Compatibility

Yeah, and I'm trying to slow you down! :D I really don't think you've buggered up the machine, but I can't say for sure. Probably my biggest concern is the BIOS update. How confident are you that you selected the correct file to flash?

Let me also say... never, EVER... pulll any USB device out of a system running Linux until you've safely unmounted or ejected it. Windows is very tolerant of this behavior, but Linux is not. Linux holds data in RAM and does not write to the USB sometimes until it is told to unmount or eject... so pulling it out without waiting guarantees you to corrupt data.
 


You can try to reformat your USB stick with Windows and see if it will recover enough capacity for you to continue working with that. You might also run chkdsk on it... or "Rebuild" if you're using Win 10. We can't further check the computer unless we have some bootable media, whether USB stick or DVD.
 
Huh.

The bios came from msi in the folder for the my mother board. I don't think that is the problem. When I can get it to come on the tv screen, I've hit del and checked the bios update. ... it matches the file on the msi website. So that should be ok. I think.
I'll have to try it all again.
 
Huh.

The bios came from msi in the folder for the my mother board. I don't think that is the problem. When I can get it to come on the tv screen, I've hit del and checked the bios update. ... it matches the file on the msi website. So that should be ok. I think.
I'll have to try it all again.

1st page results from Google for MSI B250M shows 3 different model names: Bazooka, Gaming Pro, and Mortar... so I'm just double-checking you. I don't think you need flash it again. Unless there are other things going on I'm unaware of, this is the only thing that would bugger up your system at this point. The USB is just failing to boot for you now.
 
I tried formatting the usb but win 10 says it's empty.
I need a Bootable drive.

I'm confused. In Post #33 you said Windows reports the drive as almost full. Full or empty shouldn't stop Windows from formatting. What does "bootable" have to do with this?
 
Mortar. It's 22:30 and I need to get stuff ready for my week.
I'll have to try it in the morning.
 
Ya. 2. Something MG. Out of 4G. Yet there is nothing there when I open it and regardless of how many times I format it.
 
Mortar. It's 22:30 and I need to get stuff ready for my week.
I'll have to try it in the morning.

Okay, I understand... getting late here too. Stay calm. Wiz and I will do our best to help you get going again.

Cheers
 
Hi all, this is a "holding Post" whilst I work on a structured approach.

Cody, you must think me not dependable, but I received no emails notifying me of recent developments, since my Post at #32. I have unchecked following this thread, exited the site and re-entered and checked follow this thread and we will see if that fixes my problem.

As to yours -

This is what SPM (Synaptic Package Manager) looks like on one of my Ubuntu 16.04.3 'Unity' installs.

tuUmv6n.png


You can see what I was saying about the microcode. Partly obscured under my mouseover's "Search for packages" is the column headed "Installed Version", and to its right, "Latest Version".

So the intel-microcode package that is in place on mine appears to be version 3.20 released 7th July 2017.

What we could use knowing, then, is what version was included with the flashing of your MSI motherboard?

Also, do you have access to another computer that you can test a stick on, to see if the Live USB works?

Cheers for my evening

Wizard
 
@wizardfromoz you guys are more dependable than microsoft. so no worries there.

This is what I flashed.
version 7A74v15 https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/support/B250M-PRO-VD

Well, at least we're real people and not a silly voice mail nightmare! LOL :D

So, again, I'm sorry for my confusion, but I'm not familiar with modern motherboards such as this. I want you to be sure that PRO-VD is the same as Mortar that you possess. I'd guess they are, but this is on you. When you give us different specs (names) I have to question it. Since it took the update once already, it obviously seems like I am overly paranoid. :confused::D

I suppose you flashed the latest BIOS update (v16), but the link you gave does not show a microcode update on that one.... but it does show a microcode update on the previous one (v15), dated 2017-08-02.

There are already FOUR updates to the BIOS just this year... WTF? But v15 from 08-02 is the only one with a microcode update.

We don't know what version (or date) of your original microcode was... it may have been original from the board's introduction to the market a year ago, unless you have some other evidence of its manufacture date or BIOS date.

So, really... I still think you need to try another boot media.... a new USB or else a DVD. When you can boot a Live Ubuntu again, install Synaptic per Wizard and the article you found, and check the microcode date against what's "installed" versus what's "available" versus what is shown on v15 of 2017-08-02. This has to be your starting point, unless you go to Windows instead.
 
@atanere
do i need a activation code for that ms10 iso?

Actually, no. It will run for awhile and not nag you... but eventually it will put a nag on your desktop to remind you to activate. If you let it go online, it will get updates though.... UGH. :eek::D
 
i flashed 15. v16 wasnt there when i flashed my bios

OK, so we know your microcode date then. And it's a good assumption that the BIOS flash actually put this firmware microcode onto a chip on your motherboard. From what I've been reading... because these updates are often so frequent (as we've noticed on your board).... Linux doesn't actually write to a chip, but instead loads the microcode into the kernel at each boot.

So, we're back now to comparing to what Ubuntu has by checking it with Synaptic. If it is older than the v15 date, then it seems that you don't want to install that older version from Ubuntu. Right? I've never done this during an installation, but it seems that you would then tell Synaptic to "uninstall" that microcode before running the Ubuntu installer... because it seems that is is putting older microcode in place that throws the error you're getting. But what's confusing the heck out of me is that the USB live version boots and runs, but then fails after installation. Is it booting the BIOS microcode to be working? And then installing the kernel-patch older microcode? I'm just not sure.... and I suggest that you wait for Wizard to weigh in on this situation too.

If you pursue the Windows install, I would guess that will go okay for you... and certainly increase your confidence that the computer isn't totally hosed up. Although I also watched a YouTube video about your board, and it mentioned that there is a driver disk provided that you may need even for Windows. (I don't think it would have helped Linux though.)

OK, I'm off for now. I have a catastrophe on my everyday desktop that I must deal with for a few hours.... I think I screwed up royally and must re-install Linux. Yikes! How did I do that?!?!? :eek::confused::eek::eek:
 
Ok. I will.
Here is the exact process I just did this morning.

1. Write usb with Ubuntu 16.... with etcher.
2. insert usb into port on htpc.
3. cross fingers
4. power on
5. will not send signal to tv (blue screen)
6. power off and power on again.
7. black screen - options to install, check for drive errors, and one more i forget
8. check drive for errors - all ok - system requests to reboot
9. black screen asking from proper boot device

im just thinking obvious type of solutions: could number 9 be a request for the MSI drivers and utilities disk??
 
1. Are you re-using the same USB stick?

2. The "black screen" sounds like it might be the GRUB bootloader screen. Is there not an option just to run Ubuntu (and not install it)? It should be the first choice, if it's there. I don't think it's asking for a MSI utility... it just wants something bootable, and this still makes me think your USB stick may be hosed up, if you're still using the same one. Can you post a photo of the black screen?
 

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