BIOS entry problem
Pressing F2 to enter Bios or Alt+F2 to update BIOS or ESC worked about 1:1000 tries on my netbook, using external keyboard made no difference, pressing at certain time made no difference. Its just a case of persistence and this problem went away when i updated from BIOS 1703 to the latest BIOS.
Asus support website search
(
http://support.asus.com/download)
Finds nothing for "eee pc 901" use "pc 901" instead
http://support.asus.com/Download.aspx?SLanguage=en&m=Eee+PC+901%2fLinux&p=20&s=1
Anyway on this page select your OS, then BIOS, then download the latest BIOS.
Setting up the USB pen
To update bios you need a USB pen format fat 16, with a partition about 1GB, windows disk management and format doesnt provide options to format in FAT and set USB pen partition.
So we use diskpart to sort this: open command prompt, type diskpart
type: list disk
then return, see which disk your usb disk is (dont make a mistake here!)
and type: select disk [number], where [number] is your usb disk number from list disk ie: 2
type: list partition
just have a look
and type: select partition 1
type: list volume
work out which is the usb disk partition
and type: select volume [drive letter], where [drive letter] is your usb disk volume ie: F
type: clean
this will kill any partitions on the selected disk
type: create partition primary size=1024
this creates a partition
type: active
type: format FS=FAT
type: exit
now rename the .ROM to 901.ROM and put it on the USB drive, stick USB drive in 901, boot the 901 and press ALT-F2 at BIOS start, it will check the usb drive and update automatically from here.
"901.ROM" not found on USB device
ok the solution here was to use an older usb drive it wouldn't accept the 16GB usb pen I used, so I pulled the 1GB microSD from my phone which was conveniently formatted FAT and put it in my microSD to USB converter, put 901.ROM file on and finally updated the BIOS, I think any older usb pen will do though.
I've read people solved this problem inserting the usb pen in the left usb slot.
Creating an ubuntu install USB pen
Download the latest TLS desktop 32bit.
http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop
Download
Universal-USB-Installer and run it
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/
Select Ubuntu XX.XX desktop
Browse to the iso you downloaded
select the usb drive
click create
Installing ubuntu from usb pen
insert usb pen
turn on 901
hit F2 to go into bios
goto boot menu
set usb pen as 1st in drives,
set usb pen 1st boot priority
goto exit
save changes and exit
on boot you'll be presented with a list of options, select install ubuntu on a hard disk
