On 3/13/2025 at 3:53 PM, adoucette said:

What IS clear to me is that each user simply chooses the risk they're willing to accept

 

I'm not accepting any level of risk. Yet I couldn't care less if one of my USB keys dies - given how Unraid works TODAY, that prospect is just not a risk whatsoever to me.

 

IMO, there are too many people putting their systems at risk by ignoring the principle of "weakest link" - something's going to fail first and however you want to mitigate the results of possible failures, it's more than obvious, given the history of posts across the entire forum, the USB key is not the weak link.

 

 

Edited March 15, 20251 yr by Espressomatic

The usb stick can't be more than 32GB?

 

I need a usb stick small in size to fit in terrmaster 424 pro. . Currently I have a very old Sandisk Cruzer Fit .

Edited March 23, 20251 yr by etsi

https://docs.unraid.net/unraid-os/getting-started/manual-install-method/

1 hour ago, etsi said:

The usb stick can't be more than 32GB?

It can be, but if it is then Windows cannot format it to the require FAT32.   I would recommend using something like Rufus to do this instead.

4 hours ago, etsi said:

The usb stick can't be more than 32GB?

If you use the USB tool, it can be at least up to 1TB.

Can you recommend a USB stick like SanDisk ultra fit in size that will work for sure?

Sandisk Ultra Fit works "for sure" and 100% - in any USB port of any type/speed, internal or external, on any machine I've tested and countless others I haven't. I love the small size.

 

My current systems on Unraid:

• ASROCK Z690M PG Riptide/D5 - i5
• SuperMicro X12SAE - i3
• TopTon [BKHD-1264NP-12-4L] - N100
• TopTon 2x10GbE mini system - i5-1235U
• Some random mini MB - N5105

 

Edited March 28, 20251 yr by Espressomatic

I've bought a Sandisk Ultra Fit USB3.2 Gen 1 Flash Drive 32GB today and the usb creator tool doesn't allow me to select it due to "MISSING GUID"

15 hours ago, mb said:

I've bought a Sandisk Ultra Fit USB3.2 Gen 1 Flash Drive 32GB today and the usb creator tool doesn't allow me to select it due to "MISSING GUID"

You can use the manual install method:

https://docs.unraid.net/unraid-os/getting-started/manual-install-method/

On 3/14/2025 at 7:53 PM, adoucette said:

previously recommended here and by the (helpful and awesome!) SpaceInvaderOne videos.

Sorry but I have to disagree.

As I've stated before in this very thread...

The referenced USB-related test video by SpaceInvaderOne is very outdated, performed with unrelated to the Unraid's environment methodology and therefore neither helpful or awesome.

It's actually rather misleading in view of all information that has become available since its publishing date.

I've stated my reasons before and not going to repeat them again on why that video test is simply "no good".

I've commented before that the USB video is in the urgent need of an update.

And now seeing that SpencerJ is planning a re-make!

👍 👏

Edited April 1, 20251 yr by Lolight

Just tried a Sandisk Ultra Dual Drive Go USB Type-C (128BG)

Its one of those type A and C style.  No GUID.

UPC # 19659-17719 

7 hours ago, Veah said:

No GUID

Did you try with a manual install? The USB tool doesn't work correctly with some flash drives.

11 hours ago, JorgeB said:

Did you try with a manual install? The USB tool doesn't work correctly with some flash drives.

I did not.  Mostly I was just assessing what I have available to choose from cause I was going to play with one of my licenses.  Labeled it 'junk' for Unraid and moved a license to the next one.  Then thought of this thread so shared the make/model.  If there's an quick way to verify a good GUID on it, I'll give it a go and update the post.

Did a bit of digging.  Looking like really no GUID on that drive.  Going through (Win10) Device Manager I am able to put together the GUID on a known good USB by going to USB Controllers > USB Mass Storage Device (May have to sort through several).  Go to Details tab then property select Hardware Ids.  There you should the first 2 quartets looking something like this: USB\VID_####&PID_####&REV_110

Get the last half of GUID by selecting Bus relations under Property.  Scroll right and you will see something like ..._DL17\################&0

 

None of that shows up on the Sandisk Ultra Dual Drive Go USB Type-C (128BG)

 

Got to figure out where that number hides at least.

 

 

On 10/22/2024 at 6:02 AM, Miss_Sissy said:

Yes, I bought the 4GB B800Pi model ATP NANODURA drive. Unraid's flashing utility recognized it by brand and model and wrote to it without any issues.

 

 

Thanks for the suggestion Miss_Sissy.  Got one of these installed over the weekend after having my old Sandisk Cruzer Fit 2.0 start failing.  Seems wrong to me to skimp on a USB stick or taking a chance on a fake or early failure, when I've spent so much money on everything else for my Unraid server.  Before I narrowed the issue down to the flash drive, I had 2 unclean shutdowns causing days of parity checking before I realized what was going on.  I appreciate you making the suggestion and hope that it lasts.

On 5/6/2025 at 6:23 PM, Veah said:

Then thought of this thread so shared the make/model.

Thanks.

But the biggest problem here is that the make/model info sharing is not helpful anymore in determining the quality of a USB drive since the markets all over the world are flooded with fakes.

On 5/22/2025 at 5:13 AM, Lolight said:

But the biggest problem here is that the make/model info sharing is not helpful anymore in determining the quality of a USB drive since the markets all over the world are flooded with fakes.

I still have no idea how you guys are finding/buying drives without GUID as I've yet to find any with such a fault and have yet to ever come across a fake drive. This thread is surely a place for the outliers.

I'm also wondering if I should start selling certified Unraid-stable drives myself. Every drive with a 2x money-back guarantee. Only $150 per 16GB drive - after all, a small price to pay.

On 3/28/2025 at 6:17 PM, Espressomatic said:

Sandisk Ultra Fit works "for sure" and 100% - in any USB port of any type/speed,

I used it for 1.5 years and recently noticed critical medium error, dev sda in logs, by moderator advice I changed my USB flash drive (took some cheap Leaf 16GB drive which found at home) and finally no errors in logs, but now I aimed to Samsung Bar Plus and Kingston DataTraveler SE9 G3, both 64GB, ordered both.

On 5/23/2025 at 2:47 PM, Espressomatic said:

I still have no idea how you guys are finding/buying drives without GUID as I've yet to find any with such a fault and have yet to ever come across a fake drive. This thread is surely a place for the outliers.

I'm also wondering if I should start selling certified Unraid-stable drives myself. Every drive with a 2x money-back guarantee. Only $150 per 16GB drive - after all, a small price to pay.

Fakes are not all the same.

The absence of a GUID is a sure sign of a fake and will be immediately detected.

But they also come in many other different flavors as is the case with duplicate GUIDs when batches of hundreds or even thousands of drives contain the exact same GUID.

In that case you won't even know that you gotten one if you happened to be the first user to have registered such a USB with Unraid.

Edited May 26, 20251 yr by Lolight

On 5/25/2025 at 10:58 AM, d3m3zs said:

I used it for 1.5 years and recently noticed critical medium error, dev sda in logs, by moderator advice I changed my USB flash drive (took some cheap Leaf 16GB drive which found at home) and finally no errors in logs, but now I aimed to Samsung Bar Plus and Kingston DataTraveler SE9 G3, both 64GB, ordered both.

It's a tricky situation...

It might be a far better choice to go with an older, no-brand or lesser-known brand USB 2.0 drive.

As compared to a freshly purchased (especially if shopping online) drive of a well-known brand/model - those are counterfeited the most.

Make sure to go with USB 2.0 and not USB 3.X - it's not easy to find them anymore.

On 5/23/2025 at 10:47 AM, Espressomatic said:

I still have no idea how you guys are finding/buying drives without GUID as I've yet to find any with such a fault and have yet to ever come across a fake drive. This thread is surely a place for the outliers.

Fwiw, my example came from the shelf at a local Meijers store. Maybe you are just lucky.

On 5/26/2025 at 2:26 PM, Lolight said:

It's a tricky situation...

It might be a far better choice to go with an older, no-brand or lesser-known brand USB 2.0 drive.

As compared to a freshly purchased (especially if shopping online) drive of a well-known brand/model - those are counterfeited the most.

Make sure to go with USB 2.0 and not USB 3.X - it's not easy to find them anymore.

Already transferred all my configs and license to Samsung Bar Plus 64GB, let`s see, for now I can tell drive is cold and fast, no errors in logs.

I use PNY Attache 4 32GB USB 2.0. They last about 3 years for me.

Currently testing Sandisk Cruzer Blade 32GB USB 2.0. On month 8

Edited February 18Feb 18 by ncohafmuta
testing update

There should be a way to use a HDD or nvme instead of USB. It's so problematic with often USB fails.

20 hours ago, etsi said:

There should be a way to use a HDD or nvme instead of USB. It's so problematic with often USB fails.

How long do you think it takes to recover from a corrupted HDD compared to USB stick?