it, which loads my usb hdd.
so does anybody know where if there is such a floppy disk or cd?.
is it possible to use a startup floppy disk which has some kind of usb drivers on it, which loads my usb hdd.
so does anybody know where if there is such a floppy disk or cd?.
Sometimes the manufacturer has them I have seen but I dont know how this will then hlelp you boot off your USB hard drive. I think this isnt going to work.
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ASKER
ok so far your1m's comment is the accepted one, but i was hoping if there is a floppy disk thing for all computers, incase i want to take it to a friends house etc. i remember i read something about this on the net, had some universal drivers on a floppy which then boots the desired usb device ie cdrom/hdd.
but so far i shall try out the software provided by your1m, i will increase the point value if there is a universal program on a floppy that works :P
but so far i shall try out the software provided by your1m, i will increase the point value if there is a universal program on a floppy that works :P
What is the name of this boot disk I would be really interested in getting a copy. Are you able to host it anywhere?
Regards
Andy
Regards
Andy