BIOS with no boot options

[whs]

Have you ever seen a BIOS that has absolutely no boot options other than the internal disk.

I bought this little 11.6" Asus X205TA 1.0 laptop which is actually a handy little device. It obviously has no optical drive but 2 USB ports. But the temporary and permanent boot order does only allow booting from the internal disk. I am really stuck if I want to e.g. recover from a Macrium image.

I guess I will have to make my own refresh images. And even those I can only use as long as the machine functions. Any other ideas.

 

[essenbe]

That's a new one on me, Wolfgang. Seems your only option is something like Paragon Migrate and a spare SSD to swap in case of catastrophe.

 

[maxie]

A little surprised there is no Boot Option ... As there seems to be with some Models of the Asus X205TA ...


Asus X205TA hardware support in Ubuntu 14.10

 

[Layback Bear]

Wolfgang does laptop have a bios password?
I understand that some do.
Just maybe without it you can't get into all the setting in bios.

Just a guess on my part.

 

[TVeblen]

Have you seen or tried this yet Wolfgang?
https://github.com/lopaka/instructions/blob/master/ubuntu-14.10-install-asus-x205ta.md

Seems you must disable Secure Boot to get the system to boot from USB.
system installation - Trying to install Ubuntu on ASUS X205TA - Ask Ubuntu

 

[whs]

That's a new one on me, Wolfgang. Seems your only option is something like Paragon Migrate and a spare SSD to swap in case of catastrophe.

Steve, thanks for the good idea. Unfortunately there is no way to swap the disk. It is one of those false SSDs that they put into those cheap little toys. I paid only $99 on Black Friday for it. But I only unpacked it now.

 

[whs]

A little surprised there is no Boot Option ... As there seems to be with some Models of the Asus X205TA ...


Asus X205TA hardware support in Ubuntu 14.10

Yeah I saw that. Mine says 01 after the model number. Maybe that means 'retarded'. I have to call Asus.

 

[whs]

Wolfgang does laptop have a bios password?
I understand that some do.
Just maybe without it you can't get into all the setting in bios.

Just a guess on my part.

Jack I think you are right. When I wanted to disable secure boot, the BIOS was barking at me requesting a Bitlocker Key to continue. There was a whole saga that came with it. I have to explore that.

 

[whs]

Have you seen or tried this yet Wolfgang?
https://github.com/lopaka/instructions/blob/master/ubuntu-14.10-install-asus-x205ta.md

Seems you must disable Secure Boot to get the system to boot from USB.
system installation - Trying to install Ubuntu on ASUS X205TA - Ask Ubuntu

Bob, see my post above. That BIOS password needs further investigation.

 

[DavidE]

There is a BIOS version 208 that was released 2015/01/08

https://www.asus.com/Notebooks_Ultrabooks/ASUS_EeeBook_X205TA/HelpDesk_Download/

 

[TVeblen]

Bob, see my post above. That BIOS password needs further investigation.

It would seem so.

It is generally annoying that so many of these newer consumer devices are set up to lock the owner out of their property.

 

[TVeblen]

Maybe these would help?

Updating BIOS on Systems With BitLocker Enabled | Dell US

Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and BitLocker Support: Dell OpenManage Server Update Utility User's Guide

 

[Layback Bear]

Wolfgang I'm thinking that laptops market was for those without your computer skills and Asus didn't want them monkeying with the bios.

Microsoft doesn't want them to mess with the bios and maybe loose their ability to buy apps because they broke the laptop.

 

[whs]

There is a BIOS version 208 that was released 2015/01/08

https://www.asus.com/Notebooks_Ultrabooks/ASUS_EeeBook_X205TA/HelpDesk_Download/

Thanks, I downloaded it. Will see whether I need it.

 

[whs]

Here is an update:

I found the bitlocker key. Problem now is that I cannot enter it into the field where it is supposed to go because the keyboard is locked at that instance. I now have to work on that.

One of the other things I found out is that I can reset the system to a refresh image via F9 > advanced. Maybe I will rely on refresh images that I set myself rather than the traditional Macrium images. It's not quite the same, but since I keep my user data on a Micro SD card, it amounts to nearly the same.

In any case - it's a mess. I wonder what those people are thinking. Maybe Jack is right. Those are devices made for simple users. But I wonder what they do when the system goes south. Maybe like my bro in law. Every time his PC goes on the blink, he buys a new one. I offered many times to fix it but he is too lazy to mail it to me. Going down the street to BestBuy is easier, LOL.

 

[whs]

Maybe these would help?

Updating BIOS on Systems With BitLocker Enabled | Dell US

Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and BitLocker Support: Dell OpenManage Server Update Utility User's Guide

Those look like useful sites. Thanks. I'll have to study that.

 

[Layback Bear]

Wolfgang those little laptops are designed as throw a way's like a Bic pen.

 

[maxie]

Some you have no Option to replace the Battery ...

 

[essenbe]

Wolfgang those little laptops are designed as throw a way's like a Bic pen.

Just a lot more expensive than a Bic pen.

 

[whs]

Apart from my $49 phone, it is actually the cheapest toy I have. Can't beat $99 for a nice little laptop. LOL