The GX240 bios does not support usb Booting.

Yes, but not necassarily booting but just access to USB devices while in DOS?

There are a few DOS USB Drivers but not from dell.

Panasonic and Cypris Semicon have DOS drivers that I use WIN98SE boot floppys with.

http://www.bootdisk.com/usb.htm

DOS USB Drivers
There are several ways folks are getting their USB CDroms, Hard Drives, and other drives to work in DOS. One is using what's known as DUSE driver system. The second method is using what looks somewhat like standard CDrom driver files and a USB driver. Both methods appear to require loading an usbaspiX.sys file first in config.sys in most cases. The third method is a bootdisk from a USB vendor.

METHOD 1 - The DUSE System

Example 1 Using DUSE

[config.sys]
device=a:\himem.sys
devicehigh=a:\emm386.exe
device=a:\usbaspi.sys
dos=high,umb

[autoexec.bat]
@echo off
duseldr a:\duse.exe
MSCDEX /D:USBCDROM /S /M:15 /V

Example 2 Using DUSE

[config.sys]
device=a:\himem.sys
DEVICE=a:\duse.exe

[autoexec.bat]
MSCDEX /D:USBCDROM /S /M:15 /V


METHOD 2 - The usbaspi.sys/usbcd.sys System - Example 1

As noted, this method seems just like loading IDE drivers, with the added entry of the usbaspiX file. The following are the relevant portions taken from a modified config.sys and autoexec.bat file which was designed to work with a Windows 98 OEM Bootdisk with the ramdrive.

The complete config.sys and autoexec.bat replacement files are available for download below, and you might want to start first with just copying them to your OEM bootdisk along with the relevant drivers and then experiment later with getting them to work on your Customized disk.

[config.sys - example 1]
device=himem.sys /testmem:off
device=usbaspiX.sys
device=usbcdX.sys /D:mscd001

[config.sys example 2 - USB Floppy in only port, "sometimes" allows switching to CDrom after boot]
device=himem.sys /testmem:off
device=ramfd.sys
device=usbaspiX.sys /W
device=usbcdX.sys /D:mscd001

[autoexec.bat]
LH %ramd%:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd001 /L:%CDROM%


METHOD 2 - The usbaspi.sys/usbcd.sys System - Example 2

"I finally got my Belkin external drive enclosure with a WD 120gb drive to work in DOS, and then perform a GHOST image", wrote don b. "Here's the files and config.sys that worked."

[config.sys]
device=himem.sys /testmem:off
devicehigh=usbaspi1.sys
devicehigh=di1000dd.sys
devicehigh=usbcd2.sys /d:USBCD001
LASTDRIVE = Z

[autoexec.bat]
don b. noted that either the standard Ghost or Win98X autoexec.bat worked as is.


METHOD 2 - The usbaspi.sys/usbcd.sys System - Example 3

Herbert H. writes: "I Just solved my problem by using the files from the "virtual" DOS drive ghost03 makes when you run interactive mode. It uses IOmega USB drivers and Guest.exe. It alowed me to use my Western Digital external USB HD in DOS.

[config.sys]
LASTDRIVE=Z
DEVICE = usbaspi4.sys /int /all
DEVICE = usbaspi5.sys /int /all
DEVICE = usbaspi5.sys /int /all /D1
DEVICE = usbcdX.sys /D:cd2
DEVICE = OAKCDROM.SYS /D:cd1 [For his IDE CDrom]


Files:
DUSE 4.4 DUSE 4.9 With Excellent Docs
USBdrivers Includes 5 different usbaspi.sys and 2 usbcd.sys files, the ramfd.sys driver, and the modified Win98 OEM config.sys and autoexec.bat files. You will have to experiment to see which one works for you.


The key driver files I've put together for you in the [USBdriver] collection include:

ramfd.sys 22,012 bytes
usbaspi1.sys 37,093 - Panasonic ver 2.15
usbaspi2.sys 43,528
usbaspi3.sys 37,090
usbaspi4.sys 49,242
usbaspi5.sys 50,606
usbcd1.sys 5,509
usbcd2.sys 35,456
di1000dd.sys 16,368


Please keep in mind that DOS USB CDrom/HDD/zip/etc. drivers is a brand new area. These drivers will work with some PCs and lock up others.

A related article from theinquirer.net

Note that the files referred to in the article are included in my usb driver file download.


METHOD 3 - The datoptic System

A USB 4 DOS bootdisk has been posted here called dat.exe

The key driver files in dat.exe include:

usbaspi.sys 37,090 bytes
nj32disk.sys 15,808
sbp2aspi.sys 28,836

datoptic.com recommends the following config.sys for it's USB/1394 products. It's been reported tho that their drivers also work for other brands as well.

[menu]
menuitem=USB,USB Boot
menuitem=1394,1394 Boot
menudefault=USB,30
menucolor=7,0

[USB]
DEVICE = USBASPI.SYS

[1394]
DEVICE = SBP2ASPI.SYS

[COMMON]
DEVICE = NJ32DISK.SYS /R
LASTDRIVE=Z

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