Help - Creating a Boot USB

[simon.a.wright]

Hi,
I have downloaded the latest TrueNAS 12.0-U2.1 ISO and tried to make a bootable USB using Rufus, Balana Etcher and Image USB on my Windows laptop. When I plug the USB into my HP Proliant Microserver Gen8, if fails with the message "PXE-E61:Media Test Failure, check cable", indicating there is an issue with the USB image. When I plug in an old FreeNAS bootable USB 11.3 - U4.1, it is recognized and the boot sequence commences.
Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[pschatz100]

If you have an 11.3 installer that works, you could install FreeNAS 11.3 then upgrade to TrueNAS 12.0. At the end of the day, that might be less work.

 

[simon.a.wright]

If you have an 11.3 installer that works, you could install FreeNAS 11.3 then upgrade to TrueNAS 12.0. At the end of the day, that might be less work.

Thanks. Unfortunately the boot USB with 11.3 installer starts, but does not complete when booting up the server...which is why I am starting with TrueNAS. Can you recommend the step and utilities to make the bootable USB?

 

[pschatz100]

I would do some searches in the forum for problems related to setting up Proliant Gen8 machines. There have been numerous posts about that machine and you might find some helpful information. By the way, you have at least 8Gb of RAM? Yes?

Thanks. Unfortunately the boot USB with 11.3 installer starts, but does not complete when booting up the server...which is why I am starting with TrueNAS. Can you recommend the step and utilities to make the bootable USB?

This is not a very clear description of your problem. More details would be helpful.

 

[simon.a.wright]

I would do some searches in the forum for problems related to setting up Proliant Gen8 machines. There have been numerous posts about that machine and you might find some helpful information. By the way, you have at least 8Gb of RAM? Yes?

This is not a very clear description of your problem. More details would be helpful.

Yes there is 16 GIG of memory in the server. I am not sure what else to say about the issue...I am simply struggling to make a bootable USB using the TrueNAS ISO...what could I be doing wrong?

 

[Redcoat]

Unfortunately the boot USB with 11.3 installer starts, but does not complete when booting up the server...

What happens when it "does not complete" - what error messages, etc.?

Are you using a USB3? USB2 keys have reported as more reliable.

 

[simon.a.wright]

What happens when it "does not complete" - what error messages, etc.?

Are you using a USB3? USB2 keys have reported as more reliable.

I am using a USB stick in the server chassis, it has been running for 4+ years. There isn't an error message as such...the startup stalls at "middlewared: setting up plugins (pwenc) [2/35]"

 

[simon.a.wright]

Issue resolved - I purchased another USB key (different brand), and it worked perfectly with the RUFUS utility.

 

[pschatz100]

USB Flash drives are notoriously unreliable. Even more so on recent versions of TrueNAS because they do a lot more writes to the system disk than older FreeNAS from a few years ago. If you got 4 years out of a Flash drive, you definitely got your money's worth.