Adam's Blog

Currently the message
"DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER" is displayed if i attempt to boot with the disc attached (via USB2.0)

The BIOS is at fault here, the BIOS ID is "02/24/2004 KT600 8237 6A6LYA1GC-14"

Turning off USB does not work as ubuntu does not re-enable it rendering the computer without USB.

BIOS updates from motherboard manufacturer abit.

Reflash BIOS with update, remember how to use DOS. Boot from CD floppy discs are so 1990s.

BIOS ID now reads KT600 8237 6A6LYA1GC-20

Message reads the same :(

"DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER"

Next strategy:

Install grub on the external hard disc and have it chain load the internal disc

run grub-install

"Error /dev/hdX does not have any corresponding BIOS drive and Solution"

This most likely means that the device needs adding to /boot/grub/device.map

Mine now looks like this, the first two lines are my existing two internal SATA drives, the last is the removable drive.

(hd0)   /dev/sda
(hd1)   /dev/sdb
(hd2)   /dev/sdc

mkdir foo # make a temp mount point
mount /dev/sdc1 foo # mount first partition of the disc
grub-install --root-directory=foo /dev/sdc # install grub

# run grub to configure the stage 1 loader
grub<
grub< root (hd2,0)
grub< setup (hd2)
Checking if "/boot/grub/stage1" exists... yes
Checking if "/boot/grub/stage2" exists... yes
Checking if "/boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5" exists... yes
Running "embed /boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5 (hd2)"... 15 sectors are embedded.
succeeded
Running "install /boot/grub/stage1 (hd2) (hd2)1+15 p (hd2,0)/boot/grub/stage2
/boot/grub/menu.lst"... succeeded
Done.

Actually scratch that, it's way easier just to copy across the contents of /boot on the internal to the external drive, maybe only include your current drive, and just do

grub< root (hd2,0)
grub< setup (hd2)