What are these boot options in (ReadyNAS RN312) AMI BIOS? Default boot option 1: SMI USB DISK 1100Default boot option 2: UEFI: SMI USB DISK 1100 Are they both pointing to the same target? Where is that USB disk located?What should I change to boot up TinyCore from a rear USB port?Will ReadyNAS's original "USB disk" be left untouched if I boot up from another USB device? Photos: https://imgur.com/a/cDECXVb

I've not specifically looked at the BIOS options on a 312 (don't have one) or product in the same family, but that seems to allow either a UEFI or legacy BIOS boot-up from the same source just as many other AMI BIOS do. With most BIOS, it will check all USB ports for a bootable drive since it doesn't allow you to choose which one. I think your best bet is to simply try it and see what happens, then let us all know in case we need to follow your lead. One potential problem is that the flash memory on at least most ReadyNAS is actually a USB device. So if it finds that one first, it's going to boot from it. On a legacy NAS, I know it will find the front USB port before the internal one, so try that first. Unless you go in and make changes yourself, there is no reason that booting to an alternative OS will change anything in the boot PROM. But your new OS may expose it to change, so you'll just have to be careful not to. Once exposed, you will probably want to make a copy of the contents with dd (if using a Linux alternative) or some other drive imaging process just in case.

did you see the second pic of your first post? there is a "disable" option. do this twice, both of the default USB option will be left out. I guess the way it works is: the default order is built into the bios. If you disable the first, the second will become the first. Disable that again, the third will become the first.

I solved it!I blame TinyCore for this.* Today I tested to boot up OpenMediaVault (with same USB stick as for TinyCore) and it presented itself with both legacy and UEFI. I tested both and RN312 could boot from both OMV's legacy and UEFI and the setting stuck in BIOS! Now the machine boots up from the OMV external USB every time. OMV boot could be place in position/slot number 3 and having internal flash in 1 and 2 disabled. Or setting OMV in position 1. So the external boot priority position could be elevated/moved, the critical thing was that internal flash was not enabled with higher priority than the external boot. No other setting needed to be changed in BIOS. This also explains why most users don't report any problems booting from external USB. They where lucky with a boot device that was fully compatible ReadyNAS OS's BIOS. * Note: TinyCore only had legacy boot.

Legacy and UEFI boot seems logical. I managed to boot up TinyCore by changing boot order settings (and also boot override on the Save & Exit tab). Although I saved and exited after changing boot order, on next boot up the ReadyNAS PROM was back to boot before the USB. One annoying thing is that ReadyNAS doesn't make any difference between the USB ports. Maybe somewhere internally, but in BIOS they all show up as 'USB Flash Disk 1100'. Photos, part 2: https://imgur.com/a/nJk8rZnPhoto 2.1 where I changed the boot order.Photo 2.2 default boot order is back after reboot (and in this case the USB stick was removed)Photo 2.3 more settings under advanced. There might be some setting that is forcing internal boot first. There are several settings under Advanced and Boot that I don't know what they stand for. Like: GateA20 Active, Option ROM Messages, INT19 Trap Response, CSM Support. And under Advanced: Launch Storage OpROM, Ut165 USB2FlashStrong.

eton wrote: One annoying thing is that ReadyNAS doesn't make any difference between the USB ports. Except of the special USB Recovery Tool-on-my ReadyNAS OS 6 storage-system there is no design reason any RN should ever boot from a different boot device, like a random USB port.

AMI BIOS boot options? | NETGEAR Communities

20 Replies

Sandshark
Sensei
Apr 14, 2023
I've not specifically looked at the BIOS options on a 312 (don't have one) or product in the same family, but that seems to allow either a UEFI or legacy BIOS boot-up from the same source just as many other AMI BIOS do. With most BIOS, it will check all USB ports for a bootable drive since it doesn't allow you to choose which one. I think your best bet is to simply try it and see what happens, then let us all know in case we need to follow your lead. One potential problem is that the flash memory on at least most ReadyNAS is actually a USB device. So if it finds that one first, it's going to boot from it. On a legacy NAS, I know it will find the front USB port before the internal one, so try that first.

Unless you go in and make changes yourself, there is no reason that booting to an alternative OS will change anything in the boot PROM. But your new OS may expose it to change, so you'll just have to be careful not to. Once exposed, you will probably want to make a copy of the contents with dd (if using a Linux alternative) or some other drive imaging process just in case.
- eton
  Luminary
  Apr 14, 2023
  Legacy and UEFI boot seems logical.
  
  I managed to boot up TinyCore by changing boot order settings (and also boot override on the Save & Exit tab). Although I saved and exited after changing boot order, on next boot up the ReadyNAS PROM was back to boot before the USB.
  
  One annoying thing is that ReadyNAS doesn't make any difference between the USB ports. Maybe somewhere internally, but in BIOS they all show up as 'USB Flash Disk 1100'.
  
  Photos, part 2: https://imgur.com/a/nJk8rZn
  Photo 2.1 where I changed the boot order.
  Photo 2.2 default boot order is back after reboot (and in this case the USB stick was removed)
  Photo 2.3 more settings under advanced.
  
  There might be some setting that is forcing internal boot first. There are several settings under Advanced and Boot that I don't know what they stand for. Like: GateA20 Active, Option ROM Messages, INT19 Trap Response, CSM Support. And under Advanced: Launch Storage OpROM, Ut165 USB2FlashStrong.
  - schumaku
    Guru
    Apr 14, 2023
    eton wrote:
    
    One annoying thing is that ReadyNAS doesn't make any difference between the USB ports.
    
    Except of the special USB Recovery Tool-on-my ReadyNAS OS 6 storage-system there is no design reason any RN should ever boot from a different boot device, like a random USB port.
- biooblogs
  Aspirant
  Sep 20, 2023
  It appears that, based on typical AMI BIOS behavior, the ReadyNAS 312 or similar devices may allow both UEFI and legacy BIOS boot options from the same source. Most BIOS systems check all USB ports for bootable drives and don't typically offer the option to choose a specific one. To determine if it works in your case, it's advisable to try the boot process and share your findings with the community, as this information could be valuable for others facing similar situations.
  A potential issue to consider is that the flash memory on many ReadyNAS devices is essentially treated as a USB device. If it detects this USB device before other internal ones, it may attempt to boot from it. On legacy NAS systems, it often detects the front USB port first, so it's worth trying that one initially.
  Unless you actively make changes to the boot PROM yourself, booting to an alternative OS should not inherently alter anything in the boot PROM. However, your new OS might expose the boot PROM to potential changes, so exercise caution not to modify it unintentionally. If it becomes exposed, creating a backup of its contents using tools like 'dd' in a Linux alternative or another drive imaging process is a prudent step in case you need to restore it to its original state.

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AMI BIOS boot options?

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