Gateway LT41P05u no bootable device

[Ruddman20]

Hello. I've been trying to re-install windows or even Linux on this thing and have never seen anything like this.

I've tried numerous times and numerous ways to create a bootable USB drive to install on here to no avail. It's like it doesn't even seen see the USB thumb drive or even my USB DVD drive.

I thought maybe I needed a BiOS update(mine 2.03 32bit) as the BiOS is out of date(newest 2.13 32bit) but I have no way to update it. Was thinking maybe that is why USB functionality is not working? How can I update the BiOS with no windows access on the machine and no working USB functionality?

I've pulled the harddrive and installed numerous OS's on it and each time put it back in to no avail. Still says "No bootable device", yet I can place it back in another laptop and it loads up just fine. I even took a hard drive from another working laptop and put it inside and says the same. Oddly enough though the BiOS recognizes each hard drive.

Here is a shot of the F12 boot manager. Literally has no options to choose.

I'm really at a loss for what I can do to get this thing running again, in some form. Any ideas or a direction to try may shed some light or even spitball into the solution! Thanks

 

[Saga Lout]

Look through the BIOS settings for one named USB Legacy Support. If that isn't set to Enabled, there's no power to the USB Ports until the operating system cuts in.

From then on, it's a case of finding which Function key to change the boot order as a one-off. It's often F12.

 

[Ruddman20]

I have figured out the solution and it was a PAIN. The BiOS needed to be updated. Since this was a UEFI BiOS, as it came with Windows 8. I had to format a USB stick with the Partition format of GPT(required for UEFI boot). Then load Windows 8 on it. Rufus wouldn't do the trick for me since it kept saying I needed an EFI supported ISO of the Windows installation. I found a program called ISO2Disc and it worked like a charm for formatting the right partition and then burning on the ISO onto the USB stick. This was the only way I was able to get the computer to recognize anything on USB. After I installed Windows I was able to update the BiOS from 2.03 to 2.13 which now allowed me Legacy support and fixed many BiOS issues with this machine. I found no other way to update the BiOS(to gain Legacy support) without having Windows installed, So be mindful before wiping a current install that BiOS is up to date. I'm now running Linux Mint "Cinnamon" on this baby and its going smooth as can be.

 

[Saga Lout]

Well done. Cinnamon is a good choice.

Was there not a setting to drop UEFI?