u/OstrobogulousIntent

Tl:DR:

Supermicro H13SAE-MF (modern AM5 socket mobo) will not boot via USB

I have tried known working bootable USB stick (fat32 and NTFS) and Windows install DVD

Secure boot disabled

System boots fine from OEM installed NVME

TLDR Question:

is there a known issue and/or trick to booting from CD/USB install media on Supermico systems?

More detail

I just picked up a H13SAE-MF based supermicro system (AS-3015A-I II Mini-Tower Server) Its an AMD AM5 (B650) system with DDR5 and a bios from 2024

It boots fine into the preinstalled OS, but this will become my primary domain controller once I get it going and I'm bothered because I can't get it to boot from USB install media

(my disaster recovery that has worked well for me in the past has been to have a bootable USB server 2022 install media and regular backups using windows server backup (bare metal restores)

I've successfully tested - and used this in real recovery in the past, and so I feel super uneasy that I can't get this thing to boot via USB

I have known good (it boots on other systems) windows 2022 installer USB - I even made both NTFS and FAT32 versions

I have gone into setup and ensured it tries USB first if present... when I do it gets to one of two states:

If I use the FAT32 version it gets to DXE--Ready to Boot.. and hangs there foerver

If I use the NTFS version I get a splash screen where it clearly finds the partition and such and says Starting Windows Boot Manager

and hangs

I have tried both with secure boot enabled and disabled

I also have a server 2022 install burned to DVD and plugged in a USB dvd drive trying to boot from that - it looks like it's trying - gets to DXE--Ready to boot.. and thne goes back to the boot menu or skips on to the next available option

I've got to be doing something stupid here - as a work around I may try just doing a straight up NVME clone of the boot drive (1TB NVME) with a hardware cloning tool I have so I have a way to boot it back up into a known good state but this just seems... painful

Is there some trick to this?

my bios is SUPERMICRO H13SAE-MF Bios 6/05/2024 rev 2.0a

There is an updated version but I'm a bit wary of bios updates unless I know there's a need for them.

UPDATE: Company is AcuRite (to save a click if that's what you were wondering)

Company seems to have offered a very functional app. They're end-of-lifing it and forcing users to an inferior and apparently subscription based new app. (I bet it was vibe coded, that would just be the cherry on top)

/sigh

I'm hoping this is the right subreddit for this:

I own a home in the Northern VA /DC metro area. I've reached out to a solar contractor to potentially design and build a system for me.

Initially I thought I had enough roof space in clear sun to get pretty much 100% offset, but after an initial discussion and some questions about shade /tree cover etc, it seems I'd get maybe 66-72% at max, so I'm having concerns.

It has about a 19 year payback time.

I like the idea of doing a positive thing for the environment, and frankly my big reason is also that I've got currently quite low power rates (about 11 cents a KWh in winter and 14 cents in summer) - this is my 'forever home' but I do worry that electric rates are going to rise - possibly quite a bit - both due to increasing datacenter demand (no current facilities planned in my immediate area but it's kind of a prime area for them) and just stupid inflation due to continued instability

so I guess I'm just looking to hear folks thoughts on this - The sytem would be about $25,000 to $28,000 (net metering with my electric company is currently 1 to 1 offset) no battery (the cost of batteries seemed high and I would consider potential future battery - made sure the system is being specced out in a "battery ready" way so I could in future

SO I guess - I was really all ready to go when I was thinking of pretty much net zero (minus my electric company admin fees) and now it's more like 3/4 of that)

I dunno if I'm looking to be talked into or talked out of it to be honest... I'd get more quality of life out of getting a storage shed/shop in the backyard or redoing my deck with the money - in some ways the solar feels more like "insurance against insane electric prices which may or may not come to pass"