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oaktrees

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USB First? Or, Always Able to Get to BIOS

Hi,

I'm using a Legacy Boot on an Acer Aspire.  I could update the BIOS so as to get to UEFI.  But, that's just an aside.  I'm using Legacy for the forseeable future.

I've created a Ghost / Veritas bootable disk for whenever I couldn't be able to boot.

Now, way back when I had reset the BIOS boot sequence to have the USB drive first, or near first.  Somehow, I'd left it that way.

And, from time to time, this would cause the PC to sieze up, if I had certain kinds of drives in any of the ports on restart.

My BIG desktop backup drive never caused issues, but some thumb drives would fake out the PC, and I couldn't boot.  Or!  I'd have to go and get the REAL bootable disk and restart with it in place.

All this is a preface to say...what's the thinking here, in terms of the engineering of it, for NOT setting the USB drive to be the first in the boot sequence?

My conception of it is that, if I were ever in such a hard place as that the PC wouldn't boot, then I'd NEED to have the USB as the first in the boot sequence.  BUT...if my PC was so far gone as to be needing to boot from the USB...wouldn't I probably NOT be able to even get it to start correctly and reach the BIOS?

So, there's the seeming contradiction - SURE...setting the USB to be first in the boot sequence can cause an occasional hiccup.  But, isn't it more valuable in the end because, you can always...boot from the USB if you get in a jam.

Or, is it the case that...as long as the PC is able to power up, then you'd be able to get to the BIOS, and only THEN, when you NEEDED it, set the USB to first in the boot sequence.

Sincerely,

OT
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oBdA

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Just to back up what oBdA said above.  If you can't boot the BIOS, you won't be able to boot to any device (USB/CD etc).
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oaktrees

ASKER

MASSIVE!  Check THIS out!  Who knew!

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Going over to make the change right now.

How to enable BOOT MENU on Acer Aspire laptops - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLlTrlN0RD8


oBdA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sincerely,

OT

Hi oBdA!

Ah!  But...seems like the USB drives are not there?
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What can I do to add them in so they're availble via F12?

Sincerely,

OT
Hi oBdA,

Keeping in mind that it is Legacy, not UEFI.  Saw some videos, but kind of hard to follow them.  Any ideas?

Acer E5-572

Sincerely,

OT
The F12 boot menu usually only offers the devices that the system could actually boot from. So unless you have a bootable(!) USB device plugged in (might have to be plugged in before you power on/reboot the machine), you won't find a "generic USB" entry in the F12 boot menu.
Dr. oBdA,

YOU aree a COMPLETE sage & wizardly person!

 unless you have a bootable(!) USB device plugged in (might have to be plugged in before you power on/reboot the machine), you won't find a "generic USB" entry in the F12 boot menu.
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LOOK AT THAT!!!!

From THREE to F O U R ! ! ! 

Saving me from the time sink of...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATJVWHfQsY8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPeshFf_Xfs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGyccB9istQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9tKjUQy1jE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9GnWYKyyYo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN27KHWB1bk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjh9xbbqbkg
https://www.dell.com/community/Windows-General/Modify-F12-s-Boot-Options/td-p/3380554/page/2

Ay - MAY - ZING!

Thank you, oBdA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sincerely,

OT
:))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))