Boot problem

[KenK]

I installed a new USB external HD yesterday. Today the system wouldn't boot
- hung on computer logo - until I unplugged drive, I'll be looking at BIOS
- if I can remember keystroke - later. What should I look for? The USB
thumb drive has been there for years with no problem.

TIA

 

[BillW50]

In KenK typed:

I installed a new USB external HD yesterday. Today the system
wouldn't boot
- hung on computer logo - until I unplugged drive, I'll be looking at
BIOS
- if I can remember keystroke - later. What should I look for? The USB
thumb drive has been there for years with no problem.

TIA

You are not trying to boot Windows from the USB drive, are you? You
can't do that with a stock Windows because Windows resets the USB ports
during the booting process. And you can't reset the drive Windows is
currently booting from because Windows will hang.

Can a modified Windows boot from an USB drive? Sure, but it takes about
three pages of registry hacks. There are software out there that claims
to make Windows USB bootable too. Although I never tried them.

 

[Mayayana]

There's usually a main topic in the BIOS named something
like Boot or Boot Order. BIOS's vary. You may have an
option to leave USB out of the order altogether. You may
only be able to adjust it when the drive is plugged in. Or
the BIOS might be just seeing it as a disk drive, in which case
you can set it to last in the boot order.


|I installed a new USB external HD yesterday. Today the system wouldn't boot
| - hung on computer logo - until I unplugged drive, I'll be looking at BIOS
| - if I can remember keystroke - later. What should I look for? The USB
| thumb drive has been there for years with no problem.
|
| TIA
|
|
| --
| "Things would be a lot nicer if antique people were valued
| as highly as antique furniture!" Anon
|
|
|
|
|

 

[KenK]

You are not trying to boot Windows from the USB drive, are you?

Ho. All I did was install the external USB drive yesterday and copied a few
files to it. No OS files, no intent at this time of booting from the new
drive, I would just like it available to backup files to when I normally
boot from C.

The system wouldn't boot from C until I unplugged the new USB drive.
Evidently something in the BIOS is telling the system to boot from USB
before it tries C. I didn't change any of the BIOS settings.

 

[BillW50]

In KenK typed:

Ho. All I did was install the external USB drive yesterday and copied
a few files to it. No OS files, no intent at this time of booting
from the new drive, I would just like it available to backup files to
when I normally boot from C.

The system wouldn't boot from C until I unplugged the new USB drive.
Evidently something in the BIOS is telling the system to boot from USB
before it tries C. I didn't change any of the BIOS settings.

Oh ok, I was worried that is what you were trying to do. And yes, having
a non-bootable USB device on some systems will cause the system to hang.
And if you are thinking some USB devices doesn't hang your machine and
this one does, don't worry I've seen this too. I blame not all USB chips
are not all created equal. And some have little quirts in the
hardware/firmware.

True, most BIOS settings you can change the default boot order of
devices. And changing USB to come after your boot drive usually takes
care of this problem. If you ever want to boot from USB, some BIOS
allows you to boot from this device just this one time. Most of my
machines, it is hitting the ESC key gets you there when you first turn
on the machine. Some BIOS doesn't have this nifty boot only this time
menu.