Completely erase Array and start from scratch

[steelman1991]

Hi

 

I previously had an unraid server up and running and decided to move back to a Windows install (my partner was more comfortable with it). Anyway I removed the USB for unraid and re-formatted all the drives from the unraid server to NTFS and populated some of them with media files.

 

I've now decided to set-up a seperate unraid server again and when I start up using the USB, the details of the previous array are still there and it wants to re-assign the discs previously installed. However some of the discs which are all recognised as xfs - file format, but of course now they're not. I have 2 discs which I can use as blank discs (1 for parity and 1 for data), but the other 3 all have media files which I want to move to the array, but I don't seem to be able to have them recognised as ntfs.

 

How can I completely erase the array, start completely afresh with a new install and have unRaid recognise the disk format has changed.

[Hoopster]

8 minutes ago, steelman1991 said:

How can I completely erase the array, start completely afresh with a new install and have unRaid recognise the disk format has changed.

Disks added to an unRAID array must be formatted in a supported format (xfs or btrfs).  You can use New Config to get unRAID to forget any previous disk assignments and start over.  When you add disks to the array in a new config, they will be formatted with the specified supported file system.

 

You cannot simply add disks with media on them to the array; especially not NTFS disks as those are not supported by unRAID.  Your choices with the NTFS disks and media are 1) - mount them as Unassigned Devices in your unRAID system and copy the data over to unRAID array disks, or 2) - backup the media you want to preserve from those disks, add those NTFS disks to the array and allow them to be formatted and then copy the media back to them from the backup location.

[FreeMan]

In UNRAID, go to the "Tools" menu, then select "New Config".

 

That should wipe out all previous disk assignments and allow you to reassign drives. It should also tell the OS that these are not UNRAID prepared disks, so it should do a clear on them.

 

Of course, you can also do a preclear on the disks to ensure they get wiped, but when you start the system after doing a "New Config", that should do the trick.

[steelman1991]

4 minutes ago, Hoopster said:

Your choices with the NTFS disks and media are 1) - mount them as Unassigned Devices in your unRAID system and copy the data over to unRAID array disks.

 

Thanks for the swift response.

 

This is what I would like to do, but I'm not sure quite how to access the data on the disks, or how to mount them as unassigned. I am sure it is a simple operation, therefore I'm sorry for the dumb questions.

[steelman1991]

12 minutes ago, FreeMan said:

In UNRAID, go to the "Tools" menu, then select "New Config".

 

That should wipe out all previous disk assignments and allow you to reassign drives. It should also tell the OS that these are not UNRAID prepared disks, so it should do a clear on them.

 

Of course, you can also do a preclear on the disks to ensure they get wiped, but when you start the system after doing a "New Config", that should do the trick.

 

Thanks, but unfortunately I don't want to clear the disks with the media on them, before I get the opportunity to move them to the array.

[Hoopster]

9 minutes ago, steelman1991 said:

I'm not sure quite how to access the data on the disks, or how to mount them as unassigned

Install the Unassigned Devices plugin.  This will see devices attached to the server that are not in the array as and unassigned device,  NTFS is supported by Unassigned Devices.

 

See the above linked thread for a description of Unassigned Devices and its uses.

 

I have two external USB NTFS drives that I attach to the server from time to time to make backups.  You could also just put them in the server as SATA drives not assigned to the array and they will be seen as Unassigned Devices.  Dev 1 in my screenshot below is a 1TB SSD that I am using as an unassigned device.

 

[steelman1991]

OK guys moving forward slowly - found the "unassigned devices" plug-in and now I can see the drives in ntfs form and can mount and see the files.

[steelman1991]

3 minutes ago, Hoopster said:

Install the Unassigned Devices plugin.  This will see devices attached to the server that are not in the array as and unassigned device,  NTFS is supported by Unassigned Devices.

 

See the above linked thread for a description of Unassigned Devices and its uses.

 

I have two external USB NTFS drives that I attach to the server from time to time to make backups.  You could also just put them in the server as SATA drives not assigned to the array and they will be seen as Unassigned Devices.  Dev 1 in my screenshot below is a 1TB SSD that I am using as an unassigned device.

 

 

Thanks I just found it prior to your posting - I'm slowly getting to grips with this again. Was a steep learning curve before, 1 year down the line it's even more confusing now lol.

[trurl]

Unassigned Devices is often the 2nd plugin installed.

 

1st is Community Applications. It will let you find and install other plugins and dockers, including Unassigned Devices.

 

See the Apps link at the top of this forum page.