Check which key to hit to boot from USB or CD?

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+2 Q:

Check which key to hit to boot from USB or CD?

I need to check which key the user must hit to boot their PC from a USB key or a CD.

Does it depend on the BIOS maker, or on the maker/model of the motherboard?

I was told about the nice, open-source Speccy to get some information on the hardware, but is there a library that I could use to get the same info from a (.Net) program and tell users precisely which key to hit on their very own computer?

Thank you.

At the stage you want to press enter or key, .NET will never be available.

leppie 2010-08-23 10:28:01

I meant that I'd like to find/write an application (preferable in .Net) that the user would run in Windows and would tell them which key to hit after rebooting.

2010-08-24 11:37:55

+1 A:

There is no way you'll be able to find this out without building a comprehensive library of every single type of motherboard and manufacturer ever made, including any BIOS updates that might change it.

You should just ask the user to follow on-screen instructions when their computer to boots to select the boot device, and maybe offer some likely suggestions ("It will ask you to press a function key...")

SLC 2010-08-23 10:30:31

So there's no 80/20 rule to handle most requests :-/

2010-08-24 11:40:08

Every machine I've had it has been different. Old machines you had to change the boot order in the bios, then my first dell machine said F12 to select a boot device. Some BIOS' say press DEL, some say F2, some prompt you after the initial screen has gone.

SLC 2010-08-24 15:02:11

ansaurus

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Check which key to hit to boot from USB or CD?

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