[syslinux] "isolinux.bin missing or corrupt" when booting USB flash drive in old PC

[David Christensen]

On 03/19/2017 02:03 AM, Ady Ady via Syslinux wrote:
> In my last email, I forgot to emphasize the following generic
> procedure.
>
> In the BIOS setup screen(s), one set of options are intended for
> sorting the boot order according to type of devices (CD-ROM, HDD,
> floppy...).
>
> There is _another_ set of options, usually on the first (or the main)
> setup screen. The BIOS detects a list of devices currently connected to
> each PATA/IDE/SATA port. The detection also varies, depending on
> additional settings such as "legacy/raid/ahci/sata", or even "pio/dma"
> mode, meaning that the same devices might be detected and _listed_
> within the BIOS main screen when using some of these settings, whereas
> they won't be listed while using different BIOS settings.
>
> With your USB device connected and the computer powered off (as in
> completely shut down), power up and get into the BIOS setup screen. In
> the main screen, the first device, connected to the first, detected
> (P)ATA/IDE port, should be your USB device, as if it were to be
> identified as a regular HDD. This is different than the boot _order_
> screen.

The BIOS SETUP UTILITY -> Advanced -> Drive Configuration screen only 
lists SATA and PATA devices that are connected to the associated port. 
If nothing is connected, the entry is listed as "Not Detected".  I have 
never seen USB flash drives listed on this screen; doing so would make 
no sense.  USB flash drives are controlled by the CMOS settings I have 
already posted.


> If the main screen in your BIOS can list the USB device as the first
> device in the list, and it can also be set as the first device in the
> boot order settings, then  the chances of booting successfully can
> increase.
>
> This procedure is independent of the potential 32KiB limitation for
> isolinux.bin for certain BIOS implementations. This potential
> additional issue can still be an impediment to boot in certain systems
> anyway. The same goes for other potential issues.
>
> Yet, if the BIOS cannot list / detect the USB device as if it was a
> common HDD (UNrelated to the boot order, just in addition to it), then
> the chances for a successful boot are diminished.

Please refer to Chapter 4 of the Intel ® Desktop Board D865GBF/D865GLC 
Technical Product Specification if you want to see everything that is 
available via the "BIOS SETUP UTILITY":

http://www.intel.com/content/dam/support/us/en/documents/motherboards/desktop/d865gbf/d865gbf_d865glc_techprodspec.pdf


David