Linux install problem with 2.9.2 iso

So. Waiting for AMZ to show up with a new drive. Decided to try reset CMOS. Checked config and booted. No change. Re-installed and booted. No change.

There was one last SATA port I could reach but hadn't tried. Booted; No change. Re-installed and booted. No change. Time to move on to other things. While rummaging through my cable pile for some line cord a SATA cable turned up. Why not. Plugged it in, Booted, Debian loaded, all is fine. Re-booted multiple times - all is well.

I was ready to accept that I would be going down the USB-NVME route as tommylight suggested (not pretty, but fine). But: bad cable was the culprit. In fairness (to me) this cable had been re-seated on both ends while I was debugging this (multiple times), nothing had moved since the last boot AND the old cable had worked well enough to install a fresh copy of BW/LCNC - multiple times! The image was fine. I started re-storing my config's and everything on the disk (installed via the "bad" cable) was fine.

Of course then I came to my senses and re-installed from the iso with the new cable anyway. (all in UEFI mode, working great Rod).

So thanks for the support from everyone. I wish I could say I understood how what is essentially a serial cable worked well enough for an install, but not well enough to boot. I'm guessing perhaps error correction/re-try was available for read/write on installation but not available for bios on booting. Perhaps you have insights. In anycase I'm back up - THANK YOU!

Ron