Linux Boot SSD not recognized any more.


Askarus

Askarus

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Some might already know I (again) messed up my Linux SSD.
Does anyone know a quick fix for my problem?

The BIOS doesn't recognize my SSD any more a boot device.
I have a Windows SSD as well but as long as the broken Linux SSD is in the computer I can't even enter the Boot menu manually. Without Windows boots. Sometimes... I already had the case where I was able to enter the menu.
I already did boot from a boot USB stick and reinstalled grub again (with configuration).
Partition flag is set as boot.
I'm booting from gpt UEFI. Using Arch Linux.
Otherwise the SSD is fully working. I can access it via my Pandora and an USB to SSD adaptor.

How I caused this problem?
I had slow boot and I wanted to do a file check on my boot partition. I checked with gparted (no error). That's it.

If anyone knows a quick fix i'd be glad for a hint. Else don't bother. It's not a Linux support forum here.
My next step would be to delete the boot partition and set it up again.
As the SSD is working I can make a full backup and get am list of everything I've installed.


EDIT: Solved

Everything was done via arch-chroot using an USB stick.
1: Reformatted the partition with mkfs.
2: Installed grub again using the (grub-install --target=X86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot --bootloader-id=arch_grub --debug --recheck
-> System booted into Grub command line
3: mkdir /boot/EFI/boot
4: cp /boot/EFI/arch_grub/grubx64.efi /boot/EFI/bootx64.efi
-> Familiar Grub boot screen
-> Could start Kernel
-> Busy taks and boot into administrator mode
(Luckily I messed up my Linux before and could imagine what the problem was reading the error messages)
5: The boot partition had the wrong UUID in fstab
6: lsblk -f gave me the UUID
7: nano /etc/fstab fixed it
-> Reboot
-> Victory :)
 
Last edited:
Gdisk still says it's EF00 and It's Fat 32.
Didn't try fsck again from command line. Maybe that might help.
Didn't know that gparted is dangerous. Won't use it again for sensible tasks.
 
It's not that it IS or ISN'T dangerous... It's just that I, personally, had some bad experiences with it in the past, and tend not to use it for critical stuff.

Well, about your problem... The only other thing I can think of right now is maybe UUIDs, if you use those somewhere in your bootloader: check that the configured UUID is the same that the one from the partition, maybe gparted changed it (just covering possibilities). If that doesn't work... backup content, recreate boot and ESP partitions, restore content. And just to be sure, reinstall bootloader and kernel and make a new initrd.

Hope you can fix this! BTW. nice to see another Archer around these parts.
 
The way Askarus says the BIOS doesn't boot from it makes me think it's not even loading a kernel, and it certainly won't be reading an fstab for UUIDs to mount.

I don't have any experience with UEFI; all my x86 machines run the legacy bios. I'd recommend checking the partitions VBR, as not writing that has borked installs for me in the past, but I don't think those apply for UEFI.

Another Archer here by the way. Love the arch docs which don't treat you as an idiot, and can explain every step you take when you're trying to fix something.
 
What's your motherboard make & model?

Had a similar problem with boot drives disappearing from bios with an ASUS board, fixed it by disabling secure boot & then changing some other stuff in the BIOS (can't really remember what sorry but it was all under the advanced boot menu options).
 
IN YOUR FACE Linux!!
I'm back again :)

levi is right. It did Nothing. Only a black screen.

Here's what I did.
First I wanted to use gdisk to make a new UEFI partition. After I wanted to confirm there was a warning: "Creating a new GPT partition will Delete..."
Well..... I ignored a warning once and that caused the mess. I didn't want to loose my 2nd working partition.

I tried the soft way. First follow the Arch UEFI tutorial.
Everything was done via arch-chroot using an USB stick.
1: Reformatted the partition with mkfs.
2: Installed grub again using the (grub-install --target=X86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot --bootloader-id=arch_grub --debug --recheck
-> System booted into Grub command line
3: mkdir /boot/EFI/boot
4: cp /boot/EFI/arch_grub/grubx64.efi /boot/EFI/bootx64.efi
-> Familiar Grub boot screen
-> Could start Kernel
-> Busy taks and boot into administrator mode
(Luckily I messed up my Linux before and could imagine what the problem was reading the error messages)
5: The boot partition had the wrong UUID in fstab
6: lsblk -f gave me the UUID
7: nano /etc/fstab fixed it
-> Reboot
-> Victory :)
 
I'm not sure if mkfsing a partition changes its UUID or not. But it would suggest the GRUB install had got nuked by something. It's not the reported Windows 'feature' doing that is it?
 
Askarus said:
IN YOUR FACE Linux!!
I'm back again :)

levi is right. It did Nothing. Only a black screen.

Here's what I did.
First I wanted to use gdisk to make a new UEFI partition. After I wanted to confirm there was a warning: "Creating a new GPT partition will Delete..."
Well..... I ignored a warning once and that caused the mess. I didn't want to loose my 2nd working partition.

I tried the soft way. First follow the Arch UEFI tutorial.
Everything was done via arch-chroot using an USB stick.
1: Reformatted the partition with mkfs.
2: Installed grub again using the (grub-install --target=X86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot --bootloader-id=arch_grub --debug --recheck
-> System booted into Grub command line
3: mkdir /boot/EFI/boot
4: cp /boot/EFI/arch_grub/grubx64.efi /boot/EFI/bootx64.efi
-> Familiar Grub boot screen
-> Could start Kernel
-> Busy taks and boot into administrator mode
(Luckily I messed up my Linux before and could imagine what the problem was reading the error messages)
5: The boot partition had the wrong UUID in fstab
6: lsblk -f gave me the UUID
7: nano /etc/fstab fixed it
-> Reboot
-> Victory :)
Click to expand...

Nice, congrats! :)

About gdisk and making a new ESP, I meant just the partition itself. You were just about to nuke and redo the partition scheme and get a shiny new disk, so aborting was the right decision :p And it's weird that your UEFI can't accept a new bootloader entry... I second PowerGod and Mr_Loon, what's your motherboard model?
 
txus said:
Nice, congrats! :)

About gdisk and making a new ESP, I meant just the partition itself. You were just about to nuke and redo the partition scheme and get a shiny new disk, so aborting was the right decision :p And it's weird that your UEFI can't accept a new bootloader entry... I second PowerGod and Mr_Loon, what's your motherboard model?
Click to expand...

Nice to hear I didn't mess it up this time...

I'm using an Asus Rog g751 Laptop.
I got one used (1-2 Months) for 1350€ (Amazon: 2100€) with Nxidia Gtx 980M, i7 4710HQ, 16GB RAM and 512 GB M2 SSD)
It's one of the best buys I've ever made.


BTW, I have "modded " it a little...
Aaccording to the specs you can only use 2 of the 3 SSD slots at once. It has one M2 Sata port and 2 Sata 1 Ports. But only 2 slots for 2,5'' HDDs where one contains the M2 and a "normal" one.
That was the biggest downside for me. I wanted a separate Linux, a Windows and a Data Drive)
The Solution:
Never tell the guy who has 4 Shoulder buttons on his Pandora that something "doesn't fit".
I wanted to disassemble a common SSD and somehow tape 2 above each other.
Luckily storage evolves and needs less room.
The Samsung Evo 840 SSD motherboard needs the whole SSD case.
The Samsung Evo 850 SSD only needs about half of the case.
I was really surprised as I opened up the case and there was nothing inside...
I've attached 2 picture.
In one Slot are 1 M2 SSD and one dissembled 2,5" SSD. The small thing is NOT an mSata but a 2,5" SSD.
Works perfectly fine now :).

IMG_20160315_082023.jpg IMG_20160315_082031.jpg
 
Askarus said:
Nice to hear I didn't mess it up this time...

I'm using an Asus Rog g751 Laptop.
I got one used (1-2 Months) for 1350€ (Amazon: 2100€) with Nxidia Gtx 980M, i7 4710HQ, 16GB RAM and 512 GB M2 SSD)
It's one of the best buys I've ever made.


BTW, I have "modded " it a little...
Aaccording to the specs you can only use 2 of the 3 SSD slots at once. It has one M2 Sata port and 2 Sata 1 Ports. But only 2 slots for 2,5'' HDDs where one contains the M2 and a "normal" one.
That was the biggest downside for me. I wanted a separate Linux, a Windows and a Data Drive)
The Solution:
Never tell the guy who has 4 Shoulder buttons on his Pandora that something "doesn't fit".
I wanted to disassemble a common SSD and somehow tape 2 above each other.
Luckily storage evolves and needs less room.
The Samsung Evo 840 SSD motherboard needs the whole SSD case.
The Samsung Evo 850 SSD only needs about half of the case.
I was really surprised as I opened up the case and there was nothing inside...
I've attached 2 picture.
In one Slot are 1 M2 SSD and one dissembled 2,5" SSD. The small thing is NOT an mSata but a 2,5" SSD.
Works perfectly fine now :).
Click to expand...

Nice "mod", on a really nice rig!! And that is indeed an incredible price... That's what I payed for my XMG P304 (an XMG-branded Clevo W230SS) with a GTX 860m!
 
The Clevo Notebooks are nice as well.
First I wanted to buy one of those.
You know one of the really big ones with 2 GPU and 4 Sata slots.
I mean 2 GTX 980M on a mobile device...

Anyways I'm glad I didn't spend 3000€ for a Notebook.
 
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