External USB Floppy Boot Device Question

Question

System:  OptiPlex GX270, BIOS A03   Has anyone had any success at using an external USB floppy drive for system booting purposes?  The OptiPlex system manual implies that this is possible, but either I'm doing something wrong with mine, or else the BIOS feature simply does not work.   Any help will be appreciated...

DELL-Chris M · Answer

ss433, Welcome to the Dell Community Forum (DCF). You went into the bios and changed the boot menu?

ss433 · Answer

I'm using a Sony external USB floppy drive model MPF82E.  I plug in the drive, reboot the system, and press function key 12 to enter the Dell A03 BIOS boot menu.  I do not even see a choice listed for booting from an ARMD device in general or a USB floppy device in specific.  Therefore, I do not know if the BIOS is failing to recognize this drive, or whether that the A03 BIOS does not offer a boot from external USB floppy feature.  The Sony drive itself came with a driver CD which I have not installed.  I assume that the device driver would have no effect one way or the other at a BIOS level.  Thanks for any help ...

djgarcia · Answer

Do you have the integrated floppy controller turned off in the BIOS? http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/opgx270/en/ug/advfeat.htm#1137632

ss433 · Answer

Nothing I can think of to do, or anything that others have suggested, will work.  The external USB floppy drive will not boot.  I am running the A03 BIOS that came in the machine.  I see from Dell notes that there was factory tinkering with the external USB boot feature.   hmmm...  I think there is still a BIOS problem with this feature.  I think the BIOS is broke!!

speedstep · Answer

If this is a SFF 270 it could be the Dell USB power problem.

Some USB ports on dell only put out 100ma of power but the devices like USB Powered Zip Drives and Floppys need 500MA.

You could try adding a USB Hub with power supply.

ss433 · Answer

The system is a GX 270 Mini Tower.  Does this system have the same limitation you refer to as with the Small Form Factor model?  If so, I'll buy a hub to try your suggestion.  Thanks for your help...

speedstep · Answer

I don't know if the power is a problem but I suspect that it is.

The other requirement is that the Bios support booting from the USB ports. F12 should show you that.

I wish dell would list the product and versions of bios that support USB booting.

ss433 · Answer

Congratulations, SpeedStep, you are correct.  And, thanks very much for your help.   Yes, the problem is one of current limiting due to low power output from the Optiplex USB ports.  I checked my Sony external USB floppy drive specifications and found the power requirement for the floppy drive to be 500 mA, just as you said.  Using a self-powered USB hub as you suggested, the external USB floppy drive now boots correctly.   I am running BIOS A03 on an Optiplex GX270 Mini Tower.  For others who may be interested, here are the relevant BIOS Setup settings to use:   1.  Drive Configuration      Set Diskette Drive A: = 3.5 inch, 1.44 MB   2.  Boot Sequence      Diskette Drive device must be 'checked'   3.  Integrated Devices      Set Diskette Interface = OFF   After the three settings above have been configured, the f12 Boot Menu will contain the entry 'Diskette Drive'.  Select the corresponding option number for 'Diskette Drive' and the system will boot from the external USB floppy drive.  Naturally, all of this assumes that the floppy is attached to the system given the considerations mentioned above concerning floppy drive power, and that there is a bootable floppy disc in the drive.   Thanks again to SpeedStep for making it happen !!

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External USB Floppy Boot Device Question

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