blackturbokitty Posted March 10, 2012 Posted March 10, 2012 I want to upgrade my Dell Optiplex GX260 BIOS so that it can boot via USB Flash drive. Though every resource I can find tells me you need a blank floppy disk. I can't find floppy disks anywhere and far as I know they whent the way of the dinosores years ago. Does anyone have any idea how I can do this using a more modern method?
jaclaz Posted March 10, 2012 Posted March 10, 2012 I want to upgrade my Dell Optiplex GX260 BIOS so that it can boot via USB Flash drive. Though every resource I can find tells me you need a blank floppy disk. I can't find floppy disks anywhere and far as I know they whent the way of the dinosores years ago. Does anyone have any idea how I can do this using a more modern method?Sure, use a floppy image and boot from it through grub4dos.(if you need help for this, èplease state which OS are you currently running)Are you really sure that the Optiplex GX260:does not support USB booting "as is"an update to it's Bios exists enabling USB booting?http://www.pchelpforum.com/windows-xp-2000/61442-optiplex-gx260.htmljaclaz
blackturbokitty Posted March 10, 2012 Author Posted March 10, 2012 I actually saw that page when I was searching on the internet for how I could do this. Though other than that all I could find was tutorials telling me how to boot into DOS with a floppy disk, which I can't do since floppy disks arent available... I know that optiplex gx260 can support USB booting with a BIOS upgrade. It doesnt support it as is, I tried. As for booting with the grub thingy, the OS I'm currently running on the Optiplex is Windows XP Proffesional. I wouldnt mind learning more about that method you mentioned.
jaclaz Posted March 10, 2012 Posted March 10, 2012 (edited) As for booting with the grub thingy, the OS I'm currently running on the Optiplex is Windows XP Proffesional. I wouldnt mind learning more about that method you mentioned.Get grub4dos from here:http://code.google.com/p/grub4dos-chenall/downloads/listyou want LATEST NON ALPHA version, which is right now:http://code.google.com/p/grub4dos-chenall/downloads/detail?name=grub4dos-0.4.5c-2012-02-27.7z&can=2&q=grub4dos-0.4.5c-2012-02-27Please take note (for the future) how:grub4dos is NOT GRUB and is NOT GRUB2ALWAYS cite EXACT version AND date of the one you are using when asking for helpFrom the zip file you only need to extract to ROOT of your C:\ drive:grldrmenu.lstAdd an entry in your BOOT.INI to load grldr, as detailed here:http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/files/install_windows.htm#windows1Try booting and choose the grub4dos entry.You will be presented with a number of choices (actually items in the "standard" menu.lst)Press c to get to command line.In it enter (assuming you stored the floppy image you need to boot from as C:\myfloppy.ima) and pressing [ENTER] at each line:find --set-root /myfloppy.imamap --mem /myfloppy.ima (fd0)map --hookroot (fd0)chainloader +1bootOR:map (hd0,0)/myfloppy.ima (fd0)map --hookchainloader (fd0)+1rootnoverify (fd0)bootSome explanation here:http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/files/map.htm#imagemap (without --mem parameter) maps the file and NEEDS a contiguous file, map --mem maps the image to Ramdisk and the image needs not to be contiguous, for your simple use using --mem parameter should be easier.As well finding the file instead of hardcoding it's path to (hd0,0) (i.e. first partition of first hard disk) allows you more flexibility.When experimenting it is always recommended to use Command line, but you can as well add an entry to menu.lst (it is a plain TEXT fle, that you can edit, kust like BOOT.INI with Notepad).To add an entry you need to add to the above a title line and can (actually should omit) the final boot command, more details still in the mentioned grub4dos guide:http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/Grub4dos.htmAn alternative to using the above method (if you somehow *need* to have NO modifications whatsoever to BOOT.INI) would be to use the Bios update floppy image as an El-Torito Floppy Emulation Image and burn with it a CD, this can be easily achieved with many tools, recommended is IMGBURN:http://www.imgburn.com/jaclaz Edited March 15, 2012 by jaclaz
blackturbokitty Posted March 11, 2012 Author Posted March 11, 2012 What is this grub4dos supposed to do? It appears that it's a boot loader.
submix8c Posted March 11, 2012 Posted March 11, 2012 Very astute observation! Grub4DOS in the example given will load your floppy image from the USB into memory and boot it (as if it were a real floppy).Now you have a Floppy Drive!!!
jaclaz Posted March 11, 2012 Posted March 11, 2012 What is this grub4dos supposed to do? It appears that it's a boot loader.I am happy that it is appearing as what it is (among other things). Maybe first few lines of:http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/Grub4dos.htmWelcome to Grub4dos guide Version 1.4 (17th May 2009). A downloadable version of this guide in .htm format is available here. A .chm version is available here - both formats are compressed as .zip archives. Grub4dos it is a versatile bootloader capable of dual/multi-booting DOS, Windows, Linux and other operating systems. It can be used to select which operating system to load when multiple operating systems are available. It can also be used to (chain)load an operating system when the existing bootloader or partition boot sector has become corrupted - however this will depend on the operating system you are booting.were written to give this impression. And possibly reading about the map command:http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/files/map.htmGrub4dos Guide - Map CommandThe map command is used for disk emulation. It is one of the more complex commands available in Grub4dos - see here for grub4dos output when entering the command help map. Using the map command it is possible to - Boot Windows from a non-first hard diskBoot from hard disk imagesBoot floppy disk images on a floppyless machineCreate virtual devices accessible from certain operating systemsBoot from ISO images (note - experimental)might have given a further hint on what it does in the example posted (BTW as a reply to someone that wanted to boot a floppy but had no floppies....)jaclaz
blackturbokitty Posted March 11, 2012 Author Posted March 11, 2012 Thanks. I think this should solve the problem.
CoffeeFiend Posted March 11, 2012 Posted March 11, 2012 An alternative to using the above method (if you somehow *need* to have NO modifications whatsoever to BOOT.INI) would be to use the Bios update floppy image as an El-Torito Floppy Emulation Image and burn with it a CD, this can be easily achieved with many tools, recommended is IMGBURN:http://www.imgburn.com/That's pretty much what I do myself when the BIOS doesn't have a flasher built-in. I add the flasher & BIOS image to a very basic MS-DOS bootable floppy image then burn it with Nero with floppy emulation. Quick and easy to do, never had a problem. It's a waste of a disc though so if I did it more often I'd setup something on a USB key.
Ponch Posted March 11, 2012 Posted March 11, 2012 every resource I can find tells me you need a blank floppy disk.Have you tried running the 2nd file on Dell's site ??? ..."floppy-less" it should be.
jaclaz Posted March 12, 2012 Posted March 12, 2012 It's a waste of a disc though so if I did it more often I'd setup something on a USB key.and all these years I thought that CD-RW existed..... Seriously, it is much more convenient to have it on a hd-like device (be it internal hard disk or USB stick) and load the thingy in ramdisk as it prevents possible issues with either a "bad burn" (CD) or "read error" (unfortunately not really UNcommon when using a real floppy disk).jaclaz
RJM Posted March 15, 2012 Posted March 15, 2012 (edited) They still exist. Pick your poison.Floppy discshttp://www.google.com/#q=floppy+disk&hl=en&sa=N&tbs=cat:367,pdtr0:725889|730008,p_ord:p&tbm=shop&ei=zyxiT8GhH7OmsAKGuemjDA&ved=0CO8BELsNKAE&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=c22360c520dea7c9&biw=1010&bih=570Floppy diiveshttp://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=floppy%20drive&psj=1&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbo=u&tbm=shop&source=og&sa=N&tab=wf&psj=1&ei=Ey5iT8viCIOGsgLLyYykDA&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=37d6c39f99d009be&biw=1010&bih=570 Edited March 15, 2012 by RJM
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