Can't boot from usb drive to install

Jabb3r · 2010-02-18 18:48:28

Finally got new sys up and runnin, however the dvd writer I bought is b0rked so I was gonna install arch by usb, Follwed top instrctions here but system don't seem to want to boot from the drive. I've tried stick in all slots and just get a system failure error. Any ideas?

Cheers

litemotiv · 2010-02-18 19:15:17

Do you have boot-from-usb enabled in the bios, and set it as primary boot location? (if applicable)

What is the exact error you are receiving?

Did you try if the usbstick boots on another computer?

Jabb3r · 2010-02-18 19:24:45

Can't fnd a boot from USB in bios just the boot priority list. The error is just standard that sys throws up when if finds nothin to boot from I think? DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER

It's a brand new system so got nothin installed yet so I think thats why I'm gettin that.

Last idea I'm about to try as I needed the sys to get some things done. Will post results.

Jabb3r · 2010-02-18 19:32:29

Ok well seems as though the drive aint bootable. Dunno why, also fdisk -l gives

Disk /dev/sdb doesn't contain a valid partition table

But I can browse the stick from desktop so I aint sure if it just sposed to be that way.

Last edited by Jabb3r (2010-02-18 19:32:45)

Jabb3r · 2010-02-18 20:56:17

Problem solved kinda.

I didn't d/l the .img file (I know, what a c**k)

S o now it boots, but seems to lock up sys when grub menu pops up. No response from keyboard. Might be worth tryin lilo version yu think?

Edit: I found some info sayin if GRUB hangs, cd drive don't like grub so I took cd out completely to make sure, but it still is unresponsive @ grub menu though the timer counts down so I'm seein if it'll go through on 0. Bodge job I know lol, but if it works after that then so be it. Can get back to prob, but just itchin to get everythin installed

Also I can't find a isolinux .img anywhere so dunno what else to do

Edit again: It did go through I'm formatting the drive now

And Again: Well I found option to in bios to get keyb to work, but havin a myrid of probs gettin X goin properly it's stuck on a loop loadin gdm now. My fault shouldn't of added it to daemons so I thought no bother I'll just booot from pendrive and sort it, but now pen drive don't wannaq seem to work again. I re disabled usb keyboard, but that didn't help. Were hopin things would be a bit smoother than this. I think I might have picked wrong mirror when installin, but I've done a -Syu since, but no good. Keeps sayin things like xorg aint there and to install everythin from the group. Just gonna check pen drive again. Might try a diff one if it's a no go.

As always will report back, but I'm gettin tired. Last thing me specs that all this is happenin on.

Mobo: Gigabyte X58-UD7
CPU: i7 920
RAM: 6GB Crucial Ballistix DDR3 1600
GPU: Asus EN8800GT
PSU: Corsair 850w modular
HDD: Seagate 1.5TB

Usin x86_64 version as instructed. Doesn't seem fair

Last edited by Jabb3r (2010-02-19 00:43:09)

Jabb3r · 2010-02-19 00:56:17

Ok doesn't seem to be pen drive. Will have another look through bios but only setting I changed is enabled usb keyboard. I've got all other boot devices disabled apart from USB-HDD and it still loads grub from me arch install and not pen drive.

Grrrr

Jabb3r · 2010-02-19 10:44:24

Latest is I upgraded bios to latest to no avail. Still not booting from the flash drive. Gonna try another. Check it aint just a freak thing, but I doubt it. This has me puzzled gotta say.

litemotiv · 2010-02-19 11:54:15

Maybe for some reason the boot-from-usb doesn't work when usb-keyboard is enabled?

Jabb3r · 2010-02-19 12:10:26

"I re disabled usb keyboard, but that didn't help."

from couple of posts above.

Just don't get why it worked and now won't. No logic there. It's all the ports and usb works cause I updated my bios with Q-Flash from a pen drive.

Are sata hard drive hot swappable. I mean can I disconnect drive from board. Try bootin from pen drive and then put drive back in @ login prompt?

Last edited by Jabb3r (2010-02-19 12:13:41)

Jabb3r · 2010-02-19 12:59:53

Finally worked it out!

The hdd was set to auto in bios for access type in standard cmos settings . I changed it to LBA and voila pen drive is back and keyboard works. So took gdm out of daemons and I've got me sys back.

Just to figure out the rest now. I'll read up on hot plugging dbus won't start for some reason too. I can do it manually by removin the .pid file it says, but I get a FAIL on boot each time.

Jabb3r · 2010-02-19 14:52:24

Ok so now I'm @ the stage where I'm still trying to get gdm to work.

If I sudo startx I get...

Ablack screen with mouse cursor that I can move. A bow sayin "The configuration defaults for Gnome Power Manager have not been installed correctly" which I can close leaving me with just a blank screen and cursor. I don't like the way pacman keeps not finding packages but groups off stuff. I aint sure if it's inherent to 64bit Arch or theres a prob with my mirrors.

Jabb3r · 2010-02-19 15:51:15

Still no luck. Tried various things, messed with hotplugging, disabled it, tried diff mirrors, too many to remember, but no change. Also checked my 32bit Install and thats givin same group messages in pacman so summuts happened with the repo's I think. Anyhoo I'm gettin a bit fedup of battlin with this. I might just try Another distro or mebe Snow Leopard.

Dissapointed.

Jabb3r · 2010-02-19 16:09:57

Lmao and now my drive don't boot again. Seriously W T F!

Jabb3r · 2010-02-19 17:48:32

Ok I deffo think I sorted the pen drive not bootin prob now. As long as I power the sys down before insertin drive it works fine. Didn't think, Was puttin it in and rebootin which should work in theory, but just wanna those quirks. No biggie, least I can boot what I want when I want. I've gone for a complete reinstall and trying again. I got a timeout error trying to get powerpill. Thats deffo a mirror issue I take it?

And so it starts...

Jabb3r · 2010-02-19 20:39:45

Well I finally got a desktop goin and pretty sweetly I might add:)

Now to get eve working again... LOL

litemotiv · 2010-02-19 21:16:47

Time to mark this topic solved then.

Arch Linux

#1 2010-02-18 18:48:28

Can't boot from usb drive to install

#2 2010-02-18 19:15:17

Re: Can't boot from usb drive to install

#3 2010-02-18 19:24:45

Re: Can't boot from usb drive to install

#4 2010-02-18 19:32:29

Re: Can't boot from usb drive to install

#5 2010-02-18 20:56:17

Re: Can't boot from usb drive to install

#6 2010-02-19 00:56:17

Re: Can't boot from usb drive to install

#7 2010-02-19 10:44:24

Re: Can't boot from usb drive to install

#8 2010-02-19 11:54:15

Re: Can't boot from usb drive to install

#9 2010-02-19 12:10:26

Re: Can't boot from usb drive to install

#10 2010-02-19 12:59:53

Re: Can't boot from usb drive to install

#11 2010-02-19 14:52:24

Re: Can't boot from usb drive to install

#12 2010-02-19 15:51:15

Re: Can't boot from usb drive to install

#13 2010-02-19 16:09:57

Re: Can't boot from usb drive to install

#14 2010-02-19 17:48:32

Re: Can't boot from usb drive to install

#15 2010-02-19 20:39:45

Re: Can't boot from usb drive to install

#16 2010-02-19 21:16:47

Re: Can't boot from usb drive to install

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