Trying to get my system back to where it stands a chance of recovering from a crash and/or circumstances preventing it booting to Windows and/or the 'DOS' screen (where booting to safe mode and other options are offered?).

I say "back" because I had the laptop's optical drive (DVD/CD-ROM) physically removed, and I now realize, if it ever comes to it, I've no means in using a boot and/or the VAIO's recovery disk.

So I'm left to assuming that aside from right away replacing that drive, I should be setting things up for emergency booting off my USB 4GB pendrive or less desirable is using my 2.0 USB PlugnPlay optical drive (DVD-RAM*).

While fully Windows XP compatable and was mfgrd at the same time as my 2004 VAIO, it may as last resort, wouldn't be problematic in successfully using it (ie; reads all disks; CD-R, CD-RW, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM singles and dual, DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-VIDEO and DVD-RAM), but more desirable would be the use of the pen drive as it can easily accomodate the data from the recorvery CD-ROM (assuming I can copy it and or use its data off the NTSC USB 2.0 pen drive.

But how to set up the BIOS for reading a boot or restore disk? As the Bios is currently still set for using the now missing onboard optical drive, would it be as simple as changing the setting for "optical drive" (if using that instead of the pen drive)?

I mention the pen drive as it seems a more reliable means of storing and perhaps even configuring things for its use, but how to set that up in the Bios is the question.

The BIOS is a Phoenix R0110X1, but I know just about enough to get myself into real trouble by changing much if anything in it.

Regards and hap-e-trails, Steve Hopper

Oops. pen drives CDFS not NTSC. Still seems even more suitable.

Regards and hap-e-trails, Steve Hopper

When you plug in the external optical drive, the BIOS should recognize it and you should be able to select it to boot before the hard drive. You may have to select other menu options first before being to choose the external optical drive. If the internal optical drive was removed, it should not even be an option in the BIOS.

Thank you for replying.

Your reply might indicate your willingness to help only with respect to my new optical drive being recognized in the Bios.

I would prefer to set the Bios up for ('emergency') booting from those file contained in my recovery drive's CD-ROM, those being now stored as an exact image my CDFS formatted pen drive (that format matches the original format of the actual CD-ROM disk).

The image/file folder ("RDVD1 (F)") is as I understand it, an exact copy of the CD-ROM's recovery disk which I expect can be used just as the CD-ROM disk would be.

But I'm just about clueless as to how I'd set that up in the Bios.

With respect to you kind comments, I read into it that you might have been indicating that the current Bios's settings should have already detected my new optical drive for booting.

But I understood that Bios's must have boot drive's re-directed from their default or last such setup drive.

As for what it is I'm hoping to do, it first seems I'd need to confirm that the Bios boot no longer points to any optical drive and second, that somewhere on the boot tab's pane, the pathway and/or usb port/pen drive be entered.

Granted the no brainer that the pen drive's pathway would only be correct when using the same specific USB port while also assuring all other external devices were disconnected if ever needing the recovery disk's image on the USB pen drive.

If what I'm asking is readily feasible, it's my preferred means of storing, accessing and relying on the recovery CD-ROM's files, its user interface, etc.

And as for my checking for what optical drive the Bios lists, the boot tab's entries aren't listing any optical drives as far as I can tell (ie; that item doesn't expand to list any drive names).

Instead the only drive listed is my VAIO's Hitachi HD.

As such, I'm left to surmise that the now no longer detected (removed optical drive) has caused the Bios to no longer list any optical drive and won't list it again until its someday been physically replaced.

Nevertheless, if you consider my aim feasible and are still interested and capable of helping, my Bios tab entries are...

Boot -
Optical Drive
Floppy Disk Drive
-Hard Disk Drive
Hitachi)DK23FA-80-(PM)
Network

Parallel Port
UMA Video Memory Size: (64MB)
Network Boot: (Disabled)
bla-bla

Advanced -
Primary IDE Adapter: 80026MB
Secondary IDE Adapter: None

So if affordable and feasible, I really appreciate your responding.

Regards and hap-e-trails, Steve Hopper

I feel pretty confident in saying that your recovery software will not work when copied to a different media.

But it 'might' be possible to use an imaging program like Ghost to make an image on a pen drive and restore your system from it. Of course that would depend on the size of your system and if the image is small enough to fit on the pen drive.

Your best (safest) bet would be to reinstall an optical drive.

"I read into it that you might have been indicating that the current Bios's settings should have already detected my new optical drive for booting. "
I meant that the new optical drive should have been detected, but not necessarily for booting. You would have to set that in the BIOS.
"And as for my checking for what optical drive the Bios lists, the boot tab's entries aren't listing any optical drives as far as I can tell (ie; that item doesn't expand to list any drive names)."
When you plug in the external drive, it should be detected in the BIOS.
I agree with Aegis: "Your best (safest) bet would be to reinstall an optical drive."
But I think you could use the external optical drive to restore an image.

Thank you for responding, both of you. This forum hosts so many talented and giving people. Now days, that's remarkable.

Okay, having mulled this over, 'strong willed' that I am, just have to ask why the consensus against using a suitablly sized pen drive formatted 'exactly' as the original recovery disk's CD-ROM.

I won't beleager the issue, yet before giving up on a clearly a better storage medium, what's so inhibitive about the pen drive?

Understandably loading system boot drivers and/or potentially also using the CD-ROM's other files to recover essential applications are very critical, but would it be unsafe or maybe just useless to test the pen driven recovery 'disk' while the system is in good shape as if it failed, shouldn't the system readily re-boot with it's current drivers?

Or could loading them partially and/or corrupted irreversibly muck up the boot files (given that the I wouldn't thereafter have any means to use an optical drive and then use the recovery disk)?

I apologize for asking, but as explained, since I'll be replacing the onboard optical drive, it just seems to make sense to leave the Bios alone (in that one respect), and to simply designate another external means of accessing the boot files.

Obviously I'm way out of my league by even discussing boot files, yet I do recall seeing them load even w/o a boot and/or recovery disk.

And granted some boot issues might require more than just loading the drivers (ie; a boot disk or recovery disk) and as such I'm assuming the VAIO's recovery disk offers both, but are we thinking that the CD-ROM has been protected and the copying of it would have proceed w/o RMA or whatever preventing it, and/or that my pen drive 'image' of it just can't possibly work?

Regards and hap-e-trails, Steve Hopper