Why do computers 'hang' at startup when usb drives are inserted? 1

[netbuster91]

Hi,
I noticed sometimes computers get stuck on boot-up when certain usb 'memory sticks,' are plugged in?
Does anyone know the reason for this?

Thanks!

 

[CiscoGuy33]

netbuster91,

In most cases it's like the old days when you left a floppy in the floppy drive - it is looking for a "boot" device.

Go into BIOS and I bet that you see that USB device is high on the list for boot devices and the computer is just doing what it was told when it detects something in the USB port.

Since that USB drive does not have boot software, it does not know what to do next like when you did not have a boot floppy

E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +

 

[netbuster91]

Ahh that makes sense,thanks. I've been wondering about that for a while especially as it hangs some computers and not others etc...

Are there any more technical reasons why a computer would hang with a memory stick inserted?

Thanks (Have a star!)

 

[goombawaho]

I saw one computer that didn't have any settings in the BIOS for that and so it couldn't be disabled. It had one of those 10 in 1 memory stick readers attached and it would literally sit there for 3 minutes before it STARTED to load windows.

I couldn't unplug it or the users would drive me nuts asking why the reader wasn't working. So, I swapped out that PC for another.

A BIOS update on any PC that hangs with a USB memory stick would be a could place to start then look for any new options regarding boot sequence or bootable usb support.

 

[KTM72]

Had the same problem goom. We had one machine with a HP printer attached to it (recently added), the printer had a 10 in 1 card reader on it. The machine is fairly old and would not boot past bios on startup. Thought the machine was dead until I accidentally unplugged the printer and restarted the machine. It came up fine then...apparently Dell has a bios flash update available to correct this.

I was miserable, then someone told me "smile and be happy, things could be worse". So I smiled and was happy...and they were right, things were worse!

 

[netbuster91]

Excellent responses,
Thanks for your time everyone i can see myself being very at home on this forum! I always have lots of questions and nobody to ask.
Regards