Hello,

I've tried literally everything to get RouterOS installed on my SSD. It's a Samsung 830 SSD connected to an ASRock E350-M1 mainboard using the latest firmware and UEFI-BIOS. I even bought an USB DVD-ROM drive, because someone around here mentioned it's the only way he get's his SSD found by RouterOS. Similar router operating systems like ZeroShell, pfSense and even vyatta were in fact able to detect the SSD drive, but I so desperately wanted to use RouterOS! What are my options? Am I missing anything?

Oh yeah, of course I tried the legacy (IDE) mode as well!

Thanks in advance!

Edit: Connecting the SSD locally and using the NetInstall method doesn't work either, it always fails at formatting ("Cannot format device" or something similar)...

USB and SATA CDroms are not supported, you must use Netinstall. I can't say why it fails. Try to upgrade BIOS or fiddle with the settings

USB and SATA CDroms are not supported, you must use Netinstall.

Connecting the SSD locally and using the NetInstall method doesn't work either, it always fails at formatting ("Cannot format device" or something similar)...

Try to upgrade BIOS

[...]ASRock E350-M1 mainboard using the latest [...] BIOS.

or fiddle with the settings

I've tried literally everything to get RouterOS installed on my SSD. [...] Oh yeah, of course I tried the legacy (IDE) mode as well!

Thank you for your time and such - not being sarcastic here - but did you even read my post?

For testing purposes I attached a 3.5" hard disk drive I had lain around here with no success in regards of installing RouterOS on it (still can't find any hard disks). So, my guess is the APU isn't being supported... gaaah

some SSD disks have upgradable firmware, you can try that. you say other OS can detect the drive, but can they be installed on it? If netinstall starts, it means it also detects it, but fails at formating.

some SSD disks have upgradable firmware, you can try that.

It's a Samsung 830 SSD [...] using the latest firmware [...].

you say other OS can detect the drive, but can they be installed on it?

I currently have pfSense (FreeBSD 8.3) running on/from it and used ZeroShell (Linux 2.6.x, I think) before. So yes, definitely.

If netinstall starts, it means it also detects it, but fails at formating.

When NTFS-formatting the SSD NetInstall simply skips the formatting and copies some files. When using FAT on the other hand it fails at formatting.

As I stated in my previous post, I tested this all with a hard disk drive as well with the exact same results - so I highly doubt it's because of the SSD but because of the APU (AMD E-350) or mainboard even.

Attach it to a Windows device as a secondary disk, run Netinstall and choose the disk as installation target (Netinstall can aso install on local disk). When that is complete, boot from the SSD in your router PC

Attach it to a Windows device as a secondary disk, run Netinstall and choose the disk as installation target (Netinstall can aso install on local disk). When that is complete, boot from the SSD in your router PC

Edit: Connecting the SSD locally and using the NetInstall method doesn't work either, it always fails at formatting ("Cannot format device" or something similar)...

This is exactly my problem as it's the first thing I tried after no hard disks were found when trying to install it straight from CD. Running NetInstall on a secondary machine, which has Windows 7 installed and connecting the SSD from the (supposed-to-be-)router to this particular machine. NetInstall either fails at formatting the device telling me it "Cannot format device" or it just skips the entire formatting process and copies the files to the SSD. The latter will make the (supposed-to-be-)router fail at booting (no operating system found).

Edit: Here's exactly what I did to make it all easier to understand.
1. Attempt
1.1 Download RouterOS x86 5.21 from http://www.mikrotik.com/download ("CD Image").
1.2 Burn RouterOS x86 5.21 to a disk using the tool that comes with Windows 7.
1.3 Insert RouterOS x86 5.21 disk into the DVD-ROM drive of the router.
1.4 Restart the router.
1.5 Select the DVD-ROM drive of the router to boot from.
-> Outcome: "No hard drives found" (or something similar).

2. Attempt
2.1 Insert RouterOS x86 5.21 disk (from 1. Attempt) into the DVD-ROM drive of the router.
2.2 Restart the router.
2.3 Set SATA-mode to IDE/Legacy (previously set to AHCI) in UEFI-BIOS.
2.4 Restart the router.
2.5 Select the DVD-ROM drive of the router to boot from.
-> Outcome: "No hard drives found" (or something similar).

3. Attempt
3.1 Download RouterOS x86 5.21 NetInstall from http://www.mikrotik.com/download ("Netinstall").
3.2 Download and extract all RouterOS x86 5.21 npk-packages from http://www.mikrotik.com/download ("All packages").
3.3 Remove the SSD from the router.
3.4 Connect the SSD (to the machine 3.1 and 3.2 were executed on).
3.5 Delete partition (previously created by pfSense) using Windows 7 disk management.
3.6 Create new partition and assign a label to it using Windows 7 disk management.
3.7 Start RouterOS x86 5.21 NetInstall (from 3.1).
3.8 Select RouterOS x86 5.21 npk-packages (from 3.2).
3.9 Select partition (from 3.6).
3.10 Click "Install"-button.
-> Outcome: "Cannot format device" (or something similar).

4. Attempt
4.1 Still have the SSD connected (to the machine 3.1 and 3.2 were executed on).
4.2 Format partition (from 3.6) to NTFS using Windows 7 disk management.
4.3 Start RouterOS x86 5.21 NetInstall (from 3.1).
4.4 Select RouterOS x86 5.21 npk-packages (from 3.2).
4.5 Select partition (from 3.6; mentioned in 4.2).
4.6 Click "Install"-button.
-> Outcome: "Cannot format device" (or something similar).

5. Attempt
5.1 Still have the SSD connected (to the machine 3.1 and 3.2 were executed on).
5.2 Format partition (from 3.6) to exFAT using Windows 7 disk management.
5.3 Start RouterOS x86 5.21 NetInstall (from 3.1).
5.4 Select RouterOS x86 5.21 npk-packages (from 3.2).
5.5 Select partition (from 3.6; mentioned in 5.2).
5.6 Click "Install"-button.
-> Outcome: NetInstall skips the formatting process and just copies the files to the partition. Booting will fail when the SSD is connected to the router with "No operating system found" (or something similar). Yes, I selected the SSD in the boot menu.

6. Attempt
6.1 Still have the SSD connected (to the machine 3.1 and 3.2 were executed on).
6.2 Remove partition using diskpart (select disk n, select partition 1, delete partiton).
6.3 Create new partition using diskpart (select disk n, create partition primary size=2000)
6.4 Format new partition to FAT using diskpart (select disk n, select partition 1, format fs=fat quick).
6.5 Start RouterOS x86 5.21 NetInstall (from 3.1).
6.6 Select RouterOS x86 5.21 npk-packages (from 3.2).
6.7 Select partition (from 3.6; mentioned in 6.4).
6.8 Click "Install"-button.
-> Outcome: "Cannot format device" (or something similar).

>> I tried everything all over using a regular hard disk drive and with RouterOS x86 6.0rc3 with the exact same outcome! <<
So, in total there were at least 24 attempts (without regards to the fiddling with the BIOS settings)!

Edit 2: It makes me wonder why MikroTik doesn't simply provide image files...

I have the same problem than Spazmo,

my motherboard is Gigabyte E350N with E-350 dual core processor, my hard disk is a Kingston SSD 8GB SS100S2/G model, I tryed install diffrents mikrotik versions since 3.22, 3.30, 5.20 and 6.0 but NO ONE WORKS WITH MIKROTIK.

I spend money trying to get the best results usind SSD units but what happen then? why cant be installed, installation program just says cant find hard drive.

What can we do mikrotik support team?

Hey Spazmo

I did it

I just changed to another pc, (INTEL), it found my ssd disk (I dissconected first all sata disk), and installed all, then when press enter to restart I pressed, then I shutown all my pc; take ssd disk and put in my gigabyte E350N and connect all, and vuala system ready

I hope will useful for you and many other osers

Attach it to a Windows device as a secondary disk, run Netinstall and choose the disk as installation target (Netinstall can aso install on local disk). When that is complete, boot from the SSD in your router PC

Edit: Connecting the SSD locally and using the NetInstall method doesn't work either, it always fails at formatting ("Cannot format device" or something similar)...

This is exactly my problem as it's the first thing I tried after no hard disks were found when trying to install it straight from CD. Running NetInstall on a secondary machine, which has Windows 7 installed and connecting the SSD from the (supposed-to-be-)router to this particular machine. NetInstall either fails at formatting the device telling me it "Cannot format device" or it just skips the entire formatting process and copies the files to the SSD. The latter will make the (supposed-to-be-)router fail at booting (no operating system found).

Edit: Here's exactly what I did to make it all easier to understand.
1. Attempt
1.1 Download RouterOS x86 5.21 from http://www.mikrotik.com/download ("CD Image").
1.2 Burn RouterOS x86 5.21 to a disk using the tool that comes with Windows 7.
1.3 Insert RouterOS x86 5.21 disk into the DVD-ROM drive of the router.
1.4 Restart the router.
1.5 Select the DVD-ROM drive of the router to boot from.
-> Outcome: "No hard drives found" (or something similar).

2. Attempt
2.1 Insert RouterOS x86 5.21 disk (from 1. Attempt) into the DVD-ROM drive of the router.
2.2 Restart the router.
2.3 Set SATA-mode to IDE/Legacy (previously set to AHCI) in UEFI-BIOS.
2.4 Restart the router.
2.5 Select the DVD-ROM drive of the router to boot from.
-> Outcome: "No hard drives found" (or something similar).

3. Attempt
3.1 Download RouterOS x86 5.21 NetInstall from http://www.mikrotik.com/download ("Netinstall").
3.2 Download and extract all RouterOS x86 5.21 npk-packages from http://www.mikrotik.com/download ("All packages").
3.3 Remove the SSD from the router.
3.4 Connect the SSD (to the machine 3.1 and 3.2 were executed on).
3.5 Delete partition (previously created by pfSense) using Windows 7 disk management.
3.6 Create new partition and assign a label to it using Windows 7 disk management.
3.7 Start RouterOS x86 5.21 NetInstall (from 3.1).
3.8 Select RouterOS x86 5.21 npk-packages (from 3.2).
3.9 Select partition (from 3.6).
3.10 Click "Install"-button.
-> Outcome: "Cannot format device" (or something similar).

4. Attempt
4.1 Still have the SSD connected (to the machine 3.1 and 3.2 were executed on).
4.2 Format partition (from 3.6) to NTFS using Windows 7 disk management.
4.3 Start RouterOS x86 5.21 NetInstall (from 3.1).
4.4 Select RouterOS x86 5.21 npk-packages (from 3.2).
4.5 Select partition (from 3.6; mentioned in 4.2).
4.6 Click "Install"-button.
-> Outcome: "Cannot format device" (or something similar).

5. Attempt
5.1 Still have the SSD connected (to the machine 3.1 and 3.2 were executed on).
5.2 Format partition (from 3.6) to exFAT using Windows 7 disk management.
5.3 Start RouterOS x86 5.21 NetInstall (from 3.1).
5.4 Select RouterOS x86 5.21 npk-packages (from 3.2).
5.5 Select partition (from 3.6; mentioned in 5.2).
5.6 Click "Install"-button.
-> Outcome: NetInstall skips the formatting process and just copies the files to the partition. Booting will fail when the SSD is connected to the router with "No operating system found" (or something similar). Yes, I selected the SSD in the boot menu.

6. Attempt
6.1 Still have the SSD connected (to the machine 3.1 and 3.2 were executed on).
6.2 Remove partition using diskpart (select disk n, select partition 1, delete partiton).
6.3 Create new partition using diskpart (select disk n, create partition primary size=2000)
6.4 Format new partition to FAT using diskpart (select disk n, select partition 1, format fs=fat quick).
6.5 Start RouterOS x86 5.21 NetInstall (from 3.1).
6.6 Select RouterOS x86 5.21 npk-packages (from 3.2).
6.7 Select partition (from 3.6; mentioned in 6.4).
6.8 Click "Install"-button.
-> Outcome: "Cannot format device" (or something similar).

>> I tried everything all over using a regular hard disk drive and with RouterOS x86 6.0rc3 with the exact same outcome! <<
So, in total there were at least 24 attempts (without regards to the fiddling with the BIOS settings)!

Edit 2: It makes me wonder why MikroTik doesn't simply provide image files...