SonoScape S6: system stops at boot but runs in live mode
What happened
As reported in the case, the ultrasound system stopped at every startup from its own drive, yet the unit ran normally when booted from a live Linux environment.
What was checked
- The engineers connected the drive to another Linux machine and inspected it directly.
- A first attempt with fsck ran into missing root permissions; at that point the filesystem was identified as ReiserFS.
- The engineers then ran reiserfsck to check the filesystem.
Cause
Errors in the ReiserFS filesystem on the workstation hard drive: the filesystem tree was damaged, which stopped the boot, while the drive itself and the rest of the hardware were healthy and readable from a live environment.
What was done
The filesystem was repaired with reiserfsck, fixing the tree and file entries; after the repair the unit booted normally and the case was solved.
Safety
Disconnect the unit from the mains before opening the workstation, take ESD precautions when handling the drive, and complete an electrical safety check before the system returns to clinical use.
Lesson: When a system runs from a live environment but fails to boot from its own disk, identify the actual filesystem type and use the matching repair tool before suspecting the hardware.
Covered in the course: Ultrasound Service — Level 2: Fault-Finding →
Written from an anonymised case shared by service engineers. It is not a manufacturer instruction and grants no authorisation. Independent note; names are trademarks of their owners.