[ltp] [x31] extremely slow booting when usb key inserted

[Maik Zumstrull]

Mack Stevenson wrote:

> I have noticed that ever since I enabled the "USB Boot" option in my X31's 
> BIOS the boot process becomes very slow (eg, 1min30 just to get past the 
> initial IBM splash screen) whenever I have a USB key inserted into my 
> thinkpad.

The BIOS has to probe the key to see if it's bootable.

> Does fellow thinkpad user also experience this problem? I can boot a linux 
> distribution installed on the key without any trouble, but (and this is true 
> no matter what is stored in the usb key drive) just having it plugged in at 
> boot time makes booting very slow. (Disabling the USB boot option makes this 
> problem go away, but the trouble is that now I actually need to boot from a 
> usb drive a few times a week...)

I suggest you leave the capability to boot from USB enabled, but change
the order of boot devices so that USB is after the internal HDD. Then it
shouldn't probe the stick in normal bootup. When you actually want to
boot from USB, you can bring up the list of boot devices by pressing F12
on the first screen after switching on the Thinkpad and choose USB
manually. That selection will be valid for that bootup only.


Note: I don't actually own a X31, so maybe the BIOS of that specific
model doesn't have those options. But I don't see why it wouldn't. Just
give it a try.