Boot from Card Reader

[genetev]

Perhaps the reason that I have a SDHC card and my reader supports only SD format at bios stage and supports full SDHC format at a Windows (other OS) stage. What do you think, topmahof?

[topmahof]

I'm using an sd card in a multicard reader. It'll read sdhc cards but I don't have one. I have a couple of sd cards and a cf card.  I had the cf card boot up, but I already knew that it would because I have an adapter for a cf card that replaces the hard drive in a Lenovo.  What's funny to me is that the sd card accepts the format as a bootable device and Linux installs on it with no problem, just like the cf card, and I did both exactly the same way.  But the sd card just won't be seen in the bios.  I'm not gonna give up on this, I'll keep playing with it.

What's neat is that the external card reader does show in the boot order and it will boot, at least with a cf card in it. I didn't know that before.  It shows up as a usb hard drive.

Does your reader show up in the bios without any card in it?  Mine doesn't, only with a cf card in it.  

[genetev]

No, mine doesn't too.

[topmahof]

http://www.linuxliveusb.com/en/download

I can't get the sd card to boot from the internal, although as I understand it the Asus EEE and the Dell Mini can. They say to hit escape at the splash screen and it will give you the option to boot from sd. The card has to be in the slot at startup.  That doesn't work for me.  You're trying to boot with an sdhc card and I'm trying with an sd card and neither works.

I have had partial success though.  I'm typing this from linux which is on an sd card in my external reader that I booted up with.  It's now working the same as the cf card.  So I can boot from the external card reader.  I used the utility from the link above.  The utility from linux didn't work. You download the iso and put it in the installer. You should be able to switch ISO's and use the utility to install windows or whatever.  But it did make it bootable.   At least now I know that you can boot from an sd card. 

Yours might be able to boot from an sd card. I'm using an nc-4400.  Mine just doesn't see the internal reader from the bios, maybe yours will. sd cards are cheap.  It would be worth a try. 

[genetev · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I've investigated this theme and here's what I've found out:

All storage devices which can be plugged in to usb must meet the USB Mass Storage standard. There exists a boot section of it. So USB Mass Storage standard may be not fully implemented (without boot section of the standard).

Some of old external usb card readers had haven't boot feature. All modern readers have boot feature (otherwise is not proved).

Internal reader can be plugged in to pci or internal usb. To boot in first case bios must supports 'pci boot feature' (I don't know correct name for it) and reader must supports boot feature. To boot in second case bios must supports usb boot feature and reader must fully supports usb mass storage standard. Probably my internal reader meet a base part of the USB Mass Storage standard without boot feature. I found many posts on this topic. So this is not a problem of my computer.

Thank you topmahof for your replies and your time.

I mark my problem as solved.

[Jrandolph121]

I'm having the same issues only I installed Linux open source mint 18.2 on Hp steam notebook (slim) Intel. The bios does not recognize internal micro SD as a bootable device. I'm also looking for workarounds. Only been at this 4 days so far with research and trial and error. Please keep me updated on your progress. As I will try to post back as well. So far I can not the efi from both within windows advanced start up reboot, or straight from main bios boot menu. I can see that I installed the Linux os properly from within windows on the SD card as it is not accessable from Windows and not should it be. And also from Windows can see either file explorer that the SD drive is labeled correctly from the install. From within Linux, on a live stick, I can see that the correct files are in their correct places as well. When loaded from here it's fully functional. But I can't get Linux to boot from it without live usb boot. From Windows and from Linux I can access the grub2 prompt but the needed micro sd files to "get" and "install" various things including bootloader are not accessable from there either. I've read almost everything online and can seen to put it all together. Any help would greatly be appreciated! I'm a novice self taught techy.

[Evenecer]

ok people heard my words!

1 open the laptop (is necesary)

2 change the internal conector from sd card reader to usb 

3 check if you can now boot

if work, coment

if not, coment (resume the info please)