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Alan HendersonFlag for New Zealand

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How to access eeePC boot screen?

According to the eeePC manual, pressing the ESC key at bootup should allow me to access the boot device selector screen so that I can boot from a USB device.

It doesn' work. This is a brand new machine with the default Xandros OS installed.

I can't access any boot screen to see the BIOS version or any other info. When I press ESC I just get esc keystrokes overlaying the splash screen.

I've tried DEL, F12, F2 etc - no luck.

Any ideas?
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Avatar of Mark Poirier
Mark Poirier
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You should hold down the ESC-key while booting. Not just press it once when you turn the machine on. Also make sure youre really rebooting the device, not getting it up from hibernation.
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ASKER

I'm starting from cold - not hibernation or sleep.

Holding down ESC or F2 during boot doesn't work.
Tapping Esc or F2 during boot doesn't work.
Tried with and without USB drives attached.
Tried attaching USB devices while running and then rebooting

All I accomplish is a disabled touchpad!


Is this what you read sparkmaker?
http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?id=48744

After several attempts using F2 I got the BIOS. Yay!!! Doesn't always pay to RTFM.

:o)

I'll report back on booting from the USB drive.
Actually it was the very last line on this page that I read it.
http://www.ubuntu-eee.com/wiki/index.php5?title=EeePC_901
Thank you people.

For the benefit of generations yet unborn:

The manual says use ESC to access the boot menu. That's correct, but you can't use ESC when the splash screen is active.

You must get into BIOS to disable the splash screen and enable verbose startup.
To do that, you must access BIOS using F2.

As pointed out in some forums this is flaky. I had to reboot several times before I could hit the sweet spot for pressing F2.

Or maybe I was holding my tongue just right. :o)

It's worth the pain. I now have Ubuntu for Eee PC installed and it's a great improvement on the default Xandros. Wireless and networking work without any sweat whatsoever.

Luxury.

Whilst this didn't answer the question directly, it led me in the right direction.
Thanks sparkmaker.
:o)
Ubuntu is sweet, must be a treat on an EEEPC.
I realize you were trying to boot from a USB device, but I have little experience with the EEEPC.Did you manage to get it to boot from USB?
Thanks for the points,
Mark.
Yes, it boots from a USB flash or an optical drive once you get rid of the splash screen.
For installing Ubuntu, UNetbootin makes the process totally painless and quick with a flash drive.
I first installed Ubuntu Eee. I've now installed Ubuntu 8.10 instead. This thread helped me get wireless enabled easily:
http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?pid=432983

:o)

Alan.