problems with wiped external HDD in booting

[andybleaden]

Hi

I recently wiped an external HDD with fat32 filesystem ( tried to get it as as an ext3 linux system but it did not want to have any of it so reverted back as a fat32 system.

However now I cannot leave it plugged in at boot as the system tries to boot from this device and not the desktop. Is there anything I can change to prevent this as it is currently unplugged and not earning it's keep.

Let me know if there is anything I can show from konsole which would help people disentangle this mess

[dibl]

Re: problems with wiped external HDD in booting

You need to go into BIOS and disable the "Boot from USB Device" option.


(but then don't post back about how to boot your USB stick!)

[andybleaden]

Re: problems with wiped external HDD in booting

cheers matey ...will sort tomorrow (at work)

BTW why is it not booting from the other hdd I have plugged in or is it because I have just done a fresh wipe?

[dibl]

Re: problems with wiped external HDD in booting

Well, there's a lot more that needs to be known, before an accurate answer is possible, Andy.

1. What are the BIOS settings for the applicable IDE and/or SATA channel?
2. What is first hard drive in the BIOS boot device sequence?
3. What do you mean "plugged in" -- is it internal IDE, internal SATA, external SATA, USB, or Firewire?
4. Was a boot capability (i.e. Grub) written to the Master Boot record (MBR)? If so, WHICH MBR?
5. Probably "wipe" has something to do with the issue, but what do you mean by "wipe"?

Basically, your hdd needs a boot instruction written to its MBR, and it (the hdd) needs to be the first hard drive listed in the BIOS boot sequence.

HTH

[andybleaden]

Re: problems with wiped external HDD in booting

righty cokey..i will get answers to these questions back to you tomorrow when I am working at home as I do not have remote access (yet!- that will be my next quest !)