USB Support in DOS for Vaios? (I have usbaspi.sys files, etc.)

[ChrisOfTheOT]

I've spent a huge amount of time on Bootdisk.com and Radified’s Forums, for instance, while trying to image the hard drive of my dearly beloved Vaio GRT796. But Vaio BIOS', of course, do not recognise USB drives, unless it’s the pukka Sony floppy drive (I have a UFD5, which works fine).

:smileysmug: Note that I'm NOT trying to actually boot from a USB, just create a drive image, with Norton Ghost, to a USB hard drive. But adding USB drivers directly to DOS, and trying to get the likes of Ghost or Partition Magic to recognise USB while running is DOS mode never works on my Vaio. (It works every time on my wife's Dell though...)

Surely there is a way? Please? Anyone? :smileynerd:

Cheers,

Chris


Also, is it possible to change our Member ID?

[kee-lo_]

Hi Chris, long time no hear... then again I hardly come here now...

Strange isn't it? The batch file should really just load up into memory and USB should work. Bart also has a disk he's made with USB support, so you might want to try that.

Otherwise maybe you could use ubuntu?
http://www.ubuntu.om

As for the problems with user IDs, you need to pm tweedy2b, he can sort it out for you, or maybe one of the CVE's could just point this out to the management?

[ChrisOfTheOT]

Hi Chris, long time no hear... then again I hardly come here now...

:smileygrin: Nice to hear from you again too, Kee-Lo. Like you, I am an infrequent visitor these days - since my wife, Anna, got her Dell, the need to visit here was reduced by half!

Strange isn't it?  The batch file should really just load up into memory and USB should work.  Bart also has a disk he's made with USB support, so you might want to try that.

I saw several references to this Bart fellow, but I'm honestly sick to death of messing with config.sys files, floppies, etc. (And, I'm not very good at it... [:">] ) I just want to image my hard drive to a USB device, that's all.

Otherwise maybe you could use ubuntu?
http://www.ubuntu.om

I've never really dabled with Linux - are you implying that a DOS application would work under Linux? Or are there some reliable, easy to use imaging tools available for Ubuntu? (I have got a copy of Knoppix - is that any good?)

As for the problems with user IDs, you need to pm tweedy2b, he can sort it out for you, or maybe one of the CVE's could just point this out to the management?

Ah! That's just what I needed - the inside man! Thanks Kee-Lo. See you later,

Cheers,

Chris

[kee-lo_]

I'm surprised your imaging software doesn't have a driver on the CD but then again, Sony's BIOS is a PITA.

Ubuntu does have some good imaging software around:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=172577

Hope this does help

[ChrisOfTheOT]

The software is Ghost and it does come with USB support - but it doesn't work with my Vaio (neither does the mouse support on any of our computers). The USB thing is not a fault with Ghost, it's a Vaio aggravation. (The mouse thing is, I think, because the floppy needs to be written to for the mouse.ini file. I have no idea why... [:">] )

I'll have a look at the Ubuntu link 'cos I can't image anything until I'm sorted with this - many thanks for the info. Kee-Lo.

As for the PM for getting my Member ID changed - you are a card! Had me with my eyebrows knotted for sometime, you did... Until I realised that Mr 'Tweedy2b' is really Mr 'Tweety2b'. You really had me going there for a while, Kee-Lo. (And I thought you were such a nice chap!)

I'll let you know how I get on with Ubuntu imaging...

Cheers,

Chris

[kee-lo_]

No comment LOL

Good luck with Ubuntu
I always call him Nico anyway

[ChrisOfTheOT]

I had an idea - I thought I'd try and get the USB working from DOS by deception. I've ordered a USB-Firewire adapter. Vaio BIOS will happily work with Firewire from DOS (from what I remember), so I'm hoping that using the Firewire port, with USB adaption, will be a solution.

I'll let you know...

(I gave up on Linux/Ubuntu route 'cos I'm really not smart enough to learn another OS. [:">] Also, it's a very long way around the problem, for me at least.)

Cheers,

Chris

P.S. Big thank you to Nico (Tweety2b) and Michael for the ID change. :smileygrin: