I know this is an ongoing horror story and I've been reading threads
about it for an hour now. I still can't seem to find the answer.

Can anyone give me specific model numbers of which drives (USB,
PCMCIA, whatever) will boot the Toshiba Portege 3500 and bring up the
recovery disk? I've had my tabletpc for about a year and the O/S
*really* needs to be reinstalled (and Toshiba tech support informs me
that I'll be charged for that, even though the system occasionally
freezes).

I do understand the issue with it not booting from USB, but some
people allege to be able to. I'm just trying to find out what specific
models they used.

Conversely, if you used a PC card drive *other* than the one Toshiba
sells, I wouldn't mind the details there either.

Ideally I would like to go buy something at Best Buy or CompUSA rather
than have to order the external drive online.

Thanks in advance.

I have in my notes that these are bootable, but I dont own any of them. If
any one who does knows otherwise please let us know.

Sony DRX-500ULX DVD+ - RW +- R usb 2.0 External
Sony DRU-500A
Liteon Slim Combo


Linda A. Epstein
Microsoft MVP Tablet PC
Editor/Publisher: www.TabletPc2.com



"kieyra" <kieyra******.com> wrote in message
news:9753a994.0403110826.c52605@posting.google.com ...
> I know this is an ongoing horror story and I've been reading threads
> about it for an hour now. I still can't seem to find the answer.
>
> Can anyone give me specific model numbers of which drives (USB,
> PCMCIA, whatever) will boot the Toshiba Portege 3500 and bring up the
> recovery disk? I've had my tabletpc for about a year and the O/S
> *really* needs to be reinstalled (and Toshiba tech support informs me
> that I'll be charged for that, even though the system occasionally
> freezes).
>
> I do understand the issue with it not booting from USB, but some
> people allege to be able to. I'm just trying to find out what specific
> models they used.
>
> Conversely, if you used a PC card drive *other* than the one Toshiba
> sells, I wouldn't mind the details there either.
>
> Ideally I would like to go buy something at Best Buy or CompUSA rather
> than have to order the external drive online.
>
> Thanks in advance.

why don't you buy the one off the toshiba website?

The Targus Noteworthy DVD/CDRW PCMCIA drive works (code: NW930).

"kieyra" <kieyra******.com> wrote in message
news:9753a994.0403110826.c52605@posting.google.com ...
> I know this is an ongoing horror story and I've been reading threads
> about it for an hour now. I still can't seem to find the answer.
>
> Can anyone give me specific model numbers of which drives (USB,
> PCMCIA, whatever) will boot the Toshiba Portege 3500 and bring up the
> recovery disk? I've had my tabletpc for about a year and the O/S
> *really* needs to be reinstalled (and Toshiba tech support informs me
> that I'll be charged for that, even though the system occasionally
> freezes).
>
> I do understand the issue with it not booting from USB, but some
> people allege to be able to. I'm just trying to find out what specific
> models they used.
>
> Conversely, if you used a PC card drive *other* than the one Toshiba
> sells, I wouldn't mind the details there either.
>
> Ideally I would like to go buy something at Best Buy or CompUSA rather
> than have to order the external drive online.
>
> Thanks in advance.

No you can't use them all. You just can use usb floppy drive to do it, and one of the cdrom/dvdrom plugged into another usb.

I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, TRIED EVERYTHING. HERE IS THE ONLY THING TO DO. ORDER THE EXTERNAL CDROM FOR THE PROTEGE 3500 AND IT WILL BOOT UP. NO OTHER AFTERMARKET USB DRIVE OR OTHER WILL WORK. IF YOU GO TO THE TARGUS NOTEWORTHY SITE, THEY WONT SELL U THE CDROM DRIVE THAT TOSHIBA HAS SO BUY THE ONE FROM TOSHIBA. ITS OVERPRICED BUT WHAT CAN U DO.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tonight I was successful in using a desktop DVDR/RW just with a USB adapter cable, I booted to the restore CD set and have fully configured the tablet. I had no luck with any other USB drive. The desktop dvd writer is a sony DW-Q120A, maybe other drives would also work.

Okay. So let me get this straight (I realize some of it is gonna sound a bit stupid).

If I got the (say for example the) Sony DW-Q120A, I would have to also get an enclosure for it? Then I put it in the enclosure, and just plug it into a USB port... and then it would let me boot from the CD?

I thought booting from a USB drive doesn't work on the portege.

I'm also a bit new at this - so excuse me for that. How come I can't boot from a regular external ROM drive? Or even, how come I can't boot from an external hard drive with the CD contents on it? (So I don't have to buy an external ROM drive).

Thanks

i just ordered a targus off ebay
so once i get it, just plug in and play?
thanks
jl

help?! jmki

I was able to boot to CD using a LiteOn External CD /DVC (Model DX-20A4PU-06).

What I had to do was first read from the CD using another computer - this spun up the disk. Then I was able to boot to CD using the BIOS option. If I dind't spin up the disk it wouldn't even try and the Portege would fail to boot.

I hope that helps :)

deavod is correct! HA.. I just booted into my portege 3505 from my Lite On dx-20a3h-05. It sounds goofy but I tried for about a half-hour before reading this post. It simply would ignore the external cd/dvd drive. Then ,this is exactly what i did: I plugged the external drive into my Imac them when it spinned up I quickly unplugged it, turned on the portege then quickly plugged it into the usb of the portege-- all within a second or two. BTW, the bios is set to boot from cd. It actually worked and booted into the xp install disk!!
Lite-On DX-20A3H-05