From owner-freebsd-questions Thu Jun 13 07:08:35 1996 Return-Path: owner-questions Received: (from root@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) id HAA25422 for questions-outgoing; Thu, 13 Jun 1996 07:08:35 -0700 (PDT) Received: from biblioteca.campus.unal.edu.co ([200.21.26.198]) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) with SMTP id HAA25415 for ; Thu, 13 Jun 1996 07:08:30 -0700 (PDT) Received: by biblioteca.campus.unal.edu.co (AIX 3.2/UCB 5.64/4.03) id AA64077; Thu, 13 Jun 1996 09:04:05 -0400 Date: Thu, 13 Jun 1996 09:04:05 -0400 (EDT) From: Pedro Giffuni To: Terry Lambert Cc: questions@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: Non-system disk error In-Reply-To: <199606122251.PAA07045@phaeton.artisoft.com> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Sender: owner-questions@FreeBSD.org X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk Please note: 1) The Installer read the instructions! 2) fbsd was succesfully installed on an identical computer, following the same procedure 3) Machines came with DOS preinstalled and worked fine. 4) There`s only one disk. 5) DOS fdisk reported the wonly partition (NON-DOS) is active. Pedro. On Wed, 12 Jun 1996, Terry Lambert wrote: > > Hello: > > Installing fbsd on two computers that are exactly equal, same brand, same > > size, etc... one gives me the nasty message: > > > > Missing Operating System. > > > > while the other one is O.K. > > Error: "Missing Operating System" > > Description: The BIOS-based MBR looked at the partition table, and > saw that no partitions were marked active. > > Cause 1: No partitions are marked active (user error). > > Workaround 1: Boot a DOS boot disk and run fdisk. Mark a partition > active. Reboot from the hard drive to get the selected > OS. > > Cause 2: Installation of boot manager was selected when FreeBSD > was being installed on the second disk (installer did > not read installation instructions). Happens because > there is no BSD disk on the first drive to mark active > after everything is marked inactive. > > Workaround 2: Boot a DOS boot disk and run fdisk. Mark a partition > active. Reboot from the hard drive to get the boot > manager. > > Cause 3: Installation of boot manager was selected when FreeBSD > was being installed on the second disk (installer did > not read installation instructions) and OnTrack or > other INT-13 redirecting LBA boot-sector TSR is in use. > Happens because the boot manager has overwritten the > OnTrack (or other) boot code. > > Workaround 3: Reinstall OnTRack or other INT-13 redirecting boot-sector > TSR using disk which came with machine/drive. Do *NOT* > overwrite partition table (which is undamaged). If boot > selector is desired, boot DOS from hard drive and use > DOS installation program to install boot selector. > > Overall fix: Make the FreeBSD install less stupid when it comes to > installing FreeBSD on the second drive. > > > Terry Lambert > terry@lambert.org > --- > Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present > or previous employers. >