2 Posts
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4195
April 11th, 2020 07:00
Vostro 200 boot from USB as hard drive?
I have a Vostro 200, with BIOS updated to the latest version (1.0.16) and memory upgraded to 4 GB. I wanted to install Windows 10 on it, on a new hard drive. So I used the YUMI multiboot USB system to make a USB drive with the 32 and 64 bit ISO's for Windows 10, plus Linux Mint installs and other programs. Of course, I formatted it as NTFS because of the size of the Windows ISO's.
The Vostro would not boot from the USB. It didn't identify it as a "removable disk" in the BIOS. I guessed that the BIOS needed a reset, so I did the standard procedure for Dell desktops. I pulled the CMOS battery, booted the computer, held down the start button for 30 seconds, unplugged the power cord, and let it sit overnight.
It still wouldn't boot from the YUMI multiboot USB. In frustration, I got a new USB drive (a SanDisk 16 gig), downloaded the Microsoft Media Creation Tool, and set it up with Windows 10 64 bit. Here's where it gets curious.
I still did not see the SanDisk drive as a "removable media" in BIOS. However...it showed up in the hard drive listings under Hard Disk Boot Priority! I made it the first hard drive, rebooted the Vostro, and it booted the Windows 10 install.
My questions: Why didn't the Vostro want to boot from the YUMI drive? Why did the SanDisk show as a hard drive? Is there some weird mystical format used in the Windows Media Creation Tool that allowed it to be seen in the BIOS where standard NTFS formatting didn't work? I'd appreciate any answers you can provide. Thanks for helping a "sort-of-talented amateur" understand this better!
redxps630
9 Legend
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14.4K Posts
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April 11th, 2020 12:00
I have had two Vostro 200 slim tower PC and they were trouble makers. But regarding your question, I have had no trouble using 8GB bootable usb stick prepared using Win 10;Media Creation Tool to boot and install OS on hdd in V200. I think the stick format is FAT32. I believe you get into trouble by having an NTFS formatted usb device connected to this old pc.
Tom Reed
2 Posts
0
April 14th, 2020 20:00
@redxps630, thanks. But I don't understand. When I examined the USB stick in my Xubuntu Linux Mac Mini, in Disks, it says that it is formatted in FAT and the file is over 15 GB (although the original ISO is only about 5 GB, also forbidden in the FAT format). The drive is 16 GB. What demonic sorcery did Microsoft use on the FAT format?
redxps630
9 Legend
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14.4K Posts
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April 14th, 2020 20:00
I can not see your pic yet.
"32GB is the maximum partition size limit using the FAT32 file system format on Windows. FAT32 can actually format up to 16TB hard drives. Microsoft has set a 32GB partition size limit for the FAT32 file system to promote NTFS, which is generally more efficient when working with large partitions. you can circumvent the 32GB limit" https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/format-large-hard-drive-fat-fat32/