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45467
Latitude X300 boot from USB?
Hi
I have a Latitude X300 with Windows XP and want to install dual boot Linux, preferably Lubuntu.The BIOS shows boot options of HDD, CD Rom, and External device. I had hoped that putting external device first would enable boot from a USB with the Lubuntu ISO bootable USB that I have prepared, but I can't get the USB recognised, I have tried a Sandisk and a Transcend USB.
I found the BIOS update on this site but I understood from the download page that it only fixes one issue, not related to booting. Have I got this right, or should I flash the BIOS and then see what I get?
Somebody called DELL-Karell was posting encouragingly about the BIOS here, but it is an old post. You have to scroll down to the bottom to see the encouraging bits.
http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3518/t/3069805.aspx
Can anyone confirm that there is no way I can get this machine to boot from USB? There is some consensus elsewhere on the internet that how the USB is partitioned and formatted may make a difference.
I will try with a bootable CD in the meantime.
benaround3
21 Posts
1
June 17th, 2014 07:00
I have solved the problem myself.
My Dell Latitude X300 is able to boot from some USB flash drivess that are correctly configured as bootable devices. In my case I used a Sandisk Cruzer. Partitioning and formatting may be relevant also.I had pre partitioned and formatted my USB drive before adding the ISO, in this case the Lubuntu OS.
My problem was that I was missing a setting within the BIOS.
If the correctly configured USB is inserted, in this instance in the left hand port, and the laptop is rebooted and the BIOS boot order screen is entered, there should be a + next to HDD in the boot order list.
Select HDD and press
HDD will expand, revealing a list of all devices that are recognised as HDDs.
The list should include your computer's Hard Drive, and also now your USB configured as a bootable device.
Select the USB drive and move it to the top of the list WITHIN the HDD devices list.
Now collapse the list and move the HDD to the top of the list, above “External Devices”.
After I did this the laptop booted from the USB flash drive.