Date: Sun, 11 Aug 2002 22:24:57 -0000 From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Bj=F6rn_Patrick_Swift?= <bjorn@innn.is> To: <freebsd-stable@freebsd.org>, <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org> Subject: RE: Boot failed - all data lost - SOLVED Message-ID: <09A1AF8C8C150046B67CE1A8DE345037042A19@exchange01.is.innn.is>
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Hi, and thanks for all the replies (on and off the list). I got the machine back from my Dell vendor last Friday with the = explanation that it's BIOS (Dell A02) was broken. Under some operating = systems, disabling the USB controller could interfere with the OS's boot = process. Now, they weren't familiar with this "FreeSDF" system but they = thought that might be it. Just to be sure they decided to format the = disks, install Windows 200 Server and see if they could get the machine = to boot. It booted. This may be the best way to troubleshoot hardware, = but I beg to differ. Once back in my office I downgraded to A02 and installed FreeBSD. I = tried disabling the USB controller in the BIOS with the same results as = before. Boot failed and no sign of any data. Doing the same procedure = with A03 has no affect and therefor I have written this off as a Dell = BIOS thing. Of course, since Dell does not officially support other OSes than = Windows or Redhat linux - running FreeBSD was at my own risk and I will = have to pay for the times spent on "fixing" the machine. Thanks again for your replies, Bjorn Swift > -----Original Message----- > From: Robert L Sowders [mailto:rsowders@usgs.gov]=20 > Sent: 9. =E1g=FAst 2002 21:14 > To: freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG > Cc: freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG; owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG > Subject: Re: Boot failed - all data lost >=20 >=20 > Is this a SCSI disk? >=20 > I had this same problem last night, it turned out to be a bad=20 > SCSI cable.=20 > The disks were found on boot and the SCSI bios could see them=20 > on the chain=20 > but when it tried to boot it kept saying no disk found. I=20 > booted a DOS=20 > disk with fdisk and it also couldn't see the disk. I almost=20 > trashed the=20 > drive. On a whim I replaced the cable and it everything=20 > worked. It turns=20 > out the scsi cable had a bad active terminator. I replaced=20 > the cable and=20 > everything came back. >=20 > If your system is scsi, it's something to try anyway. >=20 >=20 > =20 >=20 >=20 >=20 >=20 > Hanspeter Roth <hanspeter_roth@hotmail.com> > Sent by: owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG > 08/09/2002 12:35 PM > Please respond to freebsd-stable >=20 > =20 > To: freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG > cc:=20 > Subject: Re: Boot failed - all data lost >=20 > On Aug 08 at 10:32, Bj=F6rn Patrick Swift spoke: >=20 > > The first error I got was from the 'FreeBSD Boot Manager'.=20 > It started as=20 > normally and displayed 'F? FreeBSD', but as I struck 'enter'=20 > I got a 'boot=20 > failed' message. Then I rebooted the machine again and=20 > started getting 'No=20 > operating system found' messages. I thought that maybe the=20 > boot record had=20 > been damaged so I booted the FreeBSD 4.6-install CD and=20 > opened fdisk - all=20 > space unused, no partitions found. No sign of my data at all! >=20 > Get your disk back from Dell. > Then try testdisk or gpart. >=20 > -Hanspeter >=20 > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-stable" in the body of the message >=20 >=20 >=20 >=20 > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-stable" in the body of the message >=20 To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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