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    N5110 boot from USB

    Discussion in 'Dell' started by Geos1, Apr 5, 2012.

  1. Geos1

    Geos1 Notebook Geek

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    I created a ubuntu bootable usb flash drive which works on other computers. I enabled usb storage device as first boot option from bios on my Dell. When it starts up the led on the stick flashes but it doesnt boot from it. Ive tried every usb port on my machine. What am i doing wrong?
     
    Geos1, Apr 5, 2012
    #1
  2. smashly

    smashly Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hi,
    my own observation probably won't help your situation.

    I had similar problem with certain usb sticks and still haven't resolved why they won't boot on my N5110.
    For me it just seems some makes of usb sticks just will not work as a boot device no matter what I tried.
    Yet those same usb sticks boot fine in my desktop pc's and Dell 1420 and 1720 laptop.

    I thought it might have been the capacity of the sticks, but that wasn't it.
    It just seems some makes of usb stick will not boot no matter what method I use to make them bootable.
    Funny thing is those same sticks won't boot on my Toshiba netbook either.
    But as I said those same sticks boot in my desktop pc's as well as my Dell 1420 and 1720 laptop which I find strange.

    Sticks that seem to not work for me as a boot device are Toshiba and Lexar brand sticks mostly:
    Toshiba and Lexar 2GB, 4GB, 8GB usb sticks (all new).

    Other sticks that seem to work as a boot device for me have been:
    SanDisk (Cruiser/Blade) and Kingston 512MB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB (mixture of old and new) work as a boot device in anything I own.

    With the ones that didn't work I tried multiple things to get them to boot:
    eg: HP tool, Win7, writting the boot block with a hex editor.
    But nothing seems to make them bootable in my N5110 or Toshiba Netbook.

    So don't feel bad, just use another usb stick... lol
     
    smashly, Apr 5, 2012
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