# FreeBSD 7.2 can not boot on my computer



## zzbwang (Nov 7, 2009)

I have been using freebsd since version 5.4, 6.2, 6.4, 7.0 and everything is ok. Now I want to install freebsd 7.2 on my computer because valgrind becomes supporting freebsd since 7.2. During the installation process everything is ok. After reboot, freebsd can not boot up, system prompted: "Disk boot failure, Insert system disk and press any key".

I installed freebsd boot manager, it seems it does not work. Anybody met same condition? How can I resolve this problem?

installation media: I386 DVD burned with ISO image file from freebsd website.

Thanks a lot!


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## MG (Nov 7, 2009)

Assuming there is no disk hardware failure, I would overwrite the disk booting area and install the dvd again. You need a running FreeBSD system that can access the target disk like te livefs cd:

Overwrite the first 1000KB of your disk with zeroes:
[cmd=]dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/ad? bs=1k count=1000[/cmd]

I'm not sure this will solve your problem. It also can be related to the bios or the new disk drivers.


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## zzbwang (Nov 8, 2009)

MG said:
			
		

> Assuming there is no disk hardware failure, I would overwrite the disk booting area and install the dvd again. You need a running FreeBSD system that can access the target disk like te livefs cd:
> 
> Overwrite the first 1000KB of your disk with zeroes:
> [cmd=]dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/ad? bs=1k count=1000[/cmd]
> ...



I am very sure hard disk is ok. after installation failure of 7.2, I tried 7.0 again, 7,0 can be installed and run normally.

In the past three days, I tried to install bsd 7.2 on 3 different machines. The results are same.

I have not use livefs cd. This morning I burned a livefs cd, after boot with it, it begins to install BSD as if a full BSD DVD. And I did not found doc about how to use livefs cd. Can you give me some links or pls tell me how to use it?

Thanks a lot!


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## MG (Nov 8, 2009)

From the livefs cd main menu:

--> Fixit-Repair mode with CDROM/DVD/floppy or start shell
  --> use livefs CDROM/DVD


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## LateNiteTV (Nov 9, 2009)

if you cant seem to get 7.2 to install properly from the cd image, why not install 7.0 and csup to 7.2?


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## zzbwang (Nov 10, 2009)

Yes, I tried install 7.0 and upgrade to 7.2. Succeed!

What's more, I also tried to install 7.2 on VMware, succeed too!

I am strange why 7.2 can not be installed on real PC and embedded server. 

should I report a bug to developers?

thank you all!


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## rebQQtz (Nov 14, 2009)

*Same problem here*

lot of problems with 7.2  ...

i have tried installing in several machines, about 30% success
changed CD readers, burnt a bunch if CD, ... no way:
On some (too many) machines 7.2 just does not start
SOB!


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## DutchDaemon (Nov 14, 2009)

http://www.freebsd.org/releases/7.2R/errata.html


> [20090501] Some machines do not recognize the i386 disc1 as bootable and fall through to booting off the next boot device. All affected machines did see the other discs as bootable. As a workaround, you can boot using the bootonly or livefs CDROM and then swap in disc1 once sysinstall(8) starts.



Try that, or use 7.1 and upgrade, or try 8.0 (8.0-RELEASE soon, release candidate works fine).


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## bluetick (Nov 16, 2009)

I have had 3 computers after running freebsd-update fail to find the OS on reboot. I reload 7.2 from cd, reboot into the new system then reboot several times just fine. When I run freebsd-update to the current level of 7.2 on reboot the system will not boot. Unable to load 8.0RC3, it finds the drive, I take the defaults, but the drive is not found during the write to the harddrive.


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## jb_fvwm2 (Nov 16, 2009)

I'm fairly certain, not positive, that if you
can somehow load
geom_bsd.ko, geom_mbr.ko, and geom_label.ko, BEFORE
the write to the disk, that /dev entries will be
created (v8) to allow install to.  
But am unsure as of how to do it. (boot? at the
loader prompt, some command?) 
Those three (or one or two ) fixed the "sata on
pci controller" not found /dev entries on 8-stable
(october 2009). here (I am almost certain.)


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