Start button still grayed out. screenshot.  At least disk 6 is not italicized (is selectable in the dropdown menu: see screenshot).

never mind, i got the new config to work.  starting array now

OK, I have done this.  all disks up except parity. one last thing, i hope:  I am apparently now missing a key.  

Try rebooting, if the same check that the key is present. 

I apologize for not responding.  The key problem has been fixed by a reboot, thank you.  However, my initial problem is still unsolved.  When I last posted, I had five working disks, but no parity, as it appeared there were errors with the drive.  So, I replaced the parity drive with a new one.  I just completed the initial parity check/data rebuild and it has found over 800 errors.  What next?  It seems that perhaps there were problems with Disk 6 and with the initial parity drive.  I think next I should replace disk 6, but am uncertain if I am risking data loss.  Suggestions?  As ever, thank you.

tower-diagnostics-20221004-0922.zip

It's not logged as a disk problem but SMART shows some issues, so run an extended SMART test on that disk.

SMART report attached.

tower-smart-20221004-0943.zip

14 hours ago, JorgeB said:

run an extended SMART test on that disk.

2 hours ago, smellthebean said:

SMART report attached.

 

Doesn't look like an extended SMART self-test (or any SMART self-test) was run recently

 

  9 Power_On_Hours          -O--C-   087   087   000    -    97283

SMART Extended Self-test Log Version: 1 (1 sectors)
Num  Test_Description    Status                  Remaining  LifeTime(hours)  LBA_of_first_error
# 1  Short offline       Completed without error       00%     31746         -
# 2  Extended offline    Completed without error       00%     31614         -

 

That drive is over 11 years old. Many of your other disks are just as old as that. Why are most of your disks still ReiserFS?

4 hours ago, trurl said:

# 2  Extended offline    Completed without error       00%     31614   

This one might be recent, drive looks like it rotated that log, most use 16 bits to store this value which means 65,535 is the max value.

Interesting.  I did complete both short and extended self-tests without error.  and yes the number of hours on the drive is over 90k (this server is now used only for archival purposes, hence its age), so I intend to replace disk 6 regardless of the SMART result.  However, the parity check forced out errors (as did the original one a couple of days ago), so I am just wondering what my options are.  I have to replace disk 6, but what can I now expect, given the fact of two straight parity checks with errors? Do I have any other option than to replace disk 6?

Do you have backups of anything important and irreplaceable?

I am in the process of backing up files of significance.  Very little is mission-critical.  When I finish that I will replace Disk 6.  Does that sound right?

 

Once that's done run a correcting parity check since parity is not 100% valid, you might want to replace/swap cables on disk6 to rule that out if there are more errors.

I will do that.  Disk 6 sata cable replaced.  Thanks.

Thanks for all the help.  I did replace disk6 and cable(s).  I then ran parity without error.  So far, I see no data loss.