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Anyone had luck with Asus P5N32-E SLI?


CaptainSpalding

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I've this premium board that is kinda leftover, but I would like to put it in use.

 

I've tried everything (I think) from the settings, but I always get boot error.

 

Has anyone had luck with this MB? If so, that could give me motivation to bang my head against the wall for while longer.  :'(

Without knowing the text of the error you are getting, it is not too easy to help.

 

Things to check...

Did you use the "-ma" option to the syslinux command? 

Did you try the HP formatting tool?

After formatting it, did you label it as "UNRAID"  (6 characters, all upper case)

After copying the un-zipped distribution to it, did you "safely eject" it from the PC?

Have you tried formatting it as FAT?

Have you tried formatting it as FAT32?

Did you select the USB drive as the boot device?

 

Please post the exact "wording" of the boot error you are getting.  It might lead to other suggestions for you to try.

 

Joe L.

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I just get black screen with words "Boot error" on the upper left corner of the screen.

 

MB shows my USB card as a "Removable Boot Device". I have connected it to the back connectors in the mobo.

 

In this testing, I've used a Kingston Data traveler 120 16GB.

 

 

This I have not tried:

 

-Did you try the HP formatting tool?

 

This I'm not shure of:

 

-After copying the un-zipped distribution to it, did you "safely eject" it from the PC?

 

I used the windows quick format, I remember it formatted to normal FAT.

 

-Have you tried formatting it as FAT32?

 

 

Thanks I'll try with these!  8)

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I just get black screen with words "Boot error" on the upper left corner of the screen.

 

MB shows my USB card as a "Removable Boot Device". I have connected it to the back connectors in the mobo.

 

In this testing, I've used a Kingston Data traveler 120 16GB.

 

 

This I have not tried:

 

-Did you try the HP formatting tool?

 

This I'm not shure of:

 

-After copying the un-zipped distribution to it, did you "safely eject" it from the PC?

 

I used the windows quick format, I remember it formatted to normal FAT.

 

-Have you tried formatting it as FAT32?

 

 

Thanks I'll try with these!  8)

Odds are very high you do not have the flash drive selected as your boot device.  The words "Boot Error" are what you would see if it was trying to boot from one of your hard disks or if it did not recognize the flash drive as bootable.    You might try a MUCH smaller flash drive.  Older BIOS may not be able to boot from something as big as a 16Gig drive.  They did not exist when the BIOS was written and a 1Gig flash drive was a dream back then.  Original unRAID shipped on a 128k flash drive and it still fits on one that small.
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The smallest I've found have been 2Gb, but I have to keep on searching. I was also thinking about the size of the flash.

I know...  in any case, it still sounds as if the flash drive was not the boot device.

You will probably need to enable booting from the flash drive AND selecting the specific device as the boot device.

If you did not use the correct "drive letter" when invoking the

syslinux -ma x:

command, where x: = your flash drive letter as assigned by windows, then it will not be effective, and the drive will not be marked by syslinux as "bootable"

 

Joe L.

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The smallest I've found have been 2Gb, but I have to keep on searching. I was also thinking about the size of the flash.

I know...   in any case, it still sounds as if the flash drive was not the boot device.

You will probably need to enable booting from the flash drive AND selecting the specific device as the boot device.

If you did not use the correct "drive letter" when invoking the

syslinux -ma x:

command, where x: = your flash drive letter as assigned by windows, then it will not be effective, and the drive will not be marked by syslinux as "bootable"

 

Joe L.

 

I checked all other bootable devices as disabled. I only left the removable. And it showed only this USB flash card as that.

 

I'm shure the drive letter were ok, but I might have just ripped the stick from the PC without "Eject".

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Now I got a 512Mb flash stick and I ran the syslinux.exe, but am I not supposed to see the hidden file i creates? I have the option "Show hidden files and folders" enabled in Windows.

Yes, you should see the file it creates... but you might also have to enable "show system files" to see it in Windows.
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Now I got a 512Mb flash stick and I ran the syslinux.exe, but am I not supposed to see the hidden file i creates? I have the option "Show hidden files and folders" enabled in Windows.

Yes, you should see the file it creates... but you might also have to enable "show system files" to see it in Windows.

 

Thanks, that worked! Tomorrow I'll get a second craphics card, so I don't have to swap one consistantly when testing.

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Alright, now I booted with the 512Mb flash drive and got message "DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER".

 

Is that better that "Boot error"?  ???

It indicates you are not booting from the flash drive.  That message is in the MBR of one of your hard disks.  (or, you did not use the syslinux -ma command on the flash drive)

 

You probably still need to both enable the USB drive as a bootable device and then choose it as the specific boot device.

 

So, on the Boot Priority screen choose "Removable" as the first boot device (and make sure it is your flash drive) move it to the top of the list.

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Alright, now I booted with the 512Mb flash drive and got message "DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER".

 

Is that better that "Boot error"?  ???

It indicates you are not booting from the flash drive.  That message is in the MBR of one of your hard disks.  (or, you did not use the syslinux -ma command on the flash drive)

 

You probably still need to both enable the USB drive as a bootable device and then choose it as the specific boot device.

 

So, on the Boot Priority screen choose "Removable" as the first boot device (and make sure it is your flash drive) move it to the top of the list.

 

I have no HDD's connected at the moment, just trying to get it boot first.

 

I used the command c:\syslinux.exe -ma f: (and I did change the letter)

 

I have disabled all other bootable drives, but Removable. In "Removable devices" I see only the usb flash drive.

 

But what about the keyboard, does it really have to be connected when using a server? Or is there so option to disable that check in BIOS?

 

Here are some screenshots of the BIOS, if those would help to see what could cause this.

http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Reviews/asus-p5n32e-sli/3.html

 

When I get home I'm gonna try if disconnection of the BIOS battery would help with this. If the mobo still thinks the hdd's are connected.

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First off, I want to thank all of you who supported with the basics!!

 

Before I go and open a bottle of single malt I must tell you something you wouldn't believe...

 

I removed the BIOS battery, re-installed it, powered up, got into BIOS... The flash drive was shown as HD??? In Removable Devices I only had Floppy Discs (I can barely remember what those are...)  ;D

 

So I thought "Could this be so simple..." and changed it to boot from HD (Flash Drive).... AND IT DID!!!!!

 

Now I just have to get HDD's for this! JEAH!!

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