BootDevice Not Found - acer aspire s7

[tsu02]

Hi guys

About the disks number, here are the informations in the BIOS :

HDD0 Model Name : LITEONIT CMT-128L3M
HDD0 Serial Number : 002242101572A
HDD1 Model Name : LITEONIT CMT-128L3M
HDD1 Serial Number : 002242101572B

And under Main :

SATA Mode       [RAID Mode]

Thank you.
Without having the same hardware, it is difficult to advise specific steps.
Trying to use the regular GRUB/Ubuntu boot set up might be difficult with hardware RAID.

If you don't want (or need) the system to operate RAID, it may be worth entering the UEFI/BIOS set up again to investigate changing the SATA mode from RAID to AHCI.
This might make things easier.

I tried to change the SATA mode from RAID to AHCI but when i reboot, it still in RAID. It seems to be more difficult to take it off. And maybe i need to access to a consol (linux lite live ?) to try something else
Let's see !

If you have a clue, i take it ^^

[Şerban S.]

I've tried but the partition is locked...

As you can see on the pic below, i didn't succeed to find the solution :
https://ibb.co/Z22fHRL

It seems to be locked with /dev/md126

For the rest, i've understood your instructions @Serban but unable to go further than the first step

As I said before, I never used RAID.. And probably, I'll never use. I explained why in the previous posts.
So, partitioning, formatting a RAID virtual drive, maybe requires another software, or you missed something during RAID setup.
As far as I remember, there is a firmware utility for RAID SETUP and management.
Maybe you should study this and use this factory software to do the partitioning and then install whatever.
Read carefully the documentation for your RAID implementation.

For my machine, I found this:
https://www.dell.com/community/en/conversations/desktops-general-locked-topics/how-to-configure-a-raid-volume-on-precision-t1700/647f53d5f4ccf8a8ded3cccc

Best regards.

[tsu02]

I've tried but the partition is locked...

As you can see on the pic below, i didn't succeed to find the solution :
https://ibb.co/Z22fHRL

It seems to be locked with /dev/md126

For the rest, i've understood your instructions @Serban but unable to go further than the first step

[Şerban S.]

Thanks, Steve!

[...] If you don't want (or need) the system to operate RAID, it may be worth entering the UEFI/BIOS set up again to investigate changing the SATA mode from RAID to AHCI.
This might make things easier.

RAID setup: Do we really need it?

I was kinda reluctant to ask this question, but it popped up when I saw your reply regarding the RAID setup.
It so happens that my Dell Precision provides this kind of building the storage environment.
At first glance, it's quite interesting. Yet, one has to question himself a simple question:
What is the cost / outcome factor?
From my perspective, the home environment, is the last place where RAID might help.
There are a lot of things you need to know, in order to understand how deep it goes.
First, it's extremely difficult to figure out a way to use RAID with less than two devices. Further more, they have to be identical.
Besides that, what you get, might be security for data, but for a 2 x 250 GB you get a 250 GB RAID storage.
Maybe that looks still interesting, but the overall lifespan of the media, is lifespan/4. I can get into details, but basically, the technique used is mirroring the device 1 onto device 2.
While in a common setup we have one drive that works, here we have two, thus the wear-off of each drive is doubled (cost, two devices work as one).
There is another factor that increases the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership): Temperature.
While in a common setup the heat is spread around the drive and usually a desktop case handles that acceptably, when two drives are stacked, the heat increases.
That shortens a lot of the lifespan of the media, regardless the type. I learned that the hard way: losing drives.
In România, a temperature of 35 Celsius, is pretty common during spring/summer. Sometimes, even in the autumn.
Sadly, this goes further than that: the last 4 years or maybe more, temperature topped over 40 Celsius. Sometimes, 43 Celsius.
What that means is: lifespan decreases from 100% up to 500% and even worse, due to high temperature. I collected data from my own storage from 2007 till now.
Some drives died after 2,000 hours, some others are still functional and they have gathered over 43,000 hours of service.
Another caveat of a home RAID setup, is power failure.
For a RAID  setup, this might be deadly. Both drives might get damaged so you need an UPS, without question.
Now, doing the simple math, I doubt that a home setup has a real need for such a complication as RAID.
Assuming there are >>1,000 GB of high value data in the archive and on the current drive, I still go for HDD mass storage & low-level backup (CloneZilla). It's about 10x cheaper than any SSD, and the range is pretty generous.
Nowadays, a 4TB external WD goes to 110 - 115 euro. A 4 TB SSD, starts from 250 euro (cheap!) and goes at some 400 euro.
Lifespan?
Although I have a little experience with SSD drives (about 8 years), it looks that they are very sensitive and low tolerant to overheating.
What that means is that while a HDD lasts say 20,000 hours, a SSD goes at about 10,000 - 15,000 hours.
While for a HDD 20,000 hours is quite unusual, because the usual value is >30,000, for a SSD. 30,000 hours, is just a dream.
Let alone, over 40,000 hours.
Now, doing again the math, the overall costs of the SSD media, goes at about 4x than HDD media.

I belive that everybody in this community should read this, and understand, in order to save time, personal data and money.
Since many members here came because they want to throw another breath of life into their 2010 - 2015 ol'gran'pa, I belive this data I presented, worth reading and maybe more: applying.

I hope that this post will help the many nice people here, to make an educated decision regarding storage and data backup solutions.

Best regards!

[stevef]

Hi guys

About the disks number, here are the informations in the BIOS :

HDD0 Model Name : LITEONIT CMT-128L3M
HDD0 Serial Number : 002242101572A
HDD1 Model Name : LITEONIT CMT-128L3M
HDD1 Serial Number : 002242101572B

And under Main :

SATA Mode       [RAID Mode]

Thank you.
Without having the same hardware, it is difficult to advise specific steps.
Trying to use the regular GRUB/Ubuntu boot set up might be difficult with hardware RAID.

If you don't want (or need) the system to operate RAID, it may be worth entering the UEFI/BIOS set up again to investigate changing the SATA mode from RAID to AHCI.
This might make things easier.

[Şerban S.]

And about GPartEd, the screenshots just below :

https://ibb.co/56V9tzM
https://ibb.co/318J59h
https://ibb.co/7CpRFqS
https://ibb.co/LQVW4KJ

I hope it's helpful

Thanks again for your time

First two screenshots, show you the real physical drives. Since they are in RAID mode, they are unusable. "Busy", so to speak.
The next two drives, are logical, since this is the way RAID works.
Now, you need to create a partition table. You can use GPT, since the machine is with UEFI firmware.
After creating the Partition  table, you can create at least a FAT32 partition of 512 MB and an ext4 partition.
After creating the /dev/sdb1, change its type flag to "boot, esp".
After that, you should be able to install Linux Lite on the newly created partition (/dev/sdb2).
Before pressing the "Install now" button, be sure to check the place where the boot loader will be installed.
The name has to be the same as in GPartEd screenshots. In this example, should be  /dev/sdb1, since this is where GRUB has to go.
You should see something like:
/dev/sdb1, FAT32, 512 MB
/dev/sdb2 ext4 , 128 GB (or so)
After installing Linux on /dev/sdb, you may partition the other logical drive (/dev/sdc) from within Linux Lite.
Use the default install scenario and see if it finishes the install.
It will erase the partition /dev/sdb2 and create all things needed, including the SWAP.

Good luck!

[Şerban S.]

I never used RAID, but as far as I know, they appear as logical disks (partitions).
As for the confusion, let's see the screenshots of GPartEd.

If there are two disks in the S7 running RAID, it may be confusing things.

I never saw in more than 25 years of using it, a GParted screen showing a list of DRIVES.
What it shows, is the partitions (logical disks) of a specific drive. If the drive is physical or logical, that is a different thing.
I find it irrelevant at this point if the drive is used with LVM or as usual. It's the same thing as in the extended type of partition.
This is why I need the screenshots of GPartEd.

Best regards!

[tsu02]

And about GPartEd, the screenshots just below :

https://ibb.co/56V9tzM
https://ibb.co/318J59h
https://ibb.co/7CpRFqS
https://ibb.co/LQVW4KJ

I hope it's helpful

Thanks again for your time

[tsu02]

Hi guys

About the disks number, here are the informations in the BIOS :

HDD0 Model Name : LITEONIT CMT-128L3M
HDD0 Serial Number : 002242101572A
HDD1 Model Name : LITEONIT CMT-128L3M
HDD1 Serial Number : 002242101572B

And under Main :

SATA Mode       [RAID Mode]

https://ibb.co/DR9mjqw
https://ibb.co/dkD61nt

[stevef]

If there are two disks in the S7 running RAID, it may be confusing things.
Check in the BIOS settings under 'Information' to see how many physical disks there are and in the BIOS under 'Main' to see if RAID is enabled.

[Şerban S.]

Hello!

[...] I have 3 partitions (4 with the usb key)
dev/md126 : unallocated and unrecognized partition table
dev/sda (usb key)
dev/sdb : none partition table
dev/sdc : none partition table

It looks like the storage dev/md126 is the problem.
As it appears, you have 4 different storage media (dev/md126, dev/sda, dev/sdb dev/sdc).
I only encountered this once long time ago, when SSHD was somehow common on the market.
The listing is abnormal, since the internal storage is unrecognizable, coupling that with the previous messages, my conclusion is that you have a soldered (onboard) SSHD and the buffer partition (the SSD, dev/md126) is gone. That means the internal drive is gone. If there is another way to check this, please, do so.
In another environnement if the internal drive was functional, it would be listed as dev/sda/, but you said the dev/sda/ is an USB drive (stick).
This only happens if the main drive is damaged.
Assuming I am wrong, then it is possible that the unallocated space is usable, but without knowing the available space on each partition, it's impossible to make any educated guess.
I need to see the whole GPartEd screen to understand what is happening there.
Take a picture of the entire GPartEd screen and post it here.
You can also try to create a new partition on /dev/sdb/.
Bunt since I have no clue on the size of the media it's impossible for me to figure out what to do with so less information.


Sample screens:

1. The GPartEd main screen, showing main drive's partitions:

As you can see, the partitions, are listed like /dev/sda1, /dev/sda2, etc. and with the respective sizes.

2. The GPartEd main screen, showing the list of drives:

3. The GPartEd main screen, showing the drive's /dev/sdb partition:

I hope now you understand what I need to figure out what is happening out there.

Meanwhile, search on YouTube any video regarding "Using GPartEd beginner tutorial" and study the partitioning process.
Take a look at this one:

In your message you mixed all the information you remembered, regardless the meaning.
So, I can only guess that the main drive is /dev/md126
Post the screen images and we'll se what can be done.

Best regards, Șerban

[tsu02]

Thanks Serban & Edimion

As you told me, I used GPartEd Live
I have 3 partitions (4 with the usb key)
dev/md126 : unallocated and unrecognized partition table
dev/sda (usb key)
dev/sdb : none partition table
dev/sdc : none partition table

I created a new partition for the first one (gpt)
I didn't do anything with the other ones

As i didn't know exactly how to format the partitions thanks to GpartEd, i stopped the computer, reboot to install linux lite.
Installation ok, so i restarted the computer, modified the boot setup to put the HDD first, took out the usk key, and...
Same message unfortunately "Bootdevice not found" ...

I checked again with GpartEd live, and the first partition is unrecognized again

Other information, i stopped to use Balena Etcher because there were some errors to create my bootable key, so instead i used unetbootin ; same for the linux lite bootable key (i have 2 different usb keys)

[Edimion]

Yes, also my English is not really goob tsu02.

That's probably the main issue of tsu02, probably some sector of his disk are damaged.

I recommend you tsu02 try to use Windows 10 to fix that because of his graphical intefax. If you have one cd try to find that option: Here is a link https://www.avast.com/c-chkdsk-windows

After that 

Don't forget when you press the button F2 or another to watch the BIOS Setup of your computer, don't forget to choose your USB memory to boot first. The one that said the brand of you memory stick ,not UEFI plus the name of that memory stick...

[Şerban S.]

Hi!

[...] When i restart it without they key, i have a black screen with the mention "BootDevice Not Found"[...]
UEFI is enabled
secure boot is disabled [...]

This message means at least two things:
1. The destination drive is damaged. This means it has bad sectors.
2. The drive has an MSDOS type partition. This always leads to errors since your machine has UEFI firmware.
In either case, you need to diagnose the disk.
For that, you need a tool that does that.
The tool is called GPartEd Live, meaning that you have to go to the site, download the ISO image, burn it on an USB stick, then boot it.

https://gparted.org/livecd.php

Download:

https://gparted.org/download.php


After the booting process finishes, you will be in front of the GPartEd window.
It will tell you about the drive's partitions, types, sizes and the rest.
It will also tell you the type of partition.
Select from the Menu View > Device information.
It can be either "MSDOS" or "GPT" (UEFI, Global Partitioning Table.)
If the drive is MSDOS partitioned, than you have to delete all, until all space says "Unpartitioned" or "Unallocated".
Now choose from the menu Device > Create partition. Choose the GPT type, then "Apply".
If you know how to go from here, than do it. Create and format the partitions, starting with the FAT32 boot partition and then the others.
If you are unfamiliar, then stop the computer, insert the boot drive (Linux Lite) and reinstall, with the default option.
Let the installer do the rest. Just follow the on-screen instructions.

Keep us updated.

Best regards, Șerban.

 
 

[tsu02]

Thanks for your answer Edimion
(i'm a beginner on Linux and my english is not perfect...)

So ! I checked the data integrity of my Linux ISO and it's all right, the same result of letters and numbers.

I had tried only with Rufus, i tried with Balena Etcher this time and no problem to create my bootable USB key.

I started my laptop where i want to install Linux with the key. However just before the screen where you can choose to boot live linux or direct install LL, i have an error message "file \boot not found". I tried to install LL 6.6 after a check for file corruption but after a reboot, same problem as before, "bootdevice not found". Not really a surprise...