Setup help - unassigned disk is read-only; want read-write

[jrmcmillan]

Apologies if this has been covered before.  I'm a complete Unraid noob and don't know Linux at all.  I'm not even sure if I'm asking this question in the right place.  If not, I'm sorry.

 

I've successfully set up an array (1 disk at this point), created users, and shares.  I have a Drobo 5C (DAS) that I've connected to the server as an unassigned disk via USB.  I can read files from it, but I cannot write to it.  The error message says the disk is write-protected.

 

What do I need to do to make the Drobo 5C read-write on the network?

 

FYI - there is no way to configure the Drobo 5C as JBOD and utilize it as the Unraid array.  My thinking is as an unattached device, I will have the benefit of its internal raid protection.

 

Here's a screen shot of my configuration.

[JorgeB]

This would be more for the UD plugin support thread but please post the diagnostics.

[jrmcmillan]

First time running the diagnostics for me.  It's fair to say I do not understand most of it's contents...

mini12-diagnostics-20230509-1015.zip

[JorgeB]

May  8 21:39:55 Mini12 unassigned.devices: Mounting partition 'sdb2' at mountpoint '/mnt/disks/Drobo'...
May  8 21:39:55 Mini12 unassigned.devices: Mount cmd: /sbin/mount -t 'ntfs' -o rw,noatime,nodiratime,nodev,nosuid,nls=utf8,umask=000 '/dev/sdb2' '/mnt/disks/Drobo'
May  8 21:39:59 Mini12  ntfs-3g[13074]: Version 2022.10.3 integrated FUSE 27
May  8 21:39:59 Mini12  ntfs-3g[13074]: Mounted /dev/sdb2 (Read-Only, label "Drobo", NTFS 3.1)
May  8 21:39:59 Mini12  ntfs-3g[13074]: Cmdline options: rw,noatime,nodiratime,nodev,nosuid,nls=utf8,umask=000

 

 

@dlandonany idea why it's being mounted read-only?

[jrmcmillan]

A little more from the log:

 

May  8 21:39:55 Mini12 unassigned.devices: Mount cmd: /sbin/mount -t 'ntfs' -o rw,noatime,nodiratime,nodev,nosuid,nls=utf8,umask=000 '/dev/sdb2' '/mnt/disks/Drobo'
May  8 21:39:59 Mini12  ntfs-3g[13074]: Version 2022.10.3 integrated FUSE 27
May  8 21:39:59 Mini12  ntfs-3g[13074]: Mounted /dev/sdb2 (Read-Only, label "Drobo", NTFS 3.1)
May  8 21:39:59 Mini12  ntfs-3g[13074]: Cmdline options: rw,noatime,nodiratime,nodev,nosuid,nls=utf8,umask=000
May  8 21:39:59 Mini12  ntfs-3g[13074]: Mount options: nodiratime,nodev,nosuid,nls=utf8,allow_other,nonempty,noatime,ro,default_permissions,fsname=/dev/sdb2,blkdev,blksize=4096
May  8 21:39:59 Mini12  ntfs-3g[13074]: Global ownership and permissions enforced, configuration type 1
May  8 21:39:59 Mini12 unassigned.devices: Successfully mounted 'sdb2' on '/mnt/disks/Drobo'.
May  8 21:39:59 Mini12 unassigned.devices: Mount warning: The disk contains an unclean file system (0, 0). Metadata kept in Windows cache, refused to mount. Falling back to read-only mount because the NTFS partition is in an unsafe state. Please resume and shutdown Windows fully (no hibernation or fast restarting.) Could not mount read-write, trying read-only .

 

"...disk contains an unclean file system (0,0).,,"

 

Apparently, I need to connect the Drobo 5C back to my windows machine and shut them down (both the PC and the Drobo 5C).  I assume that will clear the "unclean file system" stuck in the Drobo 5C and allow it to be read-write when reconnected to the server.  I will check that out tonight and report back.  (Unless someone has a handy script to fix an "unclean file system" problem...)

[JorgeB]

11 minutes ago, jrmcmillan said:

Falling back to read-only mount because the NTFS partition is in an unsafe state.

Yes, you need to run chkdsk on it.

[dlandon]

1 hour ago, JorgeB said:

May  8 21:39:55 Mini12 unassigned.devices: Mounting partition 'sdb2' at mountpoint '/mnt/disks/Drobo'...
May  8 21:39:55 Mini12 unassigned.devices: Mount cmd: /sbin/mount -t 'ntfs' -o rw,noatime,nodiratime,nodev,nosuid,nls=utf8,umask=000 '/dev/sdb2' '/mnt/disks/Drobo'
May  8 21:39:59 Mini12  ntfs-3g[13074]: Version 2022.10.3 integrated FUSE 27
May  8 21:39:59 Mini12  ntfs-3g[13074]: Mounted /dev/sdb2 (Read-Only, label "Drobo", NTFS 3.1)
May  8 21:39:59 Mini12  ntfs-3g[13074]: Cmdline options: rw,noatime,nodiratime,nodev,nosuid,nls=utf8,umask=000

 

 

@dlandonany idea why it's being mounted read-only?

An unclean file system is the normal cause of this as the user has found out.  I'm not sure a chkdisk will fix it.

[jrmcmillan]

So, I shutdown my server and reconnected the Drobo 5C to my Windows PC.  I formatted the 5C, then shutdown the PC, thinking that would reset any "unclean file system" flags.  I reconnected the 5C to the server and restarted it.  No joy.  The 5C still mounts as Read-Only because Unraid is still reading that the "unclean file system" flag is set.

 

Two questions:  1) is there a script that will reset the "unclean file system" flag?, Or, is there a way to get Unraid to ignore that the "unclean file system" flag is set when mounting the disk?

[jrmcmillan]

After doing some more research, I learned a few things:

 

1) If a Windows PC hibernates, it takes a picture of the state of the PC and saves it to ram.  When the PC un-hibernates, it loads the PC's state from ram - hence it starts very quickly.

2) If "fast startup" is enabled (Windows 11 default), even if the PC is shut down and totally depowered, it first saves the PC's state onto the hard disk, then shuts down the PC.  Upon restarting the PC, it loads the PC's state from this file rather than directly determining its configuration, hence it accomplishes a "fast startup."

 

Since "fast startup" was enabled on my Windows 11 PC, even though I shut down the computer and depowered it, the saved PC's state still had the Drobo 5C attached.  In other words, the usb device (my Drobo 5C) was never ejected properly as a part of the shutdown process and apparently the Drobo 5C knows this.  I'm better than 50% sure that's what causes the "unclean file system (0.0)" error on the Drobo 5C which results in it being read-only as an unassigned drive in Unraid.  I guess Windows doesn't care about the "unclean file system (0.0)" error and just mounts the drive anyway, while Unraid does care about it, adjusting the read-write status to read-only.

 

I will not be able to test this theory as I am out of town for the rest of the week.  But, at least I now have an explanation which seems to make sense.

[JonathanM]

I'm guessing then that you never told windows to disconnect it, which should result in "It's now safe to remove" message?

https://www.howtogeek.com/685934/how-to-safely-remove-a-drive-on-windows-10/

[jrmcmillan]

Well, disabling Windows "fast start" solved the "unclean file system" problem.  The Drobo 5C mounts r/w and I can make a new directory and start a file copy.  However, after about 30 seconds, it slows down, then stops altogether.  In the process, it ends up killing the Unraid network completely such that the only way to restart it is to physically power down the server via the on/off switch.

 

Clearly, there is something about the Drobo 5C that Unraid doesn't like.  FYI, the Drobo 5C won't eject like a normal USB device (Windows) no matter what I try.  However, as a DAS storage device with Windows, it works perfectly, with or without being able to eject it properly - and has for about 4 years.

 

I'm attaching the log, but I can't see anything since it ends up killing Unraid when copying a file.

mini12-diagnostics-20230512-1936.zip

[dlandon]

A couple of comments:

• You have "Enhanced macOS interoperability:" enabled.  If you aren't using Macs on your network, turn it off.
• You're using a Realtek NIC.  They have been troublesome because the Linux driver has not been reliable.  Try to use another NIC like Intel.