Linux install problem with 2.9.2 iso

This was working for me on this system, but now not so much.

I'd installed 2.9.2 with Dragon a few months back - no drama other than migrating from axis to Dragon (was fine

After a few months away, I found the system would not boot "Reboot and Select proper boot device". There had been some power outages and I tend to leave the (linux) system running so after a few attempts I decided the boot SSD was corrupted and I would need to re-install. 

I grabbed the 2.9.2 iso, put it on a usb stick and ran the install. Seemed to go fine but when it came time to reboot I got the same message. The BIOS sees the drive and it is 1st priority. I thought maybe disk is toast, but when I boot the live install from USB, I can see the SSD, open it and everything appears fine; just won't boot. FWIW, when I do the install I select options of 1 partition and use whole disk.

The system is a quad core i7 gigabyte itx board with Mesa 5i25. The disk is a 500GB Samsung 860 EVO. Everything is happy, but it doesn't want to boot from that disk. Could use some suggestions on next steps. 

Try another boot disk.

Thanks for the suggestions gentlemen. I appreciate as always the willingness to help I find here.

Unfortunately, I had already been down both paths (should have said as much, but the post was already long). Summarizing:

• I had already installed and run the 2.9.2 iso on this system before things went pear-shaped. I confirmed Legacy mode and disabled secure boot. I even tried UEFI. No joy.
• I have tried 2 separate disks - both of which had been booting. Same behavior.
• For grins I tried installing a recent copy of Mint I have been using on other systems. Same behavior.
  • Interestingly (to me) when installing mint, it saw the copy of bookworm already on the disk. Again confirms (to me) the installs are going ok.

At this point I was down to either a BIOS issue or possible something with GRUB - neither of which I am very expert. Now that I have also tried loading my Mint iso without success (with its own installation of GRUB), I think I'm down to the BIOS having a problem. I don't know why that would be; the BIOS is old but it had been fine and nothing in the system config has changed. so re-flash the BIOS?

I wouldn’t reflash the bios ATM.

Another thing you could try is install linuxcnc on the disk you want to use in a known working machine, then swap the disk to the machine with the issue. Linux is pretty much agnostic in that regard.
There is also the possibility that the disk port you’re trying to use has an issue due to some power event. So you may have to use a alternative port.

Thanks. did try swapping disk ports with no change in behavior. There could be something going on, but when I’m running the live image off the USB, I can read the install disk files so it seems to be working.

running out of ideas, I did flash the bios to the latest (circa 2019 I think). No change. Tried to switch everything over to uefi. Reinstall, no change. Everything back to legacy. Reinstall, no change. This makes 0 sense to me. I’ve never had a problem with an install on any of my machines before.

Can’t help but think I’m somehow still crosswise on the legacy vs UEFI install. I’m going to reset the bios to factory and plug in a new out of the box disk and see if that changes anything. I like the idea of installing on another machine, but most of my systems are now of the “NUC” variety w/o open SATA ports. Maybe I can get a mothballed machine back up…

It really sounds like a corrupt boot sector.
The 2.92 ISO (And debian 12.x) correctly handles UEFI and on an i7, may be required.
Using a new SSD sounds the way forward

That would be a corrupt boot sector over multiple installs & different disks & different installs, the OP did try both Mint & Debian.

YEs, fault at the hardware level.

Thanks guys. I’ll let you know.