Can't boot USB key on Gigabyte GA-7VAX, Award Modular BIOS 6.0

[dwoods99]

Yes, sorry... another thread about this topic.

First, I am not a noob... except to using UNRAID

 

I have read the forum pages, the guide, etc

I downloaded and used the HP format utility and then "syslinux -ma H:" on a 512kb Kingston USB key.

Extracted UNRaid 4.3.3 zip file to H:

 

Older computer is socket A with AMD Athlon 2 GHz, OCZ 2700 Ram

 

I have tried every possible combination of bootup sequences (booting over 50 times)

and all ending in "DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER"

Before that, the info shows a DVD reader on Primary Master IDE, no floppy,

USB Storage Device : DataTraveler 2.0

PCI Deveices including Native IDE and Network Controller, USB 1.1 and USB 2.0, and Display device, etc.

Verifying DMI Pool Data...

Boot From CD:    -- even though I don't select CD in bootup order

-- disk boot failure here --

 

I only have 2 onboard USB connections and I've tried them both with all the same bootup options.

 

Besides an AGP video card and network LAN card plugged in, I installed (but not configured) a

5-port PNY S-Cure SATA card, which I will use once UNRaid is bootable.

 

I can't see why any opf this is not working

Last resort is to use an IDE-to-CompactFlash converter for the OS.

 

Help please.

 

[RobJ]

Probably your only chance is to check for a newer BIOS with working support for boot from USB drive.  Personally, I'd look for a newer board.

 

Did you try the "Tip from Daniel Butler" at the bottom of http://www.weethet.nl/english/hardware_bootfromusbstick.php?

[jupilerman]

you can also try a kiker boot floppy disk.

see this thread

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=244.msg21554#msg21554

[dwoods99]

Probably your only chance is to check for a newer BIOS with working support for boot from USB drive.  Personally, I'd look for a newer board.

 

Did you try the "Tip from Daniel Butler" at the bottom of http://www.weethet.nl/english/hardware_bootfromusbstick.php?

I did go to the Gigabyte support site and my BIOS the latest version for that motherboard family.

 

When I put the USB key into a linux system, it gets mounted as /dev/sdh1 so it seems to see it as a USB-HDD,

therefore I saw no point in trying that thread's suggestion to make it appear as a USB-ZIP.... maybe later.

[RobJ]

When I put the USB key into a linux system, it gets mounted as /dev/sdh1 so it seems to see it as a USB-HDD

 

I'm no expert in this, but I don't believe it's the linux system or the flash drive that decides how it will be seen.  It's the motherboard and its BIOS and how that BIOS is configured that determines how an attached drive will be seen.  What one system calls it, may not be the same as what another system calls it.

[dwoods99]

My mistake, that thread was about trying to boot as a HDD, and I did try HDD0, HDD1, HDD2, HDD3, USB-HDD but none worked.

 

My previous comment was about another thread or page that suggested formatting it in such a way

that the C-H-S would mimic a USB-ZIP drive, and then boot as that.