Unable to create new boot option in Aptio on AsusW8 laptop

Kernel_Sanders

I've managed to format a 64GB USB drive and load it with an Android OS, but what I thought would be the easy part in launching it has left me perplexed. Changing the primary boot option to USB was pretty simple on my Asus Eee XP netbook but now Asus or MS or the same American Megatrends seem to have made it as difficult as possible to perform (I'm running W8.1 on a E402M). Quite apart from the ridiculously convoluted method of actually getting to the BIOS, it seems you now have to work out what the path to the USB is and, even if I knew it, the keyboard won't display any characters in the box provided!
I spent about an hour trying different online advice e.g from 'Bushmannz'.:

"Launch CSM" is greyed-out, it seems by default. The only way I could get it enabled was to first Disable Secure Boot Control.Therefore, the correct order is:

1. Enter the BIOS setup menu by pressing and holding the F2 key, when powering on.
2. Switch to “Security” and set “Secure Boot Control” to Disabled.
3. Switch to “Boot” and set “Launch CSM” to Enabled.
4. Press F10 to save and exit.
5. Press and hold ESC key to launch boot menu when the Unit restarts.

To boot from the DVD, press and hold the ESC key and the boot menu will appear.

In 1. F2 or ESC didn't work, I had to go through the hurdles. When the boot window does appear, it's just the same as before.

forgotmyname

Try the F keys to get the boot menu, often F10 or F12.

have you made the USB stick bootable though? It will never boot is you
did not make it bootable. You cannot just copy files to it and expect it to boot.

Dandytf

Try setting Asus bios to disable secure boot.

Kernel_Sanders

forgotmyname wrote: »

Try the F keys to get the boot menu, often F10 or F12.

have you made the USB stick bootable though? It will never boot is you
did not make it bootable. You cannot just copy files to it and expect it to boot.

All already tried (.iso put on with Unetbootn).

Dandytf wrote: »

Try setting Asus bios to disable secure boot.

Did you not see 2. in the OP?

AndyPix

Did you use FAT or NTFS ?


It needs to be FAT32 on a UEFI system


Does the BIOS offer it as a boot option when you go to configure the boot sequence ?

Kernel_Sanders

AndyPix wrote: »

Did you use FAT or NTFS ?


It needs to be FAT32 on a UEFI system


Does the BIOS offer it as a boot option when you go to configure the boot sequence ?

If you mean for the formatting, then it was FAT32. If you mean does it offer UEFI, then yes (the Asus Eee didn't IIRC, so I expect that is the reason for the difference). If you mean does it offer USB then no, it offers no alternatives or even a list from which to choose.

hans_2

https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1008329/

Jivesinger

Make sure you turn off Fast Startup in Windows if you haven't already.

Because Fast Startup means that when you select 'Shut down' , it's really a form of Hibernation. And some BIOSs won't let you boot something else when they think the system is hibernated.

Otherwise I think it's just a case of setting up a UEFI-compatible USB - I seem to remember Linux versions struggled with this in early days of Windows 8 but it must be easier by now.

Dandytf

KERNEL

As a last resort which I found most usefeful recently.
If your Asus is in warranty-you could log a fault via Asus website and a courier is arranged to collect repair and return your laptop.
Which took some time via dpd courier though excellent in warranty repair.

Kernel_Sanders

Jivesinger wrote: »

Make sure you turn off Fast Startup in Windows if you haven't already.

Because Fast Startup means that when you select 'Shut down' , it's really a form of Hibernation. And some BIOSs won't let you boot something else when they think the system is hibernated.

I didn't realize that. However, I should have realized that a proper shutdown might be needed to enter the BIOS directly, which on my machine is achieved simply by pressing restart then immediately keeping F2 pressed down (an alternative to turning off quick startup). For others coming across this thread, I'll expand on Jivesinger's advice slightly by quoting what he told me in another thread a fortnight ago:

Jivesinger wrote: »

Be aware that (unless you changed the default Fast Startup setting) a 'proper shutdown' isn't achieved by selecting 'Shut Down'. (Because the default version is a type of Hibernate.)
However a Restart is always a proper Restart.

OK so I now have the 3 mobile broadband dongle listed as a possible boot device (it has an empty, damaged SD card slot so Windows must be recognizing its tiny HDD as a possible device. It's not, however, detecting the SD card on which I have my .iso. Would this be because it's using the laptop's dedicated card reader slot? If so, it's odd that it doesn't consider this a viable option like it does the
mobile broadband dongle!