Why doesn't my USB Linpus recovery stick boot [Solved weird]

[Sid]

This has been a problem for a while for quite a few people.

I tried using five different machines, 3 x Dell, Toshiba and Sony, to get a bootable USB stick from the Acer recovery CD. Failed nearly every time 99.9%.

Tried the following USB sticks:
Emtec 2gb
Integral flexi 2gb
Dane Elec 4gb
PNY 4gb
Sandisk Cruzer micro skin 8gb

None of them worked!!
The only USB drive that was bootable once in a while was a Sandisk Cruzer micro 8gb.

I decided that this had to be something bonkers, I had done most the logical stuff that I could think of.
I dug out a Lacie Lightscribe drive (16x DVD+-R) and connected it to the One. Booted from the CD and used the option for creating bootable USB drives.
Now it might sound crazy, but every single USB drive listed above (all six) now work! They all boot properly, go figure.
I will test them all with a complete system recovery, somehow I don't think they will fail. More info as I test the full set.

Slightly off track - A question to USB geeks, does anyone know the maximum current available at the One's USB ports?

 

[Sid]

I said I would report back after more testing - All six USB sticks have performed a full Linpus recovery on the One.

It seems that the acer recovery CD doesn't like working in all CD/DVD drives, unless you know different?

 

[acron1]

Could it be that you have to set the boot "flag" after you format the USB drive? :?:

 

[Sid]

Not required, but checked previously anyway.

 

[edgecrush3r]

Could you please specify 'what' exactly fails, when you are trying to install Linplus.
I am having troubles setting up Linplus on my One (120gb XP).
I dont know if this is related, but when i am trying to run the 'Linplus recovery' on my the installer directly 'hangs' on the upcomingt Acer recovery logo (after boot).

Cheers,
Tony

 

[endgame]

I ran into this problem a while back and I have written a tutorial on how to create the USB recovery drive under Windows. You can find the tutorial at http://www.dailycupoftech.com/2008/09/02/diy-acer-aspire-one-recovery-usb-device/.

Endgame