USB Memory stick left plugged in

[camioneur]

I would like to leave my USB memopry stick plugged in as I'm often backing up to it. If I leave it in when I boot the PC though it says something like wrong drive inserted or can't read drive and refuses to boot till I take it out. Can I make it ignore the memory stick when booting?

[BillyNoMates]

You could try entering your BIOS on startup - your manual will tell you which key(s) to hit (F1,the Insert or Delete key are all possibilities).

In the BIOS there is probably a setting for booting from USB or a USB device - disable this option.

[camioneur]

Well Billy. you left me scratching my head half way through the first sentence when you mentioned BIOS but thanks anyway

[Buenchico]

Your computer's BIOS is the collection of settings which tells the PC how to operate even before Windows has loaded.

When you first start your PC, you'll see something on your screen along the lines of 'To enter Setup, press Delete'. (As Billy has indicated, different PCs use different keys).

If you hit the relevant key, you will see a screen which allows you to review and change the BIOS settings.

Unfortunately, the exact layout of the screen varies between different PCs but it's all fairly straightforward. Because your mouse driver won't have loaded, all navigation within the BIOS is done by using the arrow keys, some of the F keys (e.g. F7), the 'plus' and 'minus' keys, 'Enter' and 'Esc' . (It's not as difficult as it sounds. Instructions appear at the bottom of the screen).

Within the BIOS settings are the instructions which your PC uses when seeking a drive to boot from. (These are typically, first=floppy, second=hard drive, third=CD). It's possible that your BIOS requires the PC to check whether there's a bootable drive attached to a USB port. If so, all you have to do is to change the order so that the hard drive is checked before the USB drive.

If the USB drive is not specifically listed as a possible boot source, then you'll need to check further through the BIOS settings to see if there's a line like 'Alllow boot from USB drive?'. If there is, you'll have to change 'enabled' to 'disabled'.

I know that can all sound rather daunting if you've never been into the BIOS before but it's actually very easy. As long as you're sensible, you won't 'muck up' your PC. It's perfectly OK to press a few keys just to see what happens. Nothing will actually be changed unless you hit the key (typically F7) which the on-screen instructions designate as the 'Save' key.

Chris

[camioneur]

gordon bennet Chris...how long did it take you to type that lot? Well, thanks to your diligence I'm about to enter the realms of BIOS if you don't get a reply by next week you'll know I got lost somewhere in Cyberspace. Thanks mate...here goes............................

[Ethel]

Good luck, camioneur

[Ethel]

Hope you're ok!

[camioneur]

I'm back from God knows where, didn't like it in there -but I did get out unscathed as you said I would Chris so thanks for that. Unfortunately, I found nothing in there relating to USB that I could able or disable but nothing lost etc etc. ETHEL, I am touched by your concern. You must be a very very nice person indeed. Click here and I'll marry you! x

[Ethel]

So glad you're back safe and sound.

Hurrah! You're a natural born survivor. :)

[snook]

Next time take a back pack with a few butties and a bottle of water in, just in case you go missing...

[silverdaler]

you sound as confused as me camioneur, can i marry you too ?????????

[camioneur]

If course you can but only if you're a female between 16 and 96 click with your proposal

[silverdaler]

you're not too choosy then ! i'm about halfway is that ok ? does that mean we can share your USB memory stick ?

i think its cyberlove already !

by the way, did you sort the problem out ?