Helpppp! Dell Latitude 5501

[FurFace]

Hi

I have a Dell Latitude 5501, with Windows 11 and I cannot get it to boot into DOS for SpinRite, etc. please tell me what I am doing wrong!

I have created a bootable USB using "Bootable" all is good.
I have made the following BIOS changes: Secure Boot = Disable, Secure Boot Mode =Audit, There is no option for any legacy support, UEFI Boot Path Security = Always.

I have created a new "Boot from USB" option, after Windows Boot Manager, NIS, USB 4 NIC, USB 6 NIC, etc. I have picked the USB drive from the device list. I have left the file type blank.

Each time I f12 and pick the USB option, it fails to a diagnostic screen, with a memory test, etc.

Thank you

 

[Scott]

@FurFace , your message is a little unclear. Does Bootable work but SpinRite won’t? Or BootAble doesn’t work?

If it’s the latter (Bootable won’t boot) then your computer is too new to run FreeDOS and SpinRite - that is, it’s UEFI only and does not have a Legacy / compatibility mode. I know Dell systems from around 2019 and newer are UEFI only.

There is a way to run SpinRite on UEFI only systems but it is unsupported by GRC and requires a lot of PC knowledge; it’s documented on the forum but you would do it at your own risk.

 

[PHolder]

There is no option for any legacy support

If you can't do legacy booting, you can't directly boot FreeDOS to run SpinRite versions lower than 7 (which doesn't exist yet.) You would be looking for a setting related to the Compatibility Support Module (CSM.)

As @Scott mentions you can do so using virtual machines, but this is potentially challenging for the inexperienced and is not supported by GRC. (You may get some best effort support here, but there's no guarantees.)

 

[FurFace]

Thank you both,

Bootable does not boot to DOS, so I think I am stuck with to new a machine. If my laptop gives me enough problems I will put the time in to make a virtual machine, else i'll wait for V7. Thank you

 

[PHolder]

new a machine

If you're desperate to run SpinRite, and are willing to deal with the removal of a drive from a machine that can't legacy boot to connect it to a device that is know to be able to legacy boot, there is always the option of either acquiring an older used machine like off EBay, or one of the ZimaBoard devices which are what Steve has used during his development. You can find more info on the ZimaBoard on their site https://shop.zimaboard.com/en-ca/products/zimaboard-single-board-server and by searching for other posts here on the forums. (Amazon carries them as well, I believe, and you would also want the beefier power supply from Amazon if you needed it to power spinning media drives.)

 

[Bplayer]

Unless you have additional needs for another machine (used or ZimaBoard), a more economical route would be a fast SSD in a case that is used for the VM solution that @Scott referred to. The SSD can be repurposed or added to after for things like storing backups. This is far more practical than trying to opening a new laptop and removing the SSD.

The instructions laid out for the building the process are very clear and I would say risk free. I have used it on a variety of new and old laptops and a Desktop.