Arch Linux

shelbydz

Member

Registered: 2014-03-16

Posts: 58

[solved]mbr not recognized by bios - stuck on Loading Operating System

Hi guys,

I got a shiny new SSD and moved my / and /boot partitions over to it with a fresh install. I created both as gpt, etx4. /boot is sda1 / is sda2. Going through the install steps for syslinux, i did these:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Sy … tion_table

and finished the rest of the install. i didn't get any errors or anything that looked wrong. But when i reboot, my computer just hangs on Loading Operating System, like it can't find the mbr on /boot. I still have hdd as the primary boot option in the bios. Do i need to do something different to get it to recognize ssd as boot? did i just miss something small?

thanks,

Last edited by shelbydz (2014-09-07 19:27:50)

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 8,776

Website

Re: [solved]mbr not recognized by bios - stuck on Loading Operating System

@shelbydz: there is no "MBR on /boot" -- GPT disks have a "stub" MBR used to prevent non-GPT aware programs from deleting the partitions.
Why are you using syslinux in EFI?
It all looks rather complicated in the wiki. I would recommend trying gummiboot, I find it the easiest of all the boot loaders/managers to use.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Be … #Gummiboot
I am using a Kingston V300 SSD and it needs no special attention (all I have is "discard" in my fstab)...

---

Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

teateawhy

Member

From: GER

Registered: 2012-03-05

Posts: 1,138

Website

Re: [solved]mbr not recognized by bios - stuck on Loading Operating System

Why are you using syslinux in EFI?
...

I don't think he is using EFI at all.
OP are you using EFI or BIOS booting?

shelbydz

Member

Registered: 2014-03-16

Posts: 58

Re: [solved]mbr not recognized by bios - stuck on Loading Operating System

Not using EFI. The motherboard is pre-efi.

I've tried a bunch of different combinations (including dos instead of gpt) and can't get syslinux to work. I had a previous install with GRUB working, may have to go back to that.

teateawhy

Member

From: GER

Registered: 2012-03-05

Posts: 1,138

Website

Re: [solved]mbr not recognized by bios - stuck on Loading Operating System

Some motherboards (including the one of my laptop) are unable to boot from a GPT disk using BIOS. Use MBR instead.
EDIT: I see you linked to syslinux manual install in the first post. Have you tried the automatic install?

Last edited by teateawhy (2014-09-07 19:14:32)

shelbydz

Member

Registered: 2014-03-16

Posts: 58

Re: [solved]mbr not recognized by bios - stuck on Loading Operating System

yeah i tried that too. no dice.

getting pretty frustrated now. just did the install of GRUB and that didnt work either. thats why it FEELS like the bios just wont boot from an ssd.

shelbydz

Member

Registered: 2014-03-16

Posts: 58

Re: [solved]mbr not recognized by bios - stuck on Loading Operating System

ARGH
that's basically what it was. there's a hard drive boot order preference list in the BIOS <facepalm> I put the new SSD at the top of that list and it gets through to the bootloader now.

sheesh.