I cant seem to find answer to this so I am asking LXer readers..
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| Scott_Ruecker May 05, 2010 5:20 PM EDT |
What brands of laptops actually support booting from a USB device, I know HP and Dell do not..and never will it seems. I currently have a HP laptop that the DVD-ROM drive is going out on and eventually would like to find a not too expensive new lappy to replace it. But if I am looking for a laptop I can actually boot from a USB where should I look? I don't want a netbook, they are just too small for me, I need to be able to type and not feel like I have a playskool toy in my hands (no offense) so I want a regular lappy that will let me experiment with distros on a USB stick. I kinda feel like a dork for not being able to find any info on this on my own but all I'm able to find is old forum posts and other BS on Google. Be gentle..I'm sensitive..;-) Scott |
| techiem2 May 05, 2010 5:22 PM EDT |
I've booted both HP and Dell laptops from USB, as well as Toshiba.. Sometimes you have to tweak the bios settings, sometimes not. You often have to use the boot menu. Sometimes you have to reboot from it a few times before the boot menu will see the device. |
| bigg May 05, 2010 5:29 PM EDT |
At least on older laptops, there are sometimes tricks that you have to follow. One (probably around 2005) I had to insert the USB drive, then go to the BIOS. If there was not a USB drive attached, it wouldn't let me change to boot from USB. I also had to change two settings, one was basically hidden, so while you should be able to do it, it may not be trivial. |
| techiem2 May 05, 2010 5:32 PM EDT |
Yeah, most that I've seen support USB booting somehow. You just have to fiddle with the boot menu and bios until you get it working. You generally want the USB device plugged in before you turn it on for best success in getting it to eventually work. |
| Scott_Ruecker May 05, 2010 5:40 PM EDT |
Every HP I have ever own WILL NOT boot from USB no matter what I have tried so Id like to hear how you did it techiem2 just out of curiosity. There is no option to boot from a USB device in their BIOS. I own both a Compaq desktop and a HP laptop and neither can boot from USB, did you install another BIOS? I will not by either a Compaq or HP again because their BIOS's are archaic.. |
| techiem2 May 05, 2010 5:45 PM EDT |
I've got my neighbor's shiny new HP sitting here. I'll figure out what I did to boot it USB and post. |
| techiem2 May 05, 2010 5:53 PM EDT |
Ok. On this particular HP (Pavilion dv6):
plug in usb
power
esc (to get options menu)
F9 (boot options)
List showed flash drive On my old work laptop (Compaq V5101) I seem to recall (It's at work): Plug in flash drive Power on Hit key for boot menu Hit option for bios if drive doesn't show up Flash drive might show up in boot options If not reboot and try again I seem to recall some machines needing a few reboots before it will see the flash drive for the boot menu/bios. Some you need to change bios (if it decides to treat it like a hard disk and therefore requires you to change the boot disk order), some just show up in boot menu. It seems fairly random by model. On that same note, it REALLY annoys me when machines give you a boot menu and show a + next to disk drives because there is more than one disk detected (maybe internal + flash drive), but as far as I can tell there is no way to expand it to pick which one to use, thus forcing you to change the disk boot order in bios. |
| Scott_Ruecker May 05, 2010 5:59 PM EDT |
I guess my laptop is just a little too old then..I have no option for flash drive..I can boot from floppy though..ugh..this thing doesn't even have a floppy..I must have the only computers in the world with bios from 1940..Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. So apparently HP and Compaq sell computers that will boot from USB now? Or is it just certain models? |
| tracyanne May 05, 2010 6:49 PM EDT |
AS far as I'm aware it's all model, but you will have to find the magic key that brigs up the Boot menu. I have the same "issue" on my pioneer laptops and net books. Once you have the boot menu you can choose the boot device. |
| gherardo May 05, 2010 8:32 PM EDT |
Solution: http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager.html :) |
| theboomboomcars May 05, 2010 8:36 PM EDT |
I haven't had trouble on my Compaq that I got last August, nor my Wife's work HP from about 2006. Plug it in turn it on and select from menu. Scott I think you are just cursed. |
| gus3 May 05, 2010 8:57 PM EDT |
My Asus Eee PC netbook brings up a boot device menu when I press ESC during POST. I think Mom's Eee Box PC does, as well. So, Asus understands at least that much; I'd bet money on their current "full size" laptops behaving similarly. |
| Bob_Robertson May 05, 2010 10:47 PM EDT |
My Sony Vaio from 2003 didn't boot from USB at all. But I've got a 2008 Compaq and 2008 HP that both give USB as boot options. Can't test it, I don't have a spare USB key to make into a booting thingie. I really aught to do that, they're not expensive.... |
| Scott_Ruecker May 06, 2010 12:23 AM EDT |
My laptop is from 2004 at the youngest..came with XP home on it. The Compaq I got off of Overstock.com had Vista pre-installed but it wouldn't even boot it correctly before I wiped it and put Linux on it so I think I am just the victim of some stone age BIOS's...:-( POOPY!! |
| Scott_Ruecker May 06, 2010 1:09 AM EDT |
@gherardo; Thank You for the link. I will read the instructions heavily before I try installing it. got any tips I should know or potholes found I should look out for? |
| jdixon May 06, 2010 9:13 AM EDT |
> ...know HP and Dell do not. I can't speak for HP's (yet, I should have some experience with them soon), but all the Dell laptops I've seen recently will boot from a USB device. Simply press F12 during bootup to get to the boot menu screen, and if a USB device is plugged in you should have the option to boot from it. |
| gherardo May 06, 2010 10:26 AM EDT |
simpler instructions here Scott : http://forum.plop.at/index.php/topic,177.0.html good luck!!! |
| ComputerBob May 06, 2010 11:35 AM EDT |
Please send me your old laptop after you've replaced it. I will happily buy a new DVD drive for it. |
| vainrveenr May 06, 2010 1:04 PM EDT |
Quoting:I own both a Compaq desktop and a HP laptop and neither can boot from USBJust curious; What exact model names are the HP "lappy" and the Compaq desktop?? |
| dinotrac May 06, 2010 1:26 PM EDT |
ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHH!!!! One day, some talkative laptop owner is going to hear his kid tell a friend: "I'm really unhappy with my yappy pappy's crappy lappy." |
| Steven_Rosenber May 06, 2010 2:18 PM EDT |
Scott, I think USB booting only really started to be offered in a ubiquitous fashion in 2005. My Dell desktop from that era will USB boot, but nothing in my stable of 2000-02 laptops (Gateway, Toshiba) will do it. We're getting to the point where if you can boot from USB, why burn an ISO to a CD or DVD if you don't have to? Saves discs and trouble. That said, I'm still burning DVDs and CDs due to all my old hardware. |
| hkwint May 06, 2010 4:15 PM EDT |
Scott, you've been considering 'chainloading'?Quoting:It is impossible to boot an Ubuntu system which is installed on a USB memory stick or external hard drive on many older computers. There are two common problems:https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootFromUSB It's a lot more 'hacking' on your part (which makes it all the more interesting), but this way you can still boot from USB on your current laptops, which might save you some bucks. I have to admit I'm not a 'chainloader' at all, except for when I was dual-booting BSD and Linux (only a short while) and Linux and Windows. But if Grub is on your harddrive and it recognizes your USB, then this should be doable, isn't it? Apart from that, my 2007 MoBo doesn't boot from the ext-harddrive even though it boots from USB fine, so I might follow my own advice. |
| Steven_Rosenber May 06, 2010 6:19 PM EDT |
Ahhh ... you start with a CD and then chainload to an image somewhere else? That might really be worth looking into. |
| Scott_Ruecker May 07, 2010 7:01 AM EDT |
I have been gone most of the day..Wow, Thank You to all of you for the info and options in how to take care of it..I need to ingest all of this.. @vainrveenr; I will get the models of my lappy and desktop for you presently. |
| helios May 07, 2010 11:02 AM EDT |
We were donated a few nice Acer laptops, mid to upper tier stuff...Travelmates 5720 and 8210's. They boot from usb just fine on hitting F12 and choosing usb device. I personally use a Dell D600. It's an old 1.2 gig single core P3 but it runs so well I haven't found any reasons to replace it. It too boots from usb by hitting the F12 button. These D600's are little work horses but they do not have an optical device. As mentioned in another post, I really don't have much use for a laptop cd/dvd rom anymore. It seems to me that everyone I know who works in IT or uses their laptop for serious work is using an Acer of some sort. The aforementioned models are really desktop replacements and at 7 lbs are not "carrier friendly". At least not for any amount of time. Of course all the mini machines I've used boot to usb. |
| gus3 May 07, 2010 12:16 PM EDT |
Quoting:I need to ingest all of this..I suggest printing it out, and ingesting the hardcopy, to supplement your fiber intake. |
| hkwint May 07, 2010 12:19 PM EDT |
Quoting:you start with a CD and then chainload to an image somewhere else? Yeah, that's one of the possibilities. Or you start with GRUB on your harddrive, which is already there, and from GRUB on the harddrive you could boot from USB. Also, it should be possible to copy an .ISO or .IMG file to some filesystem on your harddisk, and use SYSLINUX to boot the .ISO. Newer GRUB versions (I believe GRUB2?) should also be able to boot from .ISO. |
| Steven_Rosenber May 07, 2010 1:44 PM EDT |
Two things: |
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