Netgate Discussion Forum
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Search
    • Register
    • Login

    Pfsense NOT booting

    Problems Installing or Upgrading pfSense Software
    3
    23
    2.2k
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • S
      Scr0tuMan
      last edited by

      I have a protectli fw10001 appliance that used to work fine with pfsense. It stopped booting after I continuously unplugged it without properly powering it down. I then went to install Pfsense again on it and it will not boot into the install prompt of OS for that matter. It will however load up ubuntu properly and boot fine with ubuntu.. It is PFSENSE that is freezing upon bootup. I am loading it VIA USB image I downloaded online. Any help would be very much appreciated. Thank you in advance for your help.

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • Arnaud09A
        Arnaud09
        last edited by

        In my opinion you should look on the side of MBR

        It is often a software problem related to the hard drive.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • S
          Scr0tuMan
          last edited by

          I thought that it might be the hardisk as well. So I swapped out the 32gb SSD drive with another one exactly like it. Brand new! Same problem. It stops upon USB boot. It will not let me reinstall the OS. Here is the kicker. I can install UBUNTU from USB drive on the same box without an issue. I have also tried to boot from several other USB drives that have PFSENSE installer on it with no success. Please advise.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • Arnaud09A
            Arnaud09
            last edited by

            I do not really know.

            If it's not already done, try installing the img.gz image with rufus.

            Second, is your source image possibly corrupted? Did you do sha256sum?

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • S
              Scr0tuMan
              last edited by

              ok so here is what I am doing to burn image. i download the USB VERSION of ETCHER on a windows 10 box and I use Etcher to burn image to USB. It seems to start booting image and gives me the initial boot menu. Then it JUST HANGS on boot. Attached are the pics of where it hangs when it bootsrsz_20201017_173241.jpg

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • S
                Scr0tuMan
                last edited by

                Also I have reformatted and redownloaded image several times. I have tried this on numerous different usb sticks.

                Arnaud09A 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • Arnaud09A
                  Arnaud09 @Scr0tuMan
                  last edited by

                  @Scr0tuMan said in Pfsense NOT booting:

                  ... and redownloaded image several times. ...

                  From what source? And your sha256sum, Is it ok?

                  If this is ok, for my part I'll Try rufus anyway. You will see

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • S
                    Scr0tuMan
                    last edited by

                    So I just now tried RUFUS as well. I also burned an image with WIN32IMAGER all 3 booted and then just HANGED when it got to same Booting... message as in picture above. I have installed this many many many times and have never had this kind of issue before. ETCHER, RUFUS AND WIN32IMAGER all 3 I have used to burn image. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • S
                      Scr0tuMan
                      last edited by

                      oh and the source is from here.

                      https://www.pfsense.org/download/

                      I download the USBMEM stick image.

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • Arnaud09A
                        Arnaud09
                        last edited by

                        Sorry to ask again, and your sum sha256? After that it's beyond my competence.

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • S
                          Scr0tuMan
                          last edited by

                          @Arnaud09 said in Pfsense NOT booting:

                          sum sha256

                          76cd49ca6cab6c23021a0fede1ad4d46e310d010a8236d0ee65668d296f2dcff

                          this is what I got online when I did a check on it.
                          Is this what you you are asking for?

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • Arnaud09A
                            Arnaud09
                            last edited by

                            @Scr0tuMan said in Pfsense NOT booting:

                            Is this what you you are asking for?

                            Yes. And when you make the sum up the downloaded file, do you have the same key?

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • S
                              Scr0tuMan
                              last edited by

                              Yes the has verified. Says it is good. What would be next step?

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • S
                                Scr0tuMan
                                last edited by

                                c167e8da-84f9-4569-b94c-4f12c8558f97-image.png

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • Arnaud09A
                                  Arnaud09
                                  last edited by

                                  Like I told you ... I'm far from an expert, but the next step I would do is to reset win10, If you don't use Etcher from a linux. The problem is probably there.

                                  Or else your box. Battery, motherboard ..

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • S
                                    Scr0tuMan
                                    last edited by

                                    So I am very fluent with linux. I have burned this image on my linux box as well. This is a brand new windows 10 box I am creating image on. As I said before this PROTECLI box runs ubuntu on it just fine. It just gives me a hard time now with PFSENSE. I was just running PFSENSE on this same box 3 months ago. When it freaked out on me due to powering it down over and over again by just pulling the power plug. Now the dang thing wont let me install PFSENSE properly. Oh and I use ETCHER IN LINUX to run the usb burn process.

                                    Arnaud09A 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • Arnaud09A
                                      Arnaud09 @Scr0tuMan
                                      last edited by

                                      @Scr0tuMan said in Pfsense NOT booting:

                                      ... When it freaked out on me due to powering it down over and over again by just pulling the power plug. ...

                                      Yes, serious problem there. I'm looking at this doc https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/troubleshooting/boot-issues.html

                                      Otherwise a hardware problem is possible, even if some version works

                                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • S
                                        Scr0tuMan
                                        last edited by

                                        I was leaning more towards a hardware problem at first. Wierd thing is like I said before I can load ubuntu on this beyotch just fine. Its the PFSENSE that gives me a headache. I will take a look at this boot page tomorrow and see what I can do with it. I will come back in here and post any success or failure. Thanks for the time and help tonight buddy.

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • Arnaud09A
                                          Arnaud09
                                          last edited by

                                          @Scr0tuMan said in Pfsense NOT booting:

                                          I was leaning more towards a hardware problem at first.

                                          There is specific software to check.

                                          @Scr0tuMan said in Pfsense NOT booting:

                                          Wierd thing is like I said before I can load ubuntu on this beyotch just fine.

                                          Like say, some version can work and others not

                                          @Scr0tuMan said in Pfsense NOT booting:

                                          Thanks for the time and help tonight buddy.

                                          You welcome

                                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • S
                                            Scr0tuMan
                                            last edited by

                                            @Arnaud09 said in Pfsense NOT booting:

                                            Like say, some version can work and others not

                                            awww dayum! maybe an older version would help!! I will try this tomorrow!

                                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                            • First post
                                              Last post
                                            Copyright 2025 Rubicon Communications LLC (Netgate). All rights reserved.