# New install of FreeBSD will not boot past bootstrap loader



## Ozric (Jul 6, 2013)

Hello, I want to install FreeBSD on my laptop, an HP Probook 6560b. I downloaded the .img file and put it on a USB stick and booted up the laptop and was greeted with this:


```
BTX loader 1.00 BTX version is 1.02
Consoles: internal video/keyboard
BIOS drive C: is disk0
BIOS drive D: is disk1
BIOS 653kB/3086068kB available memory

FreeBSD/x86 bootstrap loader, Revision 1.1
(root@farrell.cse.buffalo.edu, Tue Dec  4 08:16:03 UTC 2012)
/
```

And there it hangs, the / is not spinning however the cursor underneath it is blinking. the keyboard seems entirely unresponsive.

I have checked the .img file with sha256sum, I have tried writing zeros to the USB drive to make it clean before writing the .img, I have tried bs=1M as well as bs=64k. I have tried turning off USB legacy support in the BIOS, but all that did was make it so the BIOS didn't see the USB drive at all so I could not boot from it.

At this point I am stumped. I guess it is either something wrong with the BIOS settings or my USB stick, but I am not knowledgeable enough to have any valid theories. Please help.


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## jozze (Jul 6, 2013)

Some laptops may experience problems with a USB install. Try installing from a CD/DVD.


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## Ozric (Jul 6, 2013)

Solved!

I changed from AHCI to IDE in the BIOS and now it boots from the USB drive just fine.


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