USB2.0 boot

BIOS Questions that don't belong in the other forums. Read them!
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ilko
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2007 12:49 am

Hi all,

I am trying to gather some information about why so many boards with USB 2.0 controllers, which support USB boot do it only in 1.1 or slower mode?

For example Bart PE installation takes 2:30 min. to load _the first stage_ (the white zebra bar) until the first black Microsoft screen with the moving green/blue bar is shown, when USB driver is loaded and speed becomes 2.0. Tests made on Gigabyte DS3P (rev.3.3 and F5 BIOS) and Abit AN7.

Now I start the same installation on Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop and it loads in...20 secs.

Gigabyte confirmed the fact after some communication and promised to fix it in future BIOS release...2.5 months ago, no updates as of yet.

I have tested many recent Dell systems and all they support full USB 2.0 boot, however the most of the recent motherboards do not support that. Why? Is it hard to implement?
Does anyone have more information or links/forums where I can get answers?

Here is a thread I started in 911cd forums about list of MBs supporting full speed boot:
http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=19731

Not many answers, but I believe USB boot gets more and more popular and it's down to the costumers to raise the question before MB makers.

Regards,
ilko
edwin
The Hardware Archivist
Posts: 6286
Joined: Wed Mar 20, 2002 7:11 pm
Location: Netherlands
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It is the same old tune from back in the days where boot from CD support was added 12 years ago. It takes time to add something like it into the bios and make sure it works with those several hundred different USB sticks out there. It's not hard to implement, it's hard to get it tested so no users go whining about their stick not working as bootable device with the bios.

Patience my friend. If you're not willing to wait, go to esupport.com and see if they have cooked up already. Mind you a custom bios might cost you $60.
edwin/evasive

Do not assume anything

System error, strike any user to continue...
ilko
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2007 12:49 am

Hi,

Thanks for your input, actually it's not about USB booting as many MBs do support USB boot, it's about the speed they support at that stage. Very few support 2.0 speeds, most are 1.1 or slower. When USB driver takes control boot is in it's full speed, i.e. Xp running from USB stick, Bart PE running from there, XP install etc. Initializing that driver at earlier stage seems not easy if possible at all. Some Linux distributions does it early, but for NT based OS no known solution is found, or at least it's not widely published and accessible.

I was wondering how Dell manage to do it with all their recent machines/BIOSes, and so many manufacturers do not.
I am a novice in this field, was thinking since there are patched BIOSes aviable, wouldn't it be easy to patch them for full speed USB boot too...
I have no idea what has to be patched and how easy that would be, hopefully someone like BIOS developer may give a quick explanation.

Regards,
ilko
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