Community archive

Ask something
Discussion Locked

external usb drive will not boot with pc

0 helpful
3 replies

by digital gypsy

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.
My external usb drive used to boot with my pc. The drive letter would be there upon boot. But suddenly I have to turn the ext. drive off and back on again to get my pc to recognize it. I've done so many things to try and resolve this, but nothing has worked yet. This in on a gateway pc 866 pent III 98SE. Anyone know what might have changed ?

3 replies

by dgerson2

Open your user manual and find the command keys or key you hold down during powerup to get into the boot sequence control. This is what you use on most systems with modern (post 1998) Intel systems boards to set the order inwhich the systems card chooses boot devices. This is what enables you to boot off a LAN card, etc. Change the sequence to recognize your USB card. If it cannot be set that way, then you are out of luck. Depending upon hardware build, some systems do not have native USB support but wait until Windows loads the USB support before checking for USB devices.

by grayceworkss

both 98 and 98se have issues with properly initializing usb devices at startup. i have a usb mouse that every fourth or fifth boot causes a hang when it doesn't initialize. works great under 2000 though. start with microsoft articles

Q240075 and Q263218

there's a total of 125 articles relating to usb issues in 98.

and also, test the power supply for the drive...power problems have been known to cause all sorts of strange symptoms...

This discussion is closed to new replies.