USB fails to boot / is not recognized as bootable disk after several tries of new installs etc.

[unyielding-ache7219]

Hello there,

 

I recently set up a basic unraid server. After some time i got the notification, that my usb drive is broken, and must be replaced. After that, i ordered a Intenso 32GB Speedline USB Stick to replace the dying old one. Sadly, i cannot get the usb creator to use an existing backup of the old usb drive. It alsways gets stuck on syncing file system. I also tried flashing a new install on it and then manually copying the config folder onto it to transfer my config. Sadly that also didn´t work, as both times, with the new install and with the copied config folder, my "server" said, that the stick is not a bootable drive. I also installed a new BIOS version, just in case, but that also didn´t work. 

Any way i can fix this to get my old and running server back?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Adrian

[unyielding-ache7219]

My Hardware is pretty simple, an i5-8600k, 32gb of ddr4 ram, on a msi z370 a pro board, i recently installed a new 4tb seasonic hdd, and before that only had a 250gb ssd fron western digital installed. 

[Hoopster]

11 minutes ago, unyielding-ache7219 said:

with the new install and with the copied config folder, my "server" said, that the stick is not a bootable drive

Did you run the appropriate make_bootable file (Windows, Mac or Linux) from the /config folder on the flash drive after the manual install attempt?

[JorgeB]

Also make sure you rename EFI- to EFI if booting UEFI.

 

P.S. for UEFI boot no need to run make_bootable.

[unyielding-ache7219]

3 hours ago, Hoopster said:

Did you run the appropriate make_bootable file (Windows, Mac or Linux) from the /config folder on the flash drive after the manual install attempt?

Yes, i ran the make_bootable file as admin, as it originally was saved in the root directory of the drive, i first ran it there and then in the /config folder, as you said.

 

Sadly, my server is still saying "This is not a bootable disk. Please instert a bootable floppy and press any key to try again...".

 

Maybe the problem is, that my server thinks that the drive is a floppy? in the bios i selected the intenso stick as the only option for boot, disabled all other options.

[unyielding-ache7219]

2 hours ago, JorgeB said:

Also make sure you rename EFI- to EFI if booting UEFI.

 

P.S. for UEFI boot no need to run make_bootable.

yes did that, too, tried both options, one with efi- and the make bootable file, and the efi and no make bootable file

[nmkaufman]

My computer will only boot 1/5 (sometimes less) attempts from a USB 3.0 port.

 

I've never had a problem with any other operating sytem or boot image, but the XHCI hand-off in Unraid is very particular.

 

It doesn't sound like you're even getting that far, but just to rule it out try using a USB 2.0 port.

[unyielding-ache7219]

Hey there again, thanks for the answers!

 

After another half hour of Trial&Error i think i found the problem: In total i think it was a combination of all answers. My Bios always tried to boot as non UEFI, in non uefi it didn´t like the usb3 port, and with uefi boot and alot of rebooting and sorting out the boot order in the bios, it finally booted. I was able to register my key to the new stick and all my shares and vms were there like they used to. Also i enabled flash backup, just to be sure. 

Thanks for all the help!