BIOS doesn't see both USB2.0 drives

[hell0un1verse]

Hi community,

I just finished the hardware build, and installed current FreeNAS onto two Sandisk Cruze Fit 16GB USB2.0 drives in a mirrored boot setup. Now all of a sudden, BIOS won't be able to see one of the USB drives, and FreeNAS is reporting the boot zpool as degraded with one drive not available. But if I only leave one of them on the port, it'll be able to boot, just that the system won't see one of them if both are plugged in.

Wondering if there's any BIOS setting I am missing? But if it's the case, it won't explain why I was able to see them when I did the install. Or is it the USB2.0 port that has issue? But I was able to use either port with either USB drive. I am not sure what problem it could be. The motherboard I am using is Supermicro X11SSM-F-O, and the ports used are the two USB2.0 ports from the back panel.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[BigDave]

Wondering if there's any BIOS setting I am missing? But if it's the case, it won't explain why I was able to see them when I did the install. Or is it the USB2.0 port that has issue? But I was able to use either port with either USB drive. I am not sure what problem it could be. The motherboard I am using is Supermicro X11SSM-F-O, and the ports used are the two USB2.0 ports from the back panel.

Use the "legacy" bios setting for the USB config.
Shut down your server and try one of the flash drives in the type-A port on the interior motherboard (yes I know it's 3.0).

 

[Ericloewe]

I can think of two possibilities:

• One of the drives crapped out. This is actually rather likely.
• Some UEFI magic involving GRUB tells the BIOS that it only makes sense to show one of the drives. I'm not sure this is even possible.

 

[hell0un1verse]

Thanks Dave and Eric.

I played with BIOS setting, closest thing I found was "boot mode", which has dual/legacy/EFI, three options, I changed to legacy from dual, then changed back to dual, now two drives both showed up. Pool is now resilvering.

Does that ring any bell why it happens? BTW would badlocks be good to prove drives are good?

 

[BigDave]

Thanks Dave and Eric.

I played with BIOS setting, closest thing I found was "boot mode", which has dual/legacy/EFI, three options, I changed to legacy from dual, then changed back to dual, now two drives both showed up. Pool is now resilvering.

Does that ring any bell why it happens? BTW would badlocks be good to prove drives are good?

I'm glad you got things working:)
I would like to point out something though, both @Ericloewe and I have the same board you purchased.
Notice that neither one of us use a USB flash drive for our operating system boot device, hint,hint-nod,nod-wink,wink...

 

[Ericloewe]

BTW would badlocks be good to prove drives are good?

It's a bit dubious for flash media.

 

[hell0un1verse]

I'm glad you got things working:)
I would like to point out something though, both @Ericloewe and I have the same board you purchased.
Notice that neither one of us use a USB flash drive for our operating system boot device, hint,hint-nod,nod-wink,wink...

Looks like I should go with SSD for boot, but at this point I still want to protect my 20 bucks investment for the two usb drives:D

Still playing with the boot mode setting, sometimes it stops working again, have to reapply the setting:(

 

[Mirfster]

I still want to protect my 20 bucks investment for the two usb drives:D

One of these > 2 USB Sticks any day of the week IMHO... At that price get two and call it a day...

Count the $20.00 initial investment as a learning experience and re-purpose them for FreeDOS/UltimateBootCD/MemTest/etc... ;)

 

[BigDave]

Looks like I should go with SSD for boot, but at this point I still want to protect my 20 bucks investment for the two usb drives:D

Still playing with the boot mode setting, sometimes it stops working again, have to reapply the setting:(

Have you tried the type-A on-board USB port yet? Move your flash drives around to different ports,
and ignore the 2.0 vs. 3.0 thing! You have nothing to lose by experimenting a little. ;)

 

[hell0un1verse]

One of these > 2 USB Sticks any day of the week IMHO... At that price get two and call it a day...

Count the $20.00 initial investment as a learning experience and re-purpose them for FreeDOS/UltimateBootCD/MemTest/etc... ;)

But Newegg has the same SSD for 90 bucks?!:o

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...TCH&Description=SSDSA2CT040G3&N=-1&isNodeId=1

 

[Z300M]

But Newegg has the same SSD for 90 bucks?!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...TCH&Description=SSDSA2CT040G3&N=-1&isNodeId=1

I just got a 120GB SanDisk Z410 SSD from NewEgg for US$40 as a "ShellShocker" deal, but the regular price is only $5 more. Then a day or two ago there was a 120GB SSD from a different manufacturer (forget which) for only $35 or less.

 

[hell0un1verse]

Have you tried the type-A on-board USB port yet? Move your flash drives around to different ports,
and ignore the 2.0 vs. 3.0 thing! You have nothing to lose by experimenting a little. ;)

Tried the USB3.0 Type A port on the mobo and all kinds of combinations of ports from back and front, using both USB2.0 ports and USB3.0 ports, no combination seem to work consistently, I always seem to have to go back to BIOS to play with the boot mode (legacy/UEFI/dual) a bit before it starts to recognize both USB drives again...

 

[BigDave]

Tried the USB3.0 Type A port on the mobo and all kinds of combinations of ports from back and front, using both USB2.0 ports and USB3.0 ports, no combination seem to work consistently, I always seem to have to go back to BIOS to play with the boot mode (legacy/UEFI/dual) a bit before it starts to recognize both USB drives again...

I'm sorry I don't have any experience to fall back on with USB flash drives and this board.
By the time I purchased the Skylake platform, I was a true blue proponent of the SSD boot drive
and the only time I ever plugged a USB drive into it, was when I made the install.
At that time, I used the TypeA on-board port just the one time, all the rest of my USB ports
are Virgins ;)

 

[Ericloewe]

Tried the USB3.0 Type A port on the mobo and all kinds of combinations of ports from back and front, using both USB2.0 ports and USB3.0 ports, no combination seem to work consistently, I always seem to have to go back to BIOS to play with the boot mode (legacy/UEFI/dual) a bit before it starts to recognize both USB drives again...

The BIOS is very buggy, in general... I've been waiting over half a year for an update, but the damned thing is still at R1.0b!
I don't want to imagine what R1.0a was like...

 

[Mirfster]

But Newegg has the same SSD for 90 bucks?!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...TCH&Description=SSDSA2CT040G3&N=-1&isNodeId=1

Yeah, I always check at least three vendor's prices just to be sure. Amazing how much some things can vary on prices...

 

[hell0un1verse]

Thanks for all the help.

What I found was even though the boot menu (shown by pressing F11) can see both USB drives, it doesn't mean OS will see them both, then it'll result in "degraded" boot zpool...

For now I think I'll leave them, just need to "reapply" the boot mode setting when I need to reboot.