[Solved] Intermittent Boot Failure

I power down my PC and take a day off every week. Last week when I rebooted I had a problem of "unable to find root device" and I followed forum posts and also found this FAQ: After updating my system, I get a "unable to find root device" error after rebooting and my system will no longer boot and I did the "chroot and re-generate initramfs image" procedure and then I think it failed still to boot once and then it just booted and worked.
Anyhow this week when I rebooted I got the same "unable to find root device" problem and even though I didn't think it was necessary, I did that procedure again. Then I just rebooted into my main system four times in a row until it worked. First three time I got the same error.
This is not a software problem. I mean, I'm no genius, but I think my PC has a problem "finding" the hard drive.
My fstab I don't think is necessary relevant but it's
# /etc/fstab: static file system information
# <file system> <dir> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
tmpfs /tmp tmpfs nodev,nosuid 0 0
UUID=29c67a48-7636-4599-affc-e826225b49c2 /home ext4 defaults 0 1
UUID=3f211853-11a0-4ac9-9332-cad016b3b521 /boot ext4 defaults 0 1
UUID=4ca1a48e-fbd3-4756-8340-d533f6c968b8 / ext4 defaults 0 1
UUID=849fbafc-f8a9-4750-8efe-ceb434f735e0 /srv ext4 defaults 0 1
/dev/sda2 /mnt/sda2 ext3 defaults 0 1
/dev/sda3 /mnt/sda3 ext3 defaults 0 1
/dev/sda4 swap swap defaults 0 0
I have an old system in /dev/sda and my main system is on /dev/sdb and referred to by the UUIDs. What happens is that it starts to boot and finds /dev/sda fine AFAICT and then it fails when it can't find /dev/sdb
Short term solution is never reboot again!!!
Next idea is to make a fresh install on /dev/sda and make that my main one and then who cares about /dev/sdb
But the real question is, what can I do about this? Seems like since it's intermittent it's hard to debug. Furthermore my hardware dealer (who I like and I trust) I think is good at what he does but he only knows Windows so I'm not sure how much he could help.
I don't know how to try to determine if it's the drive or the mobo or the cable or what.
Any ideas are appreciated.
Last edited by CaptainKirk (2012-11-24 19:22:42)

I guess grub2 as I have a grub directory in /boot
I ran S.M.A.R.T. tests now but they're good:
$ sudo smartctl -l selftest /dev/sdb
smartctl 6.0 2012-10-10 r3643 [x86_64-linux-3.6.6-1-ARCH] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-12, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org
=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
Num Test_Description Status Remaining LifeTime(hours) LBA_of_first_error
# 1 Extended offline Completed without error 00% 5262 -
# 2 Short offline Completed without error 00% 5261 -
Full results also look good I think:
$ sudo smartctl -a /dev/sdb
smartctl 6.0 2012-10-10 r3643 [x86_64-linux-3.6.6-1-ARCH] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-12, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org
=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Family: SAMSUNG SpinPoint F3
Device Model: SAMSUNG HD502HJ
Serial Number: S20BJ90B983233
LU WWN Device Id: 5 0024e9 206255b87
Firmware Version: 1AJ10001
User Capacity: 500,107,862,016 bytes [500 GB]
Sector Size: 512 bytes logical/physical
Rotation Rate: 7200 rpm
Device is: In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]
ATA Version is: ATA8-ACS T13/1699-D revision 6
SATA Version is: SATA 2.6, 3.0 Gb/s
Local Time is: Sat Nov 10 23:53:51 2012 IST
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled
=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED
General SMART Values:
Offline data collection status: (0x00) Offline data collection activity
was never started.
Auto Offline Data Collection: Disabled.
Self-test execution status: ( 0) The previous self-test routine completed
without error or no self-test has ever
been run.
Total time to complete Offline
data collection: ( 4800) seconds.
Offline data collection
capabilities: (0x5b) SMART execute Offline immediate.
Auto Offline data collection on/off support.
Suspend Offline collection upon new
command.
Offline surface scan supported.
Self-test supported.
No Conveyance Self-test supported.
Selective Self-test supported.
SMART capabilities: (0x0003) Saves SMART data before entering
power-saving mode.
Supports SMART auto save timer.
Error logging capability: (0x01) Error logging supported.
General Purpose Logging supported.
Short self-test routine
recommended polling time: ( 2) minutes.
Extended self-test routine
recommended polling time: ( 80) minutes.
SCT capabilities: (0x003f) SCT Status supported.
SCT Error Recovery Control supported.
SCT Feature Control supported.
SCT Data Table supported.
SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 16
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME FLAG VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE UPDATED WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate 0x002f 100 100 051 Pre-fail Always - 0
2 Throughput_Performance 0x0026 056 056 000 Old_age Always - 4378
3 Spin_Up_Time 0x0023 083 082 025 Pre-fail Always - 5358
4 Start_Stop_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 69
5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct 0x0033 252 252 010 Pre-fail Always - 0
7 Seek_Error_Rate 0x002e 252 252 051 Old_age Always - 0
8 Seek_Time_Performance 0x0024 252 252 015 Old_age Offline - 0
9 Power_On_Hours 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 5263
10 Spin_Retry_Count 0x0032 252 252 051 Old_age Always - 0
11 Calibration_Retry_Count 0x0032 252 252 000 Old_age Always - 0
12 Power_Cycle_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 69
191 G-Sense_Error_Rate 0x0022 252 252 000 Old_age Always - 0
192 Power-Off_Retract_Count 0x0022 252 252 000 Old_age Always - 0
194 Temperature_Celsius 0x0002 064 062 000 Old_age Always - 25 (Min/Max 12/38)
195 Hardware_ECC_Recovered 0x003a 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
196 Reallocated_Event_Count 0x0032 252 252 000 Old_age Always - 0
197 Current_Pending_Sector 0x0032 252 252 000 Old_age Always - 0
198 Offline_Uncorrectable 0x0030 252 252 000 Old_age Offline - 0
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count 0x0036 200 200 000 Old_age Always - 0
200 Multi_Zone_Error_Rate 0x002a 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
223 Load_Retry_Count 0x0032 252 252 000 Old_age Always - 0
225 Load_Cycle_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 69
SMART Error Log Version: 1
No Errors Logged
SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
Num Test_Description Status Remaining LifeTime(hours) LBA_of_first_error
# 1 Extended offline Completed without error 00% 5262 -
# 2 Short offline Completed without error 00% 5261 -
SMART Selective self-test log data structure revision number 0
Note: revision number not 1 implies that no selective self-test has ever been run
SPAN MIN_LBA MAX_LBA CURRENT_TEST_STATUS
1 0 0 Completed [00% left] (0-65535)
2 0 0 Not_testing
3 0 0 Not_testing
4 0 0 Not_testing
5 0 0 Not_testing
Selective self-test flags (0x0):
After scanning selected spans, do NOT read-scan remainder of disk.
If Selective self-test is pending on power-up, resume after 0 minute delay.

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3.14-6_nodebug.log: http://pastebin.com/18TRZVRp
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Dear forum viewes and experts...
I hope you can provide me with your insights on this problem i am having...
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now boots to the log-in page (sometimes), but will BSOD after about 10 seconds, regardless of whether I am fast enough to log-in, or not.
That should be enough time to get to the Shift-Restart option. <eg>
Since you can see what you're doing you don't even have to do the backwards method that I was long proposing so that users who were trying to do this in the dark would be able to bypass their password field. But maybe using a set of Backtab (Shift-Tab)
Shift-Space would be more efficient anyway?
Here is an example of an explanation of the technique:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/37eff8a6-74a3-4775-90d7-e0aa86c68424/windows-8-black-screen-at-boot?forum=w8itprogeneral#0dc40edd-4e3b-466b-b4af-37c532eb844a
<quote>
In order to try to avoid hitting the Password field in this uncertain state I suggested using Backtab (e.g. Shift-Tab) to do the navigation. Fortunately, the pressing of Shift- would solve the problem of whether you were on the Lock screen or already on
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</quote>
HTH
Robert Aldwinckle

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Try clearing the CMOS.
Try this procedure:
Unplug the PC and open it up. Clean out all the dust. Carefully remove and replace all the cables going to the motherboard one at a time. Do the same for the memory dimms and the video and sound cards if you have any. You might want to buy a can of compressed air to blow the dust out of the CPU heat sink. Plug your PC back in and give it a go.
HP DV9700, t9300, Nvidia 8600, 4GB, Crucial C300 128GB SSD
HP Photosmart Premium C309G, HP Photosmart 6520
HP Touchpad, HP Chromebook 11
Custom i7-4770k,Z-87, 8GB, Vertex 3 SSD, Samsung EVO SSD, Corsair HX650,GTX 760
Custom i7-4790k,Z-97, 16GB, Vertex 3 SSD, Plextor M.2 SSD, Samsung EVO SSD, Corsair HX650, GTX 660TI
Windows 7/8 UEFI/Legacy mode, MBR/GPT

Intermittent send failures in Outlook 2011 for MAC

Ever since Verizon changed its POP server settings, I am getting intermittent send failures from MS Outlook for MAC 2011 even though I made the correct port changes and SSL options in Outlook 2011. Everywhere I look for assistance, including Microsoft, Apple and Verizon, no one has found anything wrong other than Microsoft suspects that Verizon's server doesn't like too many logins and passwords in a set period of time. Apparently, every email that is sent, sends a User Name and Password to Verizon's server. MS suspects that the server doesn't like that and rejects messages within a certain time period. Furthermore, I cannot find any Verizon support for Outlook 2011 for the MAC! Once again this is "intermittent" such as 4 messages will go and then the 5th will not. If I leave it in the outbox, it will eventually send. I'm not sure that MS's theory is fully correct because sometimes I get the send failures on the first message sent. The error message says, "Outlook cannot find the server etc." "Error Code: 3170". All incoming messages come into Outlook 2011 correctly. Does Verizon support Outlook 2011 for the MAC?
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Re: Consistent alerts error 3170...and my settings are correct! HELP!
Options
‎12-19-2013 09:47 AM
I had the same issue. After talking to a Verizon FIOS technician from thier techinical support center, he said that no changes are needed for Outlook for Mac. That means the settings should be:
Incoming server: incoming.verizon.net
Incoming port: 110
Use SSL to connect: UNCHECKED
Outgoing server: outgoing.verizon.net
Outgoing port: 25
Use SSL to connect: UNCHECKED
Hope that helps others not waste an hour searching Verizon's website and trying to navigate their massive phone tree to actually speak to a technician.

MSI 975x disk boot failure

I have been having a problem lately with a 975x having disk boot failure once in a while. The system has 2 drives and a dvd writer. It's about 2.5 years old also. When this happens it doesn't see any drives. I've cleaned the filters, fans etc and sometimes during this it'll start working. Once it finds the drive it boots just fine and works fine. I don't think it's a drive as it can't find any of them.
This happens intermittently, and there is no pattern to what gets it working again. The case is well ventilated. I have 4 gig DDR2, the drives are SATA, core 2 duo 2.13 ghz.
I'm thinking the mother board is starting to go bad on me.
Does anyone have any other ideas?
Also if I change the board what is a good one in the newer models so I won't have to change a lot of other hardware?
I've not kept current on the advances in mother boards the last few years

Well I spoke too soon.
It did it again today. It started with a not responding message and on reboot it did not detect any drives the first time. In the bios it said none in all positions also. After Another reboot it identified the WD drive but not the Seagate drive. After sitting about 2 hours I rebooted with the Seagate drive unplugged and it came up just fine. I then put in 2 more drives and plugged in the Seagate drive and it worked just fine.
Any other ideas?
Do you think my suspecting a flaky MB is wrong?
Also whats a good MB for the hardware I have?

T530 with N-6300 boot failure 1802

Hi,
I got a nice T530 with built in 6205 Wireless LAN. As I tried to replace with N-6300 there comes the Hardware boot failure with error 1802 (incompatible PCI device). I just wonder as the N-6300 is in the compatibility list and the third antenna was also already built in. Is there any workaround to get this running?
regards
Solved!
Go to Solution.

I picked up the N6300 with FRU 60Y3233 from http://www.ebay.ca/itm/1pc-Ultimate-N-6300-633ANHMW-FRU-60Y3233-Wireless-Card-for-IBM-Thinkpad-Intel...
The card works flawlessly out of the box and utilizes all 3 antennae.
Just in case someone was looking for an answer here.

Boot Failure. SMART Hard Disk Error. Imminnent failure detected. Hard Disk 301.

Hi,
Have a boot failure as above. Laptop purchased 02/23/11. Bios date 02/14/11 Verson F.26. Product ID XZ298UA#ABA. Serial{Removed for privacy}. Need to replace hard drive?
Thanks.

Hi,
You could try removing and then re-seating the Hard Drive, but it does appear to have failed and will need to be replaced.
Your best option is to contact HP and arrange to have the Hard Drive under warranty.
If you live in the US, contact HP Here.
If you are in another part of the world, start Here.
Regards,
DP-K
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****Please mark Accept As Solution if it solves your problem****
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Microsoft MVP - Windows Experience

Windows 7 Ultimate x64 BOOT Failure on HP ProBook 450 G1...

Dear forum viewes and experts...
I hope you can provide me with your insights on this problem i am having...
I bought a new laptop HP ProBook 450 G1 (i5 4200M, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, 2GB ATI Graphics card). The laptop comes with DOS free operating system.
I installed Windows 7 Ultimate from ISO file on a USB stick, and then activated the Windows.
After updating all drivers and having a clean device manager with no hardware left as unknown, i figured out that the laptop fails to make a cold BOOT.
After several trials, and installations. the problem remained the same. I changed the installation to Windows 8.1 Pro and the problem remained the same.
On cold booting, the laptop after showing HP logo in start-up starts to show Windows Logo animation but in Super Slow Motion for about 6-8 minutes, then followed by strange sounds which force me to shut it down by pressing power button for long until it shuts down.
After huge number of trail and error, i found out that if I entered BIOS Setup (by pressing esc then F10) and then exiting it without doing any changes or even without saving, the Laptop boots Windows 7 very smoothly (in about 15-18 seconds) and works fine. it also can make endless number of smooth restarts without any problem.
If it is shut down then turned on, the boot failure is the outcome.
The only way to make a successful cold BOOT (i.e after a shut down) is to enter BIOS setup mode (by pressing esc then F10), then exiting it within seconds without changing anything or saving, then it boots smoothly.
I tried MBR fixes through command prompt in Recovery Mode, I tried to change booting to make it boot as LEGACY or UEFI Hybrid. The BIOS is updated to the latest frimware on HP website verion 1.2 dated 15 July 2014.
NO HELP.....All lead to the same disappointing result.
Any idea whether this is a hardware issue/software issue/BIOS issue?
Your insights will be highly appreciated

Hello,
I'd ask in the
Windows 7 forum on Microsoft Community.
As the Microsoft Community is on a different platform, we cannot move the question for you.
Once there, click on Participate near the top of the screen, and select 'Ask a Question' or 'Start a Discussion':
Karl
When you see answers and helpful posts, please click Vote As Helpful, Propose As Answer, and/or Mark As Answer.
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[Solved] Intermittent Boot Failure

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