Unable to boot from flash drive after clean install of 11.1

[thenerb]

Refreshing my FreeNAS server with a fresh clean install of FreeNAS 11.1 (box was running 8.3.1 previously). As part of this, I have upgraded to 8GB of RAM and am using a new Sandisk 32GB USB 3.0 flash drive for the boot media. The PC recognizes the flash drive and I'm able to install FreeNAS 11.1 to it from the CD-ROM successfully. Upon reboot, the PC will hang during BIOS initialization and sit idle. It will not move to recognizing RAM or hard-drives. If I pull out the flash drive and restart, the PC will make it past the BIOS initialization and look for a boot device. What's my issue? The PC will still boot fine with FreeNAS 8.3.1 from a Corsair 2GB flash drive.

I also had the same result when installing to a different Kingston 32GB flash drive and even to a generic 4GB flash drive (successful install, won't boot).

Is there a potential compatibility problem with these three flash drives (hard to imagine)? Do I need to format them first in a specific way? Specific BIOS settings? How big of a flash drive do I truly need for a basic FreeNAS install that runs only a single volume comprised of 5 hard-drives running basic settings? Do I need to reflash the BIOS (hard to imagine it wouldn't be set up already to recognize a 4GB flash drive as-is)?

I built my FreeNAS box in 2010 with a higher-end motherboard (Gigabyte GA-880GA-UD3H with USB 3.0 support) and basic 64bit Athlon II X2 210e CPU.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[Chris Moore]

32GB USB 3.0 flash drive

No. You should not use a USB 3.0 drive because they get too hot and don't last.

If I pull out the flash drive and restart, the PC will make it past the BIOS initialization and look for a boot device. What's my issue?

There is a possibility that the computer is not capable of booting to USB 3.0 because some older computers are not able to do that even if they have USB 3.0 ports.
Please post your hardware description per the guide here:

Updated Forum Rules 12/5/18
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/updated-forum-rules-12-5-18.45124/

Is there a potential compatibility problem with these three flash drives (hard to imagine)? Do I need to format them first in a specific way? Specific BIOS settings?

You may need to set the BIOS to 'legacy' mode because some of the early UEFI firmware systems did not work well.

How big of a flash drive do I truly need for a basic FreeNAS install that runs only a single volume comprised of 5 hard-drives running basic settings?

The size of the boot pool is not related to the number of drives in your storage pool. The boot drive can be 8GB on the low side and there is really no maximum, but there may be a maximum size USB flash drive that your system board is capable of using. There is generally nothing wrong with a 32GB boot drive, but your specific system board might have a problem with it.

I built my FreeNAS box in 2010 with a higher-end motherboard (Gigabyte GA-880GA-UD3H with USB 3.0 support) and basic 64bit Athlon II X2 210e CPU.

Please look here:
https://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php?topic=5165.0
Apparently, there is a problem with that board booting from USB 3.0 and it may be solvable with a BIOS update, but it might not ever fully be supported. Best bet, if you were sucessfully booting from USB 2.0, go back to that.
In the long run, this board is close to the end of it's reasonable service life and you should begin planning to build a new system.

 

[Chris Moore]

Also this:
http://chromasoft.blogspot.com/2010/10/solving-dreaded-gigabyte-wont-boot-from.html

 

[thenerb]

@Chris Moore, the plot thickens! First off, thanks for the detailed reply. Really appreciate that.

I have tried booting from USB 2.0 and 3.0 and from multiple ports (including direct on the motherboard). None of this works (though my old 2GB USB flash drive that has 8.3.1 will still boot). I have also now installed FreeNAS 11.1 to four different USB sticks ranging from 4GB to 32GB and NONE of them will boot or even get to the memory and hard drive initialization steps in the boot process. I do have legacy mode turned on in my BIOS settings.

Is there something different about the install or BIOS requirements from 8.3.1 to 11.1 that could cause this?

Any expert ideas on what else I can try? Do I need to tweak some BIOS settings? It is an AWARD BIOS.

P.S. The blog post link you sent will not open

 

[thenerb]

IMG_3599 shows what my system looks like with the FN 11.1 USB sticks inserted... it just hangs and won't initialize
IMG_3598 shows what my system looks like without the USB stick in. Boots normally.

I've tried the tips on other blogs to try inserting the USB stick after initialization and then choosing it from the boot menu. That won't seem to work as the system pauses and gets stuck/crashes when I insert a USB stick anywhere during the boot process or when the boot menu is showing.

Just strange that it will boot fine from the older USB stick with FN 8.3.1, but it won't boot from four other sticks that have 11.1 on them. Very weird.

 

[thenerb]

Bump

 

[thenerb]

Sorry to bump again. Does anyone have any ideas? I'm pulling my hair out trying to figure out this strange issue. I have tried two additional USB sticks including a small 2GB one all with the same problem of it getting stuck during the initialization sequence. It will still boot fine from an older 2GB USB stick that has FN 8.3.1 on it.

Is there something I need to do to the USB stick to make it work properly? Should I try an older version of FN?

Trying to avoid buying a whole new MB/CPU/Memory setup considering how infrequently I use this server.

I have one additional SATA port that is available. Should I try purchasing a small SSD to use as the boot drive?

My MB doesn't support UEFI (legacy BIOS). Can that be an issue?

 

[Chris Moore]

Do I need to tweak some BIOS settings? It is an AWARD BIOS.

Did you update the BIOS to the latest version available?

 

[thenerb]

I gave up and just ordered an SSD since I had an open SATA port. This worked, thankfully. Now having other issues, but I'll post a new thread for that...