GA-785GMT-USB3: USB Boot Problems

[Dark Mantis]

From memory the Advanced BIOS Features.

I'll check that ASAP...

I just checked my manual and this option isn't mentioned anywhere...  But then again, I'm not using the stock BIOS and motherboard manuals are notoriously filled with errata.

EDIT:

No such option appears in the "Advanced BIOS Features" menu...  At least not for me.  Can anyone confirm that this option is present for the GA-785GMT-USB3 motherboard with version F3 BIOS?  If so, than perhaps I need to re-flash my BIOS or there's something wrong with my MoBo.

That's the Advanced BIOS Features/Boot Priority

[ShadesOfGrey]

Just to confirm, you had your USB drive connected (what format was the USB drive file structure?) and you did select the USB drive  in your hard drive boot selection options?  I found that I needed to specify the USB hard drive (pen drive in your case) in that bios option before I could boot via the USB pen drive.

Will check back later to see how it went.

Yes, the flash drives were connected either at power-on and/or reboot.  The 64MB drive is formatted FAT16 and the 2GB is formatted FAT32.  I have attempted to boot from the "First Boot Device" configured as "USB-HDD", "USB-CDROM", and "USB-Floppy" with and without using the "Boot Menu" (pressing "F12" during POST).  In the case of USB-HDD being the boot device, I get a "Boot error" message proceeding the "Loading Operating System" message.  In the other cases (IIRC), I only get a "Boot error" if no other boot device is configured (i.e. the 2nd and 3rd "Boot Device" is Disabled or non-bootable).  And to reiterate,  both flash drives are accessible from "Q-Flash".

[ShadesOfGrey]

That's the Advanced BIOS Features/Boot Priority

Just to be absolutely clear, you're talking about the "Hard Disk Boot Priority" sub-menu under "Advanced BIOS Features", correct?

[1Day]

Thanks for getting back to me so quick.

In the hard disc boot priority option what do you have selected as your first boot hard drive?

[ShadesOfGrey]

That's the Advanced BIOS Features/Boot Priority

Just to be absolutely clear, you're talking about the "Hard Disk Boot Priority" sub-menu under "Advanced BIOS Features", correct?

I checked the "Hard Disk Boot Priority" sub-menu and the options appeared (roughly) as follows:

1.  SCSI-0    :    WD800JD-32HKA0
2.  SCSI-1    :    RAID Ary 2
3.  Bootable Add-in Cards

There was no option specific to USB, so I tried making "Bootable Add-in Cards" have first priority.  The result was the same as before, "Boot error".  If there is supposed to be a USB specific option in this sub-menu, I don't have it.  Before I try re-flashing the BIOS, I'm going try a couple other Flash drives and see what other tools I can find to make them bootable.

[ShadesOfGrey]

Thanks for getting back to me so quick.

In the hard disc boot priority option what do you have selected as your first boot hard drive?

Read my reply to Dark Mantis, immediately preceding this one.

[1Day]

Right I see it.

When I go into that option with my USB pen drive connected I see the USB drive as an option.

I suspect that is where we are having a problem, namely you do not see it as an option.

[ShadesOfGrey]

Right I see it.

When I go into that option with my USB pen drive connected I see the USB drive as an option.

I suspect that is where we are having a problem, namely you do not see it as an option.

Well, that's interesting...  It's not like the BIOS isn't detecting the drive.  "Q-Flash" has no problem accessing any of the USB flash drives I have.  That is unless "Q-Flash" has some other means of mounting USB devices?

Might you be able to tell me if this option appears regardless of whether the USB Flash drive is bootable or not?  That information would certainly help me narrow down if my problem is with the USB Flash drives and/or how I prepared them, or if my problem is with my MoBo and/or its BIOS.

BTW, which BIOS version do you happen to be using?

[Dark Mantis]

That's the Advanced BIOS Features/Boot Priority

Just to be absolutely clear, you're talking about the "Hard Disk Boot Priority" sub-menu under "Advanced BIOS Features", correct?

I checked the "Hard Disk Boot Priority" sub-menu and the options appeared (roughly) as follows:

1.  SCSI-0    :    WD800JD-32HKA0
2.  SCSI-1    :    RAID Ary 2
3.  Bootable Add-in Cards

There was no option specific to USB, so I tried making "Bootable Add-in Cards" have first priority.  The result was the same as before, "Boot error".  If there is supposed to be a USB specific option in this sub-menu, I don't have it.  Before I try re-flashing the BIOS, I'm going try a couple other Flash drives and see what other tools I can find to make them bootable.

Yes that's where I would expect to see it as long as it was plugged in before booting. I wonder if it's because you are booting from a SCSI card. Does it have it's own BIOS?

[1Day]

I have now checked with two USB pen drives and both are seen. One is the USB drive I use to flash bios with.

I checked on a motherboard with F2 bios.

[ShadesOfGrey]

Yes that's where i would expect to see it as long as it was plugged in before booting. I wonder if it's because you are booting from a SCSI card. Does it have it's own BIOS?

Don't know exactly...  It's not a discrete HBA,  the RAID functionality is provided by AMD's 710 southbridge.  I suppose it could have its own BIOS.  And if 1Day's reply is anything to go by, whether the RAID controller has a BIOS shouldn't be affecting whether the the system can boot from an USB Flash drive.  However, I will try disabling the RAID controller and checking whether the options under "Hard Disk Boot Priority" change at all.

[Dark Mantis]

Yes it was just an idea because we seem to be running short on them now and I noticed that you were booting from a SCSI drive.

[ShadesOfGrey]

I have now checked with two USB pen drives and both are seen. One is the USB drive I use to flash bios with.

I checked on a motherboard with F2 bios.

Were they both bootable?  I'm wondering if the means by which I prepared the drives is causing the BIOS not to detect 'active' status on my USB Flash drives.  Or if the problem is simply that my motherboard, for some unknown reason, is unable to boot from USB Flash drives...

Well, I'm going to first try disabling the RAID functionality and see what that does.  If that doesn't work, I'll try using Windows to repartition, make active, and reformat my Flash drive.  And If even that doesn't work, I'll try downloading the F2 BIOS and see if my problem is just the BIOS version I'm using.

[ShadesOfGrey]

Yes it was just an idea because we seem to be running short on them now and I noticed that you were booting from a SCSI drive.

i know the feeling. 

[Dark Mantis]

I can't really see it being unable to boot from the USB drives as you said QFlash could read them so it knows they exist.