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USB bootup question
Dexter:
I'm planning on buying a new motherboard to install in my arcade cabinet that can boot from usb. My idea is to use a small usb pendrive with Arcadeos etc. installed on it so that the machine will boot to menu as quick as possible.
It should be possible to even fit Win98se, Gamelauncher and a few other bits and pieces onto a 256MB or 512 MB pendrive, will this make a huge difference if I decide to go the windows route with the cabinet?
Has anybody else tried this and have you ran into any problems??
Thanks in avance
Dexter
paigeoliver:
Just use DOS on a harddrive. 95 percent of the boot time on a modern DOS system is in the pre-boot process. (All that RAM counting, and farting around before it decides to actually start loading the operating system)/
That pen drive would probably only save you a half second, if even that. It could also quite possibly be a lot slower, as a modern hard drive has a much higher transfer speed than what a USB port has.
Dexter:
Ta for the info, I think you can switch off the ram test on bootup on most motherboards, yes??
Dexter
paigeoliver:
Yes. But even with every speed up option on, you are still looking at 10 or 20 seconds between the time you turn on the power button, and when the comp starts loading the OS. DOS can load in around a second on a newer PC.
Dexter:
Cool, that should do it, thanks again!
Dexter