I am experiencing a critical boot issue with my Start9 server after replacing the CMOS battery. The system is now stuck in BIOS and cannot boot into StartOS.
Timeline of Events:
Original Problem: RTC not retaining time/date, NTP unable to sync
Diagnosis: Corrupt RTC showing year 2936, suspected CMOS battery failure
Action: Successfully replaced CMOS battery with new CR2032
Current Status: System boots directly to BIOS, cannot exit to StartOS
Current System State:
RTC now functional: Time/date retained after power cycles
SSD detected:CT4000P3PSSD8 appears in Advanced → NVMe Configuration
Hardware working: 64GB RAM detected, all components recognized
Boot Override only shows “Windows Push Button Reset”
Restore Defaults performed multiple times
Fast Boot disabled
Secure Boot status: Unknown (option not found)
CSM/Legacy Boot options: Not available
Critical Need:
I require the exact BIOS configuration settings and boot sequence instructions specific to Start9 hardware to:
Properly configure UEFI/BIOS for StartOS boot
Register the bootloader/UEFI entry for StartOS
Exit BIOS and successfully boot into the operating system
Specific Questions:
What are the required BIOS settings for StartOS on this hardware?
How do I manually register/add the StartOS bootloader in UEFI?
Is there a known issue with UEFI NVRAM corruption on these units?
Should I use “Windows Push Button Reset” or is there a Start9-specific procedure?
The hardware is functional and the SSD with StartOS is detected - I simply cannot configure the BIOS to boot from it. Any step-by-step guidance would be greatly appreciated.
System Details:
Hardware: Start9 MiniPC
SSD: Crucial P3 Plus 4TB (CT4000P3PSSD8)
BIOS: American Megatrends (exact version unavailable while stuck)
"Windows Push Button Reset executes but immediately returns to BIOS without fixing boot. The StartOS bootloader appears to be missing or corrupted. I need either:
Recovery/reinstallation instructions for StartOS
Or a bootable USB recovery image
Or specific EFI shell commands to repair boot manually"
I don’t have the answered to your specific question. The surgery you are attempting to perform is complex, and outside the scope of what we can provide support for. If the goal is to get your server back up and running, we can help you do that. But we can only guide you through the supported process. If this is a server you purchased from Start9, you are eligible for live priority support. Come see us at https://start9.me.
The mini PC I purchased is a Start9 Server One. I installed the certificates and had SSH access to it. I don’t have any other information stored on it. The problem is that it won’t let me exit the BIOS.
I don’t mind continuing the conversation in one forum or the other, as long as it solves the problem.
But now I’m curious to know what username and password I should have used to log in to the other forum. Because as far as I remember, my Start9 Server One didn’t come with any documentation about that. I do recall a unique name for the server that appeared when I was installing the certificate - the one I got by chance is “Yellow-Rain”. In the end, I couldn’t log in to the other forum. How is it done? Is it only for customers in the United States?
Take a look at the bottom of your server. There may be an access code on it. If not, when you purchased your server from Start9, you received an email with the access code. If you can’t find it, we can look you up my order number.
RTC now functional: Time/date retained after power cycles
Boot failure: No boot options appear except “Windows Push Button Reset”