topic Booting from a USB device in PCs & Accessories

Booting from a USB device

MrsHarris — Sun, 27 May 2007 08:48:03 GMT

Hey Guys,

Just wondering if any of you guys/gals know if it's possible to install another OS (in this case Ubuntu Linux) on an external USB drive and then get the Vaio to boot this?

I see that in the BIOS there is an option to enable booting to USB devices but having changed this its still booting into my windows.

Any ideas?

Re: Booting from a USB device

Blencogo — Sun, 27 May 2007 09:05:23 GMT

Hi MrsH

Unfortunately, Vaios will only boot from one external source - a 1.44MB USB 3.5" Floppy Drive. So you are limited to 1.44MB.

In theory it should be possible to boot from an external drive connected vis a PCMCIA interface but I haven't heard of anyone actually doing it.

Re: Booting from a USB device

MrsHarris — Sun, 27 May 2007 09:44:21 GMT

Oh no... what a shame!
Though thanks Blencogo for your response.

Do you think it would be possible to create a GRUB bootable CD to force the boot from the external drive?

Re: Booting from a USB device

kee-lo_ — Sun, 27 May 2007 10:30:49 GMT

Yeah you can probably do that, there's no harm in trying.

Why not use the Live CD to use Ubuntu then it gives you the option to install?

Re: Booting from a USB device

MrsHarris — Sun, 27 May 2007 11:14:43 GMT

Yeah that's what I've done... and put the grub on the external drive (hoping that the VAIO would boot from this). But seeing as that didn't work I may now try to see if a bootable CD will allow me to boot from this external drive (WD 320 MyBook).

Do you know if anyone has actually done this and got it working?

Re: Booting from a USB device

kee-lo_ — Mon, 28 May 2007 12:16:08 GMT

Not that I know of.

I guess the best thing you can do is put the Grub loader on a CD-RW and see if that'll do the trick