[syslinux] usb boot (bios pb)

[Gildas Bayard]

Hello,

Although the subject as been discused several times already I could not
find the answer to my problem in the list archive so here is the last
post (to date) about usb boot problems...

After some time I managed to boot on my usb key perfectly (thanks to
syslinux!)
But I can't boot the brand new key I just got...
I think I'm pretty familiar now with the MBR, boot sector and linux boot
phases but here my problem is that the BIOS just ignore my key...
(I'm using a dell optiplex 170L)

On this computer the new key works well under linux but refuses to boot.
I tried to boot on an other computer and the new key boots perfectly
well
On the optiplex I can still boot my old key so there's really a pb
between the optiplex and the new key.

I saw in syslinux doc that problems could come from geometry settings.
So I changed the geometry settings to exactly the ones of the key that
works well: it doesn't work.

Do you have an idea of what could it come from?

I'm also wondering how does the BIOs handles USB devices and what
difference it makes to choose HDD, FDD or ZIP USB boot (by the way on
the dell BIOS there is no such choice, if the device is found it will be
considered as "usb device" and if not, well, it's not found...)

Gildas