I wonder if someone has a suggestion to resolve an issue I am having with my "server" PC?
PC Built and used for 12 months or more. Specs: * Intel D975XBX2 Motherboard (aka Battleaxe 2) socket 775 motherboard * Xeon X3220 CPU * 4 GB of DDR2 800 RAM * xfx 7300GT 256 MB video card * Crucial 128GB SSD * Seagate 160 GB HD * CD-ROM, and Corsair CX430M Power Supply
PC was running Ubuntu Linux with Plex Media Server and Owncloud until recently. I wanted to try pfsense (based on recent Level1Tech Videos) and went to install pfsense, but despite the installation to the SSD going well, the computer would state "No Boot Device Found". I have since tried installing Windows 10, Windows 7, Ubuntu Linux, Manjaro Linux, etc - all installations go well, no errors, reboot and "No Boot Device Found".
I have reset the CMOS, I have confirmed the boot priority in the BIOS, I have tried every SATA port on the motherboard with mo change. The PC boots fine from USB, CD-ROM, but not from the SATA ports. I even used my other Q6600 Socket 775 PC to install an OS on another SSD and plug that into this batlleaxe PC with no change in results.
Could be a UEFI problem. I had a similar issue recently when I tried to get Antergos working in dual boot with a windows 7. The issue turned out to be that the hardware was rated for using UEFI and so the installations were using Legacy boot but Antergos wasn't detecting that it had to use legacy boot. It was a work laptop and I didn't want to waste too much time so I gave up on it and installed ubuntu instead.
So I have tried every SATA port in combination with the SATA Bios settings (IDE and ACHI) with no success or change in results.
All devices connected to the SATA controls, even the MARVEL RAID controller onboard are seen in the bio and by installation media (USB or CD-ROM) I have tried.
The latest test I am doing is a RAID 0 Setup on the Marvel Control with 2 SATA 1 80GB HDs. I will let you know the results.
P.S. I have tried to install the original Ubuntu I had running on the machine with no success either.
And no success. I also tried reinstalling manjaro (just because I already had it on a USB) and Manjaro saw the disks, installed without error, but on reboot "No bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key" once again.
Sounds silly, but have you tried replacing the CMOS battery? I had a computer that would do some funky stuff, like take forever to initialize, or not detect hard drives because of a fading watch battery. Worth a shot considering LGA775 is a dinosaur
Thanks folks for all the suggestions. So I am making progress;
I flashed the BIOS and managed to get Windows 10 installed and running, on two different drives using two different SATA ports. So something seems weird. Going to try a Linux Distro now and see the results.
Could it be GPT vs MBR? But each time I tried, prior to the bios flash, I used gparted to create a partition table & format the drives.
Before coming to any conclusions, can you confirm that your bios firmware is set to UEFI or Legacy?
If its UEFI, there are a few gotchas for a Linux installation.
Also, Its possible to boot into a successful Linux installation using a Live-CD/USB. I am not a Ubuntu user, but I have done this is the past. May be someone else can add to this.
Working now, for whatever reason. I am happy and I am boiling it down to MBR vs GPT, even though GPARTED showed MBR for the Partitions. Sad to say it, but Windows 10 brought things back to life.