Backup Flash not booting

[hwilker]

When I originally purchased an unRAID Pro license, I purchased a backup key, installed unRAID to the backup key, and successfully checked that the flash could boot to unRAID using the second Key on the backup drive.

 

I then set it aside and haven't used it since, until today when I was planning to take the array off line to add a drive. I decided to update the backup flash and test it so that, if needed, it would have all the packages etc that I had installed since first installing unRAID.

 

Here's what I did. I copied everything from the config folder on the main flash to the backup (excluding the second key which I left on the second flash.) Then I copied all the other files and folders from the main flash to the backup flash. I tried to boot unRAID with the backup flash and got a message from the console saying "boot error". I did some rooting around on the forum and ran into a post from Joe L. that indicated that the array had to be stopped to copy the config folder in a stable state, so I did that and tried again. I got the same result: "boot error."

 

Can someone tell me how best to proceed. I am happy to start from scratch again, copying the second key elsewhere, formatting the flash, reinstalling unRAID, etc,  if that is what makes sense . I just want to confirm that I have a working second flash with all my packages installed that will actually work if I need it.

 

BTW my flash is an 8 GB Sandisk Cruzer.

 

Thanks

[Joe L.]

When I originally purchased an unRAID Pro license, I purchased a backup key, installed unRAID to the backup key, and successfully checked that the flash could boot to unRAID using the second Key on the backup drive.

 

I then set it aside and haven't used it since, until today when I was planning to take the array off line to add a drive. I decided to update the backup flash and test it so that, if needed, it would have all the packages etc that I had installed since first installing unRAID.

 

Here's what I did. I copied everything from the config folder on the main flash to the backup (excluding the second key which I left on the second flash.) Then I copied all the other files and folders from the main flash to the backup flash. I tried to boot unRAID with the backup flash and got a message from the console saying "boot error". I did some rooting around on the forum and ran into a post from Joe L. that indicated that the array had to be stopped to copy the config folder in a stable state, so I did that and tried again. I got the same result: "boot error."

 

Can someone tell me how best to proceed. I am happy to start from scratch again, copying the second key elsewhere, formatting the flash, reinstalling unRAID, etc,  if that is what makes sense . I just want to confirm that I have a working second flash with all my packages installed that will actually work if I need it.

 

BTW my flash is an 8 GB Sandisk Cruzer.

 

Thanks

It sounds as if your BIOS is still trying to boot your old flash drive and that you've not selected the new flash drive as the new boot device in the

bios.

[hwilker]

Joe,

 

I checked out what you suggested. I shut down the server. Put the backup flash in, in place of the working flash, and booted to the BIOS. It was, of course, already set to boot of the FDD, which it identified as a Sandisk Cruzer. No further id info is provided to indicate a particular flash drive and, unfortunately, both of my flash drives are Sandisk Cruzers. Nonetheless I moved the flash drive down the priority list exited that screen, then came back to it and re-established the correct boot order, this in service of making the bios think it had something it needed to write. I then exited the bios, saving the changes, but still got the same boot error. Shutting down and putting the original flash back in let the system boot just fine with no need to return to the bios.

 

Any suggestions on how to proceed. Either it is something other than the bios setting or I need some way to "fool" the bios into changing the flash disk that it thinks is the proper one.

 

Thanks.

[hwilker]

Joe,

 

Further investigation suggests this was definitely NOT a BIOS problem. I had the idea to boot to the bios with both flash drives attached. If I selected the original flash ("flash1" all went well. If I selected the other "flash2" I get a boot error.

 

So, I decided to start from scratch with flash2, formatting, installing unraid, making it bootable, and copying the 2nd Key back to the config folder of the flash2.

 

After doing this, and only this, I shut down the server, removed flash1, and rebooted with the backup flash2. The system booted to unraid. I shut the server again, put flash2 back onto the PC and copied the config folder, logs folder, packages folder, preclear_reports folder, unmenu folder, preclear and preclear_disk.sh onto flash2. Again I booted with flash2 and everything went fine. The system booted with the backup flash, all the shares were accurate and all the packages I had installed were reported as installed.

 

What I didn't do this time, that I did previously, is copy the other files in the boot directory of the flash drive (except for preclear and preclear_disk.sh). I don't know if that is what created the problem previously  but if that IS the case, perhaps a warning should be posted somewhere. Also I note that one of the files in the boot folder, "ldlinux.sys", is visible when viewed from the console, or when viewed from Windows on a flash mounted on a running server, but is hidden (but there) when a flash is mounted on a PC. I believe previously I copied that one as well.

 

 

Thanks for your help.

[Tom899]

Hello hwilker,

 

I had the same problem with my spare flash not working. I followed your procedure and it now works!

I know it's been awhile but thanks for posting your findings.

Tom