[syslinux] Unable to boot my USB flash drive, even with USB-ZIP trick...

Vanessa Conchodon v.conchodon at smie.com
Fri Oct 14 08:22:41 PDT 2005


Hi!

Nazo wrote:
> I've been using a USB flash drive for quite a while now, and in my
> previous system it worked great, but, I find with my new motherboard
> now that I have upgraded I can't boot it.  So I decided to try the
> trick mentioned in the README.usbkey file where you make a ZIP drive
> like image on the flash drive and set the BIOS to boot a USB ZIP drive
> instead.  Unfortunately, it still doesn't work.  It never even says
> Booting USB-ZIP or something (when it's booting a CD-ROM, it says
> "Booting CDROM" while it loads.)  Probably the most curious thing
> about this situation though, is the fact that the BIOS explicitely
> SAYS that it has found a USB storage device!  In the information it
> shows on the top of the screen just after the initial POST testing and
> just before it starts to actually boot, I see text informing me that
> it has recognized my USB storage device.  It does not show ANY
> information on any other USB devices such as my printer, which say to
> me that it's not simply informing me of all USB devices it sees, but,
> specifically pointing out that it actually recognizes that particular
> device for what it is.
> 
> In case it's related, this is the mkdiskimage command line I used to
> the best of my memory:
> mkdiskimage -4 /dev/sda 239 64 32
> 
> I used 239 cylinders even though I have a 256MB device just in the
> hopes that maybe it will increase compatibility on some weirder
> systems out there by some maybe 1%, but, it probably does nothing. 
> Still, I'm strapped for space, but, I can still afford to give up <6MB
> just in that vague possibility it will be more likely that more
> systems will accept the drive.  I keep diagnostic tools and such on
> this flash drive to help me diagnose and fix problems -- which is part
> of why I need to get it bootable again...

Have you tried with mkdiskimage -4 /dev/sda 0 64 32?

Btw, have you enabled the USB keyboard in BIOS?
With my award bios, usb key won't boot it is not enabled.

What does it do when you boot on a USB key?
"no bootable partition found" or another message?

Have you trouble only with one specific USB key or have
you tried with another one?

Regards,
		Vanessa.
-- 
Vanessa Conchodon
SMIE
7 rue de la Chapelle
93160 Noisy le Grand
France
Tel: 01 55 85 90 40, poste 160	




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