Scenario:
Absolute Newbie here on a Trial key running Unraid 7.0.0-rc2. I tried to set-up Windows XP on a VM to play some old games.
During the install, I lost access to the Unraid dashboard. I'm not sure exactly what I did! I was selecting different options to see what would work to get the VM install to work. I think I may have assigned the ethernet controller that Unraid uses to the VM? I don't really know.
Anyway, I had copied the files on the Unraid USB to my hard disk previously, and I managed to get Unraid back up again by just copying and pasting them onto the USB. I don't think this is the same as a proper back-up though, is it?
In order to access the USB, I had to power-off the machine rather than do a clean shutdown. So I tried to do a clean shutdown afterwards and checked the USB in my Mac. But now it won't eject from the Mac...
I tried to log-off and eject it, and shutdown and eject it, but when I log back into my Mac, I still cannot eject it properly. I shut down my Mac and reinserted the key into my NAS machine, and it booted again no problem. However, I am a bit concerned that my USB key might not be working properly now...
I've not anything crucial on my NAS yet (apart from a Minecraft Server that my kids have put a number of hours into over Christmas)...
Options/questions:
1. Is it possible to wipe the USB and restore it from a (proper) backup? Would that solve the problem I'm currently having with it? The key in question is a Verbatim 98130 32GB Store n Stay NANO USB 2.0 Drive.
2. Is it better to buy a new key and restore Unraid on a new key? (Better to be safe than sorry - especially in view of the fact that I haven't purchased a license yet?)
3. Lesson learned about not selecting VM options without understanding them. But how can I properly go about learning the right configurations? Any particular resources that would be helpful? (I've been watching SpaceInvader One's YouTube Channel a lot recently).
Many thanks for your thoughts!
Andy
Unraid machine hardware:
Beelink EQR6 (Ryzen 5 6600H)
24GB RAM
2 x WD Blue SN5000 4TB SSD in zfs pool / mirror.