I can not boot to unRaid after a power failure, I get "Boot Error".  My bios shows my flash drive still loads first.  I checked my flash drive (Kingston) with disk utility on my Mac - all ok.  I reverted to a backup of my flash with no change. 

 

A further reboot now displays a flashing cursor with no "Boot Error" listed.

 

Now what?

 

 

Motherboard: ECS| A885GM-A2 (V1.1) 880G AM3 R

RAID Card: SUPERMICRO AOC-SASLP-MV8

CPU: AMD|SEM 145 2.8G AM3 RT

Memory: 4G RENDITION RM25664BA1339 R

PSU: Corsair TX750

Version:            5.0-rc5

I'd reformat the flash and configure it for stock RC12a ... then try the boot.

You're several versions out-of-date anyway, so it's a good chance to update.

 

However ... are you SURE it's attempting to boot from the flash?  Unless you've had a physical hardware failure, you should at least see the initial Linux loading screens from bizimage and bizroot.

 

I am not seeing any screens.  As unRaid boot time arrives, everything stops.

I am not seeing any screens.  As unRaid boot time arrives, everything stops.

 

That definitely SOUNDS like it is NOT booting from the USB Flash drive.    Do you by any chance have more than one USB device plugged in to the machine?

 

... and will it boot from another device?  [i.e. try a bootable CD -- Linux, MemTest, etc. ... ANYTHING that's bootable]

 

Only one USB installed.  Can you suggest a downloadable test environment to place on the flash?

Only one USB installed.  Can you suggest a downloadable test environment to place on the flash?

 

MemTest86+ has an auto-installer for a USB key:  http://www.memtest.org/#downiso

 

... Click on the "Download (Pre-built & ISOs)  link;  then the auto-installer for a USB flash key is the 5th download.

 

I tried to boot on a fresh copy of unraid on a different flash drive with still no luck.  I can not install the recommended testing software as I am in a mac environment.

Go into your BIOS and check the boot order as well as the devices being scanned for bootable media.  It is not uncommon to have the user settings to get 'lost'---  especially if the battery is more than a few years old. 

Still no go.  Initial bios setup was simple but I can't seem to get unraid to load.  Here are my (appended) bios settings:

 

 

Standard CMOS Setup

 

•  SATA 1 through 5= Hard Disk

•  IDE BusMaster= Enabled

 

Advanced Set Up

 

•  AMD C&Q= Auto

•  APIC Mode= Enabled

• 1ST Boot Device= Kingston DataTravel (my USB)

• 2ND Boot Device= Disabled

• 1ST Boot Device= Disabled

•  Boot Other Device= No

• ECS eJIFFY Function= Disabled

• Hard Disk Drives

    1st Drive= Kingston DataTravel

    2nd-12th Drive= Disabled

 

Integrated Peripherals

 

Onboard SATA Mode= Enabled

SATA Configuration= IDE

USB Functions= Enabled

Legacy USB Support= Enabled

 

PCI/PnP Setup

•  PCI

 

My USB flashes twice prior to receiving a blank screen

Set your first boot device to Hard Drive.

 

... and make sure the USB Flash is still shown as the 1st hard drive.

 

The only options I have under 1st Boot Device are

 

•  Kingston Data Traveler

•  CD/DVD

•  Removable Dev.

•  Disabled

The only options I have under 1st Boot Device are

 

•  Kingston Data Traveler

•  CD/DVD

•  Removable Dev.

•  Disabled

 

In that case the Kingston Data Traveler as the first device is correct ... so it's not at all clear why it's not booting.    It sounds like you don't have it configured correctly for the Linux boot loader (OR there's an actual hardware issue).

 

Do you have access to a PC so you can configure it as a standalone MemTest boot device with the auto-installer?    In any event, you need to be SURE it's a bootable flash drive to really test your system.  The best way to do that is boot with it on another system (and clearly your Mac won't work for that).

 

I have tried loading unraid on a separate flash device and have the same issues. It will not boot. I can try using VMware fusion to load memtest.  I'm totally exasperated.

I have tried loading unraid on a separate flash device and have the same issues. It will not boot. I can try using VMware fusion to load memtest.  I'm totally exasperated.

 

Clearly there are only 3 realistic possibilities:

 

(1)  You have a hardware problem with the UnRAID PC

(2)  You have a defective flash drive [NOT likely since you've tried 2 different Flash devices]

(3)  The flash drive isn't bootable ==> HOW are you creating the flash drive??

 

You might want to try removing the AOC-SASLP-MV8 and see if you can get past the blinking-cursor stage. I know this is "waaaay outside the box" but try booting without the keyboard (or mouse) attached....for that matter remove as many peripherals from the system board as you can to see if it will boot. You should only need Mobo-USB key-Memory-(Monitor) to get it running. Call it the "get back to basics" approach. Good luck!

I create the flash drive via my Mac, format as MS-DOS FAT, name UNRAID and copy files over.

I create the flash drive via my Mac, format as MS-DOS FAT, name UNRAID and copy files over.

I do not think that is sufficient!    I know on Windows that after doing that you need to run the batch file to make it bootable.  I am not sure what is the equivalent step on a Mac

I have now reformatted my flash and copied my files via Windows 7 (Vmware).  Still will not boot.

Are you following the instructions to make it bootable?

 

Sent via a phone. Sorry for any typos.

 

 

You don't just copy files to it ... you have to run Syslinux with the appropriate parameters (as outlined in the Wiki).    IIRC it's "syslinux -ma X:"  where X is the drive letter ... but look it up to be sure.

 

Actually, there's a "unetbootin" utility for the Mac.

 

Follow the instructions here:  http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php/USB_Flash_Drive_Preparation#MacOS_X

 

In like Flynn!  It appears that I did not run make_bootable.bat from Windows.

 

Thanks all.  Much appreciated.

In like Flynn!  It appears that I did not run make_bootable.bat from Windows.

 

Thanks all.  Much appreciated.

 

Glad you got it resolved.  It was pretty obvious early on that either the USB flash drive wasn't bootable or it wasn't the first boot device.