Boot from External HDD?

[fizzy_drink]

I've got an external USB HDD with an OS installed on it.

I'd like to boot from USB...

...unless the Mo-Bo supports it, I guess I can't do it?


It's a K7 Mo-Bo, I wonder if there are any such updates available for it.

 

[FiDoDiDo]

Most Mobo's now support this so if it's a new board you should be fine, best check though.

 

[fizzy_drink]

I've had a look...

...it's only got options for:

USB FDD
USB ZIP
USB CD ROM

Not option for a USB HDD.... Grrrrrrrrrrrr!!

 

[martynh]

Check out the manufacturers website, my have an update to allow USB HDs.

 

[Adams_16v]

check for latest firmware bud! ^^

 

[fizzy_drink]

It's an ABIT KV7 board.

Right, I've just updates to BIOS V 20 (September 2005).

I've have a play in the menus.

 

[fizzy_drink]

Nope... no joy.

Right... how easy is it to edit the Bios boot menu?

 

[Gweebs]

Boot from a floppy instructing the computer to use the Ext Hdd as the c:\ drv.

CAn't think of any other way. Sorry!!

 

[fizzy_drink]

That's a fab idea...

...now how do I code that (ie how do I get MS dos to run USB so that I can access the external drive?).


Better still... how can I boot from a floppy, and have access to NTFS on my internal HDD's?

 

[fizzy_drink]

Ah... just created a floppy with "Ntldr2 and "NTdetect" and "Boot.ini" files copied from my C drive.

Will give that a go.

 

[Gweebs]

Oooo god now your askin.

I've been a Mac owner for 3 years now, so quite a bit rusty on PC.

Make a System disk (floppy) with the format option. That'll make a bootable disk. This should do the NTFS thingy....

Other than that I'm stuck.....sorry

You'll need to get some booting programme or something off the internet. Something that will produce instructions on loading for the computer. Bit like the OS on boot up.

 

[fizzy_drink]

I've managed to get an NTFS tools boot disk.

There's a boot option to enable USB support for external hard-drives.

All I need to do is create an Autoexec that runs it automatically, as well as running the "C:\" autoexec once loaded.

I can't remember, I think it's ¦ to run consecutive commands.