[mythtv-users] OT: SATA errors

[Harry Devine]

Brian Wood wrote:
> On Thursday 16 July 2009 15:56:12 Harry Devine wrote:
>   
>> John Drescher wrote:
>>     
>>>> OK, here's an update.  I bought a new internal SATA controller card from
>>>> NewEgg (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815280008)
>>>> and just installed it.  The PC won't boot from the HD.  I get "Insert
>>>> System Disk and try again" (something like that).  I can boot to the
>>>> LiveCD and see the HDs under /dev (/sda is my main OS disk and /sdb is
>>>> my storage drive for Myth).
>>>>
>>>> I mount the sda1 partition since I know that's where my /boot partition
>>>> is. I can see the files, so I'm not really sure why the system can't
>>>> boot from the drive.  I know that in my MB, there were options for the
>>>> Onboard SATA controller, but I disabled it since I figured that would
>>>> interfere with the new card.
>>>> Does anyone have any ideas on what I need to do to get the OS to boot
>>>> from the drive on this new card?
>>>>         
>>> Is the drive marked active in fdisk? Do you have the controller listed
>>> in the boot section of your bios (sometimes this will be called
>>> external card or try other interfaces...)?
>>>
>>> John
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>>>       
>> No, my BIOS doesn't have anything for a controller card.  Only the
>> Onboard SATA (enabled/disabled).  When you say fdisk, do you mean the
>> old DOS fdisk?  Why would the onboard SATA not require that but the new
>> card would?  Just curious.
>>
>> I don't see anything about the card, or any external card for that
>> matter, in my BIOS.  When I boot off the LiveCD, like I said, I can see
>> the card when I run lspci, and the system can see my drives properly as
>> /dev/sda and /dev/sdb.
>>
>> Any ideas?
>>
>>     
> Your last sentence just means the OS drivers work and can see the drives. but 
> you need your BIOS to see the drives in order to boot from them.
>
> Usually, there is some BIOS on the SATA card that gets loaded, similar to a 
> SCSI card.
>
> I use a SuperMicro SATA card, and the system sees the drives and boots from 
> them, but it's a SuperMicro motherboard so it's designed to work with the 
> card (or vice versa).
>
> Depending on your SATA card, there might be a jumper or something that tells 
> it to try and load its BIOS.
>
> Try looking up the docs on your mobo, there might be information about booting 
> from a plug-in card. It might be under something like "booting from SCSI".
>
> Also make sure you have the latest BIOS installed in your motherboard.
>
>
>   
I don't see anything in the cards manual concerning any BIOS jumpers.  
The only jumpers that exist are to enable the SATA connectors as SATA 1 
and SATA 2.  Also, neither my MB manual or BIOS says anything whatsoever 
about booting from a SCSI card.  I'll keep looking and tweaking, but 
there has to be something to allow this to work.  I found a newer BIOS 
version for my MB, but what they say they changed has nothing to do with 
SATA.  But I'm going to flash it and check anyway.

To answer John's earlier question, the only boot options my MB BIOS 
gives me are CDROM, Hard Disk, Removable Disk, or Disabled.

Thanks for any help and ideas.
Harry