Retina MBP: Unable to boot USB???

[flattyre]

My 13" MBP retina, fully updated as of today is and has never been able to boot from USB. I'm talking both Linux and OS X USB drives which are no problem to boot in other machines, including some older Macs. I've tried refind without any luck. The computer simply doesn't seem to see any USB drives until booted. No problems using USB 2 / 3 devices in ML.

I've read about people booting Linux on these Retinas using normal dd of the image to a USB key so what gives? Am I doing something wrong or some new machines just unable to boot USB?

*I should mention the computer does boot from the SD slot.

 

[flattyre]

Also, linux distros booted from the SD don't boot all the way because they can't seem to find the SD card after getting a handoff from GRUB...

 

[Yahooligan]

So, just to make sure, when you're trying to boot off the USB drive you're holding down the "option" key to bring up the list of devices that you can boot off of and you're not seeing the USB drive? Or are you inserting the USB drive and expecting it to automatically boot off of it without any intervention?

I've had no problem getting my 15" rMBP to boot off of a USB memory stick via the "option" key boot menu.

 

[flattyre]

That's correct. I'm holding down option and USB devices simply do not show up no matter what they are. I can boot from these USB images on other PCs and Macs. It seems like the USB ports aren't even being queried because one of my USB keys lights up whenever being accessed and it stays dead totally dead during the option-startup.

When I hold down option with a bootable SD card inserted, it does allow me to select and boot an OS that way.

 

[Yahooligan]

Are you plugging the USB devices directly into the rMBP's USB ports or are you plugging them into a USB hub?

 

[flattyre]

Directly into the rMBP. Both ports, no results.

 

[priitv8]

How is your USB stick partitioned / formatted?
PS I just created myself a USB pendrive for Mavericks and my 15" rMBP has no problem with booting from USB stick. Except for extreme slowness, of course. My stick has GPT partition table and journaled HFS+ filesystem, just like a regular Mac boot drive.