Boot failure after fresh install, BIOS/UEFI (circa 2013 motherboard)

[jonassimpson]

Hi,

CPU: i5-3450
Motherboard: Acer B75H2-AM

Symptom: fresh install of TrueNAS-12.0-U3 completes normally but does not boot, system does not recognize SATA SSD as bootable

- basic install, no customization during install, guided partitioning, using full disk
- same result whether choosing Boot from UEFI or Boot from BIOS during install
- tested with three different SATA SSDs (32 GB mSATA, 128 GB SATA, 256 GB SATA, different brands, all wiped before starting)

Ideas/notes:
- motherboard has early UEFI support, no BIOS options to specify Legacy/BIOS vs UEFI and no EFI shell (that I can find)
- Windows installs and other OSes, and bootable USB keys show up in boot menu with both BIOS and UEFI option, so BIOS seems to support both
- other installs and results:
+ FreeNAS-11.3-U5 - identical to TrueNAS, installs but on restart boot drive is not recognized as bootable
+ FreeNAS-11.0 - identical to TrueNAS, installs but on restart boot drive is not recognized as bootable
+ FreeBSD-12.2 - installs and boots without any problems using default install selections
+ FreeNAS-9.3 - identical to TrueNAS, installs but on restart boot drive is not recognized as bootable
- BIOS has been updated to latest version, reset to defaults, any obvious boot options have been set/reset

I've attached two screenshots, one of the disk layout produced by TrueNAS (that doesn't boot) and another produced by FreeBSD (that does boot), in case that offers some insight into why one succeeds and the other fails.

Could it be that my system won't boot from a GPT partitioned boot drive? Is it possible to install TrueNAS to a MBR partitioned boot drive and, if so, how?

TIA,

JS

 

[jonassimpson]

Okay, so more experimentation...

I can install and boot FreeNAS-9.2.1.9 fine... and when I look it's creating an MBR partitioned boot drive. I then tried to upgrade to FreeNAS 9.3 through the GUI using the file "FreeNAS-9.3-STABLE-201506292332.GUI_Upgrade.txz". It appears that during the upgrade the disk is repartitioned and then when the system restarts it is again unbootable. When I look via the shell through the FreeNAS installer I see the boot drive is now GPT partitioned.

So, with those hints I did find references to similar problems others had when upgrading from 9.2 to 9.3 and the suggestion of a 'hybrid' MBR disk using gdisk offering a workaround. I'm reluctant to go that route and I guess I'm just wondering whether there is an accepted method of using an MBR partitioned boot drive with (ideally) FreeNAS 11 or TrueNAS 12.

Although a few years old, my hardware is no slouch (quad-core 3rd Gen i5, 16 GB RAM, onboard Broadcom GbE) so it seems reasonable to hope it could be used.

Thanks again,

JS

 

[executer]

Hi!

Tricky boot with AsRock q2900-itx

Hello, community. I have been spent few days with strange situation: fresh install not boots up. Boot devices tested are: mSATA 32 GB cards and sata HDD 500 GB. Could not make it bootable. Installation was done from USB 2.0 USB Stick with FreeNAS-11.3-U5.iso. USB3.0 sticks also was not good for...

www.truenas.com

Check it, looks like Im in similarproblem - SATA could not boots. I manage to to run server boots from USB and continues on SATA

 

[zis8snbt4p]

Do you by any chance use an HBA?

 

[mthompson2100]

was this problem ever solved? I am having the same issue except it will boot if I use a usb to SATA connector and plug into my usb port on the front. But when I plug directly into my SATA connector it fails to recognize it as a boot device.

 

[Skoal262]

Old thread current problem. I'm using truenas scale 22.02.4 on second gen Intel dh67bl main board. Exact same issue. Side note: investigating the current installer it does use a hybrid master boot record partition on a gpt disk. (Some real blag magic voodoo work if you ask me). But it still won't boot. UNLESS I use my bios f10 boot menu and it boots just fine. Ever try doing that? Giant p.i.t.a. but short term it's a temp solution to get up and running.

 

[Morris]

Old thread current problem. I'm using truenas scale 22.02.4 on second gen Intel dh67bl main board. Exact same issue. Side note: investigating the current installer it does use a hybrid master boot record partition on a gpt disk. (Some real blag magic voodoo work if you ask me). But it still won't boot. UNLESS I use my bios f10 boot menu and it boots just fine. Ever try doing that? Giant p.i.t.a. but short term it's a temp solution to get up and running.

Is your SSD the first device in the boot priority list? If you are having trouble making it first, shut down, disconnect all the other disks and try again.

 

[Skoal262]

Is your SSD the first device in the boot priority list? If you are having trouble making it first, shut down, disconnect all the other disks and try again.

Yes it sure is. Tried removing everything, dvd drive, anything USB (including mouse and keyboard), all other hdds and nada. No bootable device found. Ctl+alt+del f10 select my hdd and bam grub loads and truenas boots.

 

[HITMAN]

Set in BIOS deault boot drive, check UEFI / Legacy boot options.