Startup failure after installation: media test failure check cable

[cedricoola]

Hello, it's my first post.
Last week i decided to try Mxlinux out on my laptop. I installed it from a usb stick. I installed it over Ubuntu that I had installed in dual boot (alongside Windows 7). In other words, I wanted Mx Linux to replace Ubuntu. So during installation I selected the partition with ubuntu, and the swap partition for swap. During installation I chose the default option for everything. The installation process finished without any error message.
Now I can't enter any operating system any more. When starting my pc I first get a black screen with some text including PXE-E61 media test failure check cable, PXE-M0F exiting PXE rom. And then another screen with three choices but anything I choose does not do anything. See photos of display below.

[Eadwine Rose]

Ok.. NOT saying you should do this, but it IS the first result I found.

https://forums.tomsguide.com/threads/px ... om.156411/

I suggest waiting till those more in the know get here to help you out.

Welcome! Too bad your first time here is not a fun experience, hopefully we'll be able to get you sorted.

[fehlix]

Last week i decided to try Mxlinux out on my laptop. I installed it from a usb stick. I installed it over Ubuntu that I had installed in dual boot (alongside Windows 7).

Some more information needed. Please post this from MX-LiveUSB booted system:

-> "Quick System Info" - found in the menu (hint type "quick" in search field)
and
On terminal comandline run and post the output here:
this ->

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sudo lsblk -f

and ->

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sudo parted -l

Do post the text out put between those code-tags [code] test goes here[/code] ( Click </> above the editor window!)
That's it for now.

PS: Welcome to the forum!

[cedricoola]

Here you are. pictures below.
The last picture is what i get when i insert the installation cd of Mx Linux. I chose IEFI. For your information: last week i had made both a usb stick and a cd with Mx Linux but now I only have the cd on hand because i had put Linux Mint on the usb stick which i had installed over Mx Linux on the pc to see if it would repair anything but it didn't, so now there must be Linux Mint installed on ext4 partition.

[fehlix]

Here you are. pictures below.

Hmm... actually I didn't ask for pictures. Nevertheless, the information provided is only partial,
let me see how we can get out of this mess.
Please do this:
Open terminal and run

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sudo chroot-rescue-scan

Now you shall see a list with MX18.3- entry.
Select the entry and enter into MX18.3.
now type this

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grub-install --target=i386-pc /dev/sda

If any error reported please mark/copy and post the error text.
Or better just post the whole text-output here (not as picture, please).
I guess that's it.

Reason: The hardisk is is prepared for BIOS/MBR installs not UEFI,
even if you can boot MX Live in UEFI mode, you might be able to install,
but when it comes to Grub-install something might have not worked.
Now close chroot by typing
exit
and close and reboot and do select BIOS booting not UEFI,
when you boot. Or go in the UEFI/BIOS firmware settup and disable UEFI.
If you get now grub loaded we are one step further ...

EDIT: Please post the output of this command as text:

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sudo parted --list

[cedricoola]

and close and reboot and do select BIOS booting not UEFI

do you mean reboot with the live cd?

other question: I no longer have Mx Linux installed because I overwrote it with Linux Mint for testing purposes to try fixing. Can I type this anyway? grub-install --target=i386-pc /dev/sda

[fehlix]

and close and reboot and do select BIOS booting not UEFI

do you mean reboot with the live cd?

No, without the CD, as we have installed grub bootloader for BIOS .
But better also post the parted output, as requested.

I no longer have Mx Linux installed because I overwrote it with Linux Mint for testing purposes to try fixing. Can I type this anyway? grub-install --target=i386-pc /dev/sda

I guess this will work, but not sure whether Mint comes with the required modules,
If not this might do:

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apt-get update

and

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apt-get install grub-pc-bin

[cedricoola]

Last question before I try what you say:
On pc startup I can access 'Phoenix SecureCore Tiano Setup (however I don't see any settings related to UEFI in there).
do I still need to install the grub bootloader for bios that you mention?

[cedricoola]

and here you are

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$ sudo parted -l

We trust you have received the usual lecture from the local System
Administrator. It usually boils down to these three things:

    #1) Respect the privacy of others.
    #2) Think before you type.
    #3) With great power comes great responsibility.

[sudo] password for demo: 
Model: ATA ST9500325AS (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 500GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End     Size    Type      File system     Flags
 1      1049kB  2149MB  2147MB  primary   ntfs            diag
 2      2151MB  500GB   498GB   extended                  lba
 5      2151MB  66.6GB  64.4GB  logical   ntfs
 6      66.6GB  441GB   374GB   logical   ntfs
 9      441GB   480GB   38.8GB  logical   ext4            boot
10      480GB   484GB   4193MB  logical   linux-swap(v1)
 7      484GB   485GB   1074MB  logical   ntfs            diag
 8      485GB   500GB   15.0GB  logical   ntfs            diag


Model: TSSTcorp CDDVDW SN-208AB (scsi)
Disk /dev/sr0: 4700MB
Sector size (logical/physical): 2048B/2048B
Partition Table: msdos
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start  End     Size    Type     File system  Flags
 2      729kB  14.4MB  13.6MB  primary               esp

[fehlix]

Last question before I try what you say:
On pc startup I can access 'Phoenix SecureCore Tiano Setup (however I don't see any settings related to UEFI in there).
do I still need to install the grub bootloader for bios that you mention?

The "Quick System Info" was only provided partially as an picture, so I could not see whether you really booted in UEFI or not
when booting with LiveUSB.

You could of course just reboot with LiveUSB in BIOS Mode and reinstall MX Linux.
alternaitve the described procedure with chroot should work also do install GRUB into the MBR for the install Linux.

I would recommend to run grub-install with the chroot-rescue, so we could see any error message, if any.

If either of the above methods reinstalling with BIOS-mode or installing grub with chroot
will still not make the system bootable, The reason might be this:

Looking at the provide parted out put:

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Disk /dev/sda: 500GB
Partition Table: msdos
Number  Start   End     Size    Type      File system     Flags
 1      1049kB  2149MB  2147MB  primary   ntfs            diag
 2      2151MB  500GB   498GB   extended                  lba
 5      2151MB  66.6GB  64.4GB  logical   ntfs
 6      66.6GB  441GB   374GB   logical   ntfs
 9      441GB   480GB   38.8GB  logical   ext4            boot
10      480GB   484GB   4193MB  logical   linux-swap(v1)
 7      484GB   485GB   1074MB  logical   ntfs            diag
 8      485GB   500GB   15.0GB  logical   ntfs            diag

I noted the boot flag is on a partition which starts about at 1TB,
this might be too far away for good old BIOS to get detected as a boot drive.
What I suggest is to move the "boot" flag closer to the beginning of the drive.
As bios simply ignore that drive as it can not see the boot flag.
So please do swap the boot flag to the Win System partition /dev/sda5.
This can be done with Gparted when booted live.
Right click on the sda5 and mark as boot.

The start of the partition at about 1TB is for BIOS to far away, but Grub might
be able to find the the partition.
But please post the messages when running grub-install .

EDIT: below a comment about UEFI and BIOS booting and installing, which I posted
wrongly within the other thread : ESP partition,
was intended to go into here originally
Note:
Better boot and install in BIOS mode, do not mix those UEFI boot and BIOS install.
Normaly you would get answer you must always boot with the same UEFI or BIOS mode to install,
but it is not strictly required, as you have seen with the fix we've done with chroot-rescue-scan,
... it reduces at least confusion caused by booting in UEFI and than installing in BIOS.