Booting to USB key - IBM System x3400, x3500

Resolving The Problem

Source

RETAIN tip: H134959

Symptom

The user is unable to boot Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices in System x3400 and System x3500. The system bypasses the USB device and boots normally.

Affected configurations

The system may be any of the following IBM servers:

• System x3400, Type 7973, any model
• System x3400, Type 7974, any model
• System x3400, Type 7975, any model
• System x3400, Type 7976, any model
• System x3500, Type 7977, any model

This tip is not software specific.
This tip is not option specific.

The system has the symptom described above.

Workaround

During Power On Self Test (POST), press the F12 key and choose the hard drive option as a bootable device. The system will then boot to the USB device. If this does not work, reorder the Hard drive boot order in F1 Basic Input/Output System (BIOS).

Additional information

The BIOS does not see the USB device as a removable device; by choosing the hard drive option, the system will boot to the USB device.

There may be some cases where even using F12 and selecting the hard drive may not boot from the USB key. System x3400 and System x3500 boot the hard drives in a sequence. The user can change this sequence by doing the following:

1. Power off the system.
2. Insert the USB key.
3. Press F1.
4. Select Start options.
5. Select Startup sequence.
6. Select Boot Hard Disk.
7. Select the Hard drive.
8. Highlight USB key (i.e. Sandisk Cruzer Micro-(USB 1.1).
9. Press + to move the USB key to the top of the list.
10. Save and exit the BIOS.
11. Press F12.
12. Select the Hard drive.

The USB key will now boot.