USB boot is hit and miss and unreliable

[cencal2235]

Had a Dell Optiplex that I used as my unRAID machine and it worked fine other than the boot up into the unRAID OS. I would sometimes have to boot up sometimes 10 times for it to load up. Most often I would need to move the USB stick to another USB port and then it may work, it may not. Very frustrating. 

 

So i built a new machine. Brand new everything. Built it all, booted it up with my USB and same thing. Reboot it with reset button after waiting about 5 minutes without seeing the server on my router interface screen and nothing from going to the IP on my browser. 

 

IF i move ports, then it will usually boot up first time. But not always. 

 

I then decide it must be the flash drive or the files on it. I back it up, buy a new Cruzer micro and reinstall the files from the zip backup onto the new drive. Same thing. 

 

I always use the 2.0 ports.

 

I have no idea what to do next. Any ideas? 

[SimonF]

14 minutes ago, cencal2235 said:

Had a Dell Optiplex that I used as my unRAID machine and it worked fine other than the boot up into the unRAID OS. I would sometimes have to boot up sometimes 10 times for it to load up. Most often I would need to move the USB stick to another USB port and then it may work, it may not. Very frustrating. 

 

So i built a new machine. Brand new everything. Built it all, booted it up with my USB and same thing. Reboot it with reset button after waiting about 5 minutes without seeing the server on my router interface screen and nothing from going to the IP on my browser. 

 

IF i move ports, then it will usually boot up first time. But not always. 

 

I then decide it must be the flash drive or the files on it. I back it up, buy a new Cruzer micro and reinstall the files from the zip backup onto the new drive. Same thing. 

 

I always use the 2.0 ports.

 

I have no idea what to do next. Any ideas? 

Do you have an option for fastboot in the bios?  On my msi motherboard causes boot issues set it to disabled not enabled

Edited September 19, 2022 by SimonF

[Frank1940]

Hook up a monitor to the server and look at the boot process.  Take pictures of what is on the screen when things hang.   (The boot process is a complex multi-part sequence and diagnosing the cause of a problem is difficult without some clues as to what part of the sequence is failing.)

[trurl]

Have you tried booting something other than Unraid from USB port? Maybe it is your system trying to boot USB and not related to Unraid at all.

 

If you do full power down, does it boot then?

[cencal2235]

2 hours ago, SimonF said:

Do you have an option for fastboot in the bios?  On my msi motherboard causes boot issues set it to disabled not enabled

Not sure honestly. I think i do remember seeing that in the BIOS. I'll check that when I get home. 

 

I do have an msi board.

Edited September 19, 2022 by cencal2235

[cencal2235]

2 hours ago, Frank1940 said:

Hook up a monitor to the server and look at the boot process.  Take pictures of what is on the screen when things hang.   (The boot process is a complex multi-part sequence and diagnosing the cause of a problem is difficult without some clues as to what part of the sequence is failing.)

Oh I have.  Many times. 

 

I always shows the Mobo msi splash. 

 

Sometimes it jumps to the unraid boot option, autoboots, and then just stays at a black screen indefinitely. 

 

Sometimes, it doesn't even get to the unraid boot option screen and just black. 

 

Sometimes it boots fine. 

[cencal2235]

32 minutes ago, trurl said:

Have you tried booting something other than Unraid from USB port? Maybe it is your system trying to boot USB and not related to Unraid at all.

 

If you do full power down, does it boot then?

Haven't tried booting something else. 

 

The issue following to two separate machines and two different USB drives seems to point to unraid. 

 

Doesnt matter if I reboot or full power down and start up. Still only have about a 20% chance of it booting normally. 

[dlandon]

20 minutes ago, cencal2235 said:

Haven't tried booting something else. 

 

The issue following to two separate machines and two different USB drives seems to point to unraid. 

 

Doesnt matter if I reboot or full power down and start up. Still only have about a 20% chance of it booting normally. 

Try a different USB port.  USB 2.0 ports seem to work better.

[cencal2235]

6 minutes ago, dlandon said:

Try a different USB port.  USB 2.0 ports seem to work better.

I do. Switching around to different ports all the time. I'll switch it, reset the computer and see if loads up. If not, switch USB port, try again. 

 

I've even switched machines!! LOL

 

 

Edited September 19, 2022 by cencal2235

[dlandon]

What kind of flash devices are you using?

[cencal2235]

24 minutes ago, dlandon said:

What kind of flash devices are you using?

Was a new Samsung 16gb. Now a brand new SanDisk cruiser 16gb. 

 

Both made with the unraid disk creator

[trurl]

1 hour ago, cencal2235 said:

The issue following to two separate machines and two different USB drives seems to point to unraid

Thousands of people booting Unraid all the time without problem seems to point to something else.

[jmztaylor]

To add to this I have this happen every time I reboot my server.  It fails the first time but ALWAYS works the second time.  Same USB boots on another computer without issue.  I don't really care too much about it, so I just let it do its thing.  Everything else I have tried on the server boots first time without fail.  I have never put enough effort into figuring out why because it always boots the second time.  I know this doesn't help you, but thought I would add my experience

 

[cencal2235]

2 hours ago, trurl said:

Thousands of people booting Unraid all the time without problem seems to point to something else.

I agree. Which is why I'm in the unraid support forum asking. 

Every other variable has been changed other than unraid. 

[cencal2235]

2 hours ago, jmztaylor said:

To add to this I have this happen every time I reboot my server.  It fails the first time but ALWAYS works the second time.  Same USB boots on another computer without issue.  I don't really care too much about it, so I just let it do its thing.  Everything else I have tried on the server boots first time without fail.  I have never put enough effort into figuring out why because it always boots the second time.  I know this doesn't help you, but thought I would add my experience

 

Interesting. 

 

If it would boot the second time, I wouldn't care. I've gone up to 25ish times and nothing before I've just given up. Try again tomorrow. 

 

This is changing USB ports every few times. 

[kizer]

I had this issue after a while on my first Server. I switched to a new Motherboard and it magically went away. Don't know if it was my USB controller was dieing or if something else was conflicting during boot possible and IRQ?

[cencal2235]

2 minutes ago, kizer said:

I had this issue after a while on my first Server. I switched to a new Motherboard and it magically went away. Don't know if it was my USB controller was dieing or if something else was conflicting during boot possible and IRQ?

That's what I was hoping. 

Everything in the new machine is brand new other than a few drives I migrated over. Two storage drives and a SSD for cache. 

 

 

[Frank1940]

Have you checked for a BIOS update?

 

 

50 minutes ago, cencal2235 said:

If it would boot the second time, I wouldn't care. I've gone up to 25ish times and nothing before I've just given up. Try again tomorrow. 

 

Try be orderly about your attempts.

 

1--  Try shutting down by pushing and holding the power button for ten seconds between attempts.

 

2-- Try using the reboot button (if your case has provision for one after a failed bootup using step 1.)

 

3--  Try step one but pull the power plug and wait forty-five seconds before plugging it back in.

 

I read just today that some MB don't really shutdown when you think you are doing a powerdown, they go into a some sort of hibernation.  That may be that that  quick boot option is one of these.   (I have a HP micro HTPC computer setup that I have setup to sleep.  Occasionally,  rather than going to sleep, it ends up in some La-La land when there is continuing disk activity but nothing on the monitor and it won't respond to keyboard commands.  The only way to regain control is push the power button for ten seconds!)

 

Remember that old definition of insanity is trying the same thing over-and-over again expecting a different result...

Edited September 19, 2022 by Frank1940

[cencal2235]

4 hours ago, Frank1940 said:

Have you checked for a BIOS update?

 

 

Try be orderly about your attempts.

 

1--  Try shutting down by pushing and holding the power button for ten seconds between attempts.

 

2-- Try using the reboot button (if your case has provision for one after a failed bootup using step 1.)

 

3--  Try step one but pull the power plug and wait forty-five seconds before plugging it back in.

 

I read just today that some MB don't really shutdown when you think you are doing a powerdown, they go into a some sort of hibernation.  That may be that that  quick boot option is one of these.   (I have a HP micro HTPC computer setup that I have setup to sleep.  Occasionally,  rather than going to sleep, it ends up in some La-La land when there is continuing disk activity but nothing on the monitor and it won't respond to keyboard commands.  The only way to regain control is push the power button for ten seconds!)

 

Remember that old definition of insanity is trying the same thing over-and-over again expecting a different result...

BIOS is updated. Just did it. 

 

I also noticed tonight that in the BIOS there are two "quick start" options. One is MSI Quick start and one is just Quick Start.

 

I had the MSI one disabled and the other enabled. 

 

I disabled them both. Plugged it in and rebooted and it wouldn't pick up the UNRAID boot. Just black screen after MSI splash. 

 

Pushed the power button (no dedicated reset button) and held it for 15 seconds and then pushed it again to turn on. 

 

This time it did boot up and connect to my router (I have that interface open to see if it's active). I could type it's IP into Chrome and be in. 

 

Not sure if this is a success or not and probably won't for a while until I play with it but it is working, BIOS is updated, and all the Quick Starts are off. 

[cencal2235]

Same thing. Have done about 15 restarts and none of them have been successful with just a reboot. 

 

SOMETIMES if I move the USB to another port, it will go. 

 

Very frustrating! 

 

Again, everything has been changed to a new machine, including the flash drive. 

[JonathanM]

5 hours ago, cencal2235 said:

Again, everything has been changed to a new machine, including the flash drive. 

Different mouse and keyboard?

[cencal2235]

Actually yes. 

 

I don't have a mouse or keyboard attached at all but have tried to plug in multiple ones to change variables. 

 

Never made any difference. 

 

Literally the only things that are the same are the files on the flash drive and 2 spinners and one SSD for cache. 

[biblio]

Hi first time poster - and first time usage of Unraid. I'm experiencing similar behaviour when booting....fails repeatedly (when headless?). Boots successfully when a monitor and keyboard attached following entry/exit into bios.

 

Version 6.11.3 did not boot at all as a fresh install (known bug). So using v6.11.1.

 

I have tried various branded usb sticks, used the installer (windows) though found manual install to usb more reliable.

 

Up and running for now and enjoying the Unraid experience.

 

[FlyingTexan]

None of this is possible. As someone said there’s thousands of people who boot successfully. Every last one of you are at fault.  /sarcasm

 

 

im having the same issue on an asus tough motherboard 11600k setup

[trurl]

3 minutes ago, FlyingTexan said:

same issue

Any additional details? What have you tried?