Rafael Skodlar wrote: > computers DO NOT SEE drives because of the partition. BIOS code knows > nothing about the partitions when it makes PC send low level commands to > hard drive: reset, read disk configuration (heads, cyl, sec/track), > seek, read raw sectors, transfer that data to memory, etc. > > Not completely true. Many BIOS's attempt to read the partition table and the boot sector from the boot partition during the self-test, and will hang there for a long time if they can't find it. I guess it is a stupid timeout waiting for the drive to come on line. 10 seconds would be reasonable, but many BIOS wait for 5 - 20 minutes in this condition. I usually just wait it out, but if I am going to be powering off and on a few times before loading software, then I will format the first partition so I only have to experience the long wait the very first time.
When you let the long timeout finally run out, you get a message "no boot sector found" or similar unless there is a bootable floppy or CD enabled in the BIOS boot list ahead of the hard drive and in the drive. Jon ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stay on top of everything new and different, both inside and around Java (TM) technology - register by April 22, and save $200 on the JavaOne (SM) conference, June 2-5, 2009, San Francisco. 300 plus technical and hands-on sessions. Register today. Use priority code J9JMT32. http://p.sf.net/sfu/p _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
