Short background context: I have always had issue with my server rebooting randomly. Couldn't find the cause but after sometime it happened less and I got the server to automatically start up the array and everything after a crash so became an out of sight out of mind issue.

 

Now 2 days ago it crashed but didn't boot back up and now no matter what I try I can't get it back on.

Info dump on all things tried and things I have noticed.

• Latest version of Unraid. Actually since upgrade I had noticed even longer uptimes like 20+ days before this crash.
• Previously the usual solution for me was remove CMOS motherboard battery which would then let me boot into BIOS. Once in BIOS turn off Fast Boot and turn on CSM. Restart and things would work. But not this time.
• I don't understand why CSM enabled usually boots up Unraid and when disabled I get to BIOS. But the other thing is when CSM is enabled I can't get to BIOS cause nothing ever appears on monitor no boot screen or anything. So I have to pick one or the other.
• When I boot into BIOS there is no boot device it does not see the USB drive. This has always been true.
• No SSH/PING response.
• Tried turning off Fast/Secure Boot but no change.
• Have reset and retried BIOS settings dozen+ times over 2 days.
• I have previous run memtest and checked usb both were clean.
• Have the USB drive with EFI folder meant to be used with UEFI but to boot I need to enable UEFI+Legacy.
• No errors on boot other then a notice about one of my HDs have a SMART error. Which has been true this whole time and do not see how that could be related to issue.

 

Asus PRIME Z590-A ATX LGA1200 Motherboard rest of parts linked here

 

Open to any and all suggestions so I can try to get my server back up. Appreciate any help I can get.

Unless I missed it, you don't mention where it stops during the boot, or doesn't even post?

I get nothing. I don't even know what to look at. Its just no video output and webUI never is reachable. Hardware all spins up but thats it.

which the no video whenever I boot up has always been true. IDK why but has always been the case

If the server doesn't post it's a hardware problem, not much we can help with that, try resetting the CMOS and then removing the RAM, see if it beeps without any RAM installed, if it doesn't it could be the board, if it does, try re-installing just one stick.

Ok retried with no RAM and heard no beeps. Figured might as well try with 1 stick in different slots and nothing changed.

 

I was able to boot to BIOS just earlier today but now even that doesn't seem to be working. Fuck guess I will need to get a new Motherboard...this sucks.

New motherboard same problem 💀

Could be the CPU or other component, does the board beep if you remove the RAM? Assuming there's a speaker installed.

I should say I can get into BIOS now with the new one. But can't get unraid to boot

Try a different flash drive using a stock install, no key needed.

tried new fresh drive no luck. Just like the other drive it never appears in boot menu (that happened even when the system worked). I disconnected drive 5 to see if that would help. but nothing. I tried turning off fast boot no change.

 

old usb was sandisk, new one is pny.

fastbootoff_setting.txtbios settings in case thats helpful.

 

Looks like the flash drive is not being detected, press F8 during post and post a photo of the boot menu.

OK making progress 3rd flash drive worked. But also seems I need to disconnect the drive in slot 5 as if it is connected things wont boot.

So I copied my config over from the old usb to the working one and disconnect the drive in slot 5. Everything boots and I can switch over the license, great. Now I need to replace the failed drive. But of course things are a little complicated I don't have a size appropriate replacement. But I do have a Larger Then Parity drive that I can swap in. So that lead me here https://docs.unraid.net/legacy/FAQ/parity-swap-procedure/

So it says I can swap in my new bigger drive but needs extra steps. Which calls out

Quote

IMPORTANT!!! This procedure REQUIRES that the data drive being replaced MUST be disabled first. If the drive failed (has a red ball), then it is already 'disabled', but if the drive is OK but you want to replace it anyway, then you have to force it to be 'failed', by unassigning it and starting and stopping the array. Unraid only forgets a drive when the array is started without the drive, otherwise it still associates it with the slot (but 'Missing'). The array must be started once with the drive unassigned or disabled. Yes, it may seem odd, but is required before Unraid will recognize that you are trying to do a 'Parity Swap'. It needs to see a disabled data disk with forgotten ID, a new disk assigned to its slot that used to be the parity disk, and a new disk assigned to the parity slot.

So my new question is this "Device is missing (DISABLED), contents emulated" enough to satisfy that warning message above? I started the array with it missing and then stopped it again so now it mentions 'DISABLED' but want to confirm that is good enough to continue on.

8 minutes ago, cmalec said:

So my new question is this "Device is missing (DISABLED), contents emulated" enough to satisfy that warning message above?

Yes.

To recap for anyone that unfortunately stumbles into this in their own search for answers I ended up replacing the motherboard. Unclear if this was required but I am not curious enough to reinstall the old one and test. I switched from my old sandisk usb to a samsung usb which seems to have fixed a few issues I had with my system mainly the unreliable booting and needing to switch on CSM in BIOS to get things to boot. Now with the Samsung usb I don't have to mess with any BIOS settings to boot and finally my system boots in UEFI and I can actually get a command prompt and boot options. Finally I removed one of my drives which I knew had been having some SMART fails but I incorrectly thought I had more time. I could not get things booted properly until I removed this drive. Once this was all done I followed the directions to do a parity swap since new drive was now my largest. My system is now up and running it finished the parity rebuild and is now doing the data rebuild. Waiting for it to finish even tho its technically usable I figure another day of down time to be safe is not a big deal.

 

Thanks @JorgeB for all the replies and ideas appreciate the help!