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    Vaio Z12 - boot menu/choose boot device, how?

    Discussion in 'VAIO / Sony' started by GadgetsNut, Jul 13, 2010.

  1. GadgetsNut

    GadgetsNut Notebook Evangelist

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    This is a dumb question, and I can't believe I still can't find it. How does one access the BIOS boot device selection on the Vaio Z? On a Dell it's F2, on the HP, it's ESC and then F9. I simply can't figure out the Z. Feeling very dumb right now :confused:
     
    GadgetsNut, Jul 13, 2010
    #1
  2. beaups

    beaups New Jack Hustler

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    f2 to enter bios. you can change the boot order once you're in there.
     
    beaups, Jul 13, 2010
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  3. GadgetsNut

    GadgetsNut Notebook Evangelist

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    Is that the ONLY way? There's no boot menu where I can temporarily change the boot device for one instance? If there's no such boot menu, this would be the first laptop I've ever seen that lacks this most basic function.

    This issue is this. Finally got around to wiping the stock Z OS and loading my own. I have my Win7U X64 on a USB stick. I changed external boot device to be the first device (until I figure out how to access the boot menu). The trouble is when Win7 finishes loading, instead of starting from the SSD it boots from my USB stick again.

    Not the end of the world, but a PITA.
     
    GadgetsNut, Jul 13, 2010
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  4. StefanHamminga

    StefanHamminga Notebook Consultant

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    Try F11, it does not show anything, but seemingly randomly boots the 'other' device (So far the order seems to be: USB>DVD>HD). So the HD stays first in the BIOS.
     
    StefanHamminga, Jul 13, 2010
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  5. beaups

    beaups New Jack Hustler

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    I don't know of another way on the Z. Once your os is installed it will give you the option to boot from that usb drive but if you don't press a key it will boot from the SSD. Windows has worked that way since vista (you'll see a menu that says "press any key to boot from cd/dvd"...or you could just unplug the usb drive
     
    beaups, Jul 13, 2010
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  6. GadgetsNut

    GadgetsNut Notebook Evangelist

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    Wow I guess there is no BIOS boot menu to quickly and temporarily select another boot device. Quite surprising on a premium Sony business class laptop, to be missing a very basic function.
     
    GadgetsNut, Jul 13, 2010
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  7. StefanHamminga

    StefanHamminga Notebook Consultant

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    So did you try F11 at bootup?
     
    StefanHamminga, Jul 14, 2010
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  8. Godzilla123

    Godzilla123 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Do you have a hacked bios? It sems that sometime this causes the issue.
     
    Godzilla123, Apr 19, 2011
    #8