I'm trying to create a backup flash drive, but once I add my license key, my server will no longer boot. I can create a bootable flash device, boot my server, log in through the browser interface, copy my license key to my config folder, hit reboot on the web interface page, but the server will not start. If I delete the license key, the server starts up fine.

 

I am using my second license key, and I've even verified the flash GUID matches the one in my return email.

Bump.

 

I've tried this a few more times, but with the same results. I've reformatted the drive, and I've gone back to a basic install of unRAID, but adding my license key causes the server to not boot.

QQ - On the 2nd USB drive, you have the *.key file for that particular GUID and you do not have any other .key file....correct?

 

It boots if you remove the .key file but does not if it is present?

 

That is correct. There are no other key files, and I've double checked that the GUID listed in the email I received with the key file matches the GUID listed on the devices page when booting from this flash drive.

 

The server boots with NO key file, if I add the key file it will not boot, and if I delete the key file (along with the other hidden file that gets created) the server will boot again. I am at a complete loss as to what to do 

That is correct. There are no other key files, and I've double checked that the GUID listed in the email I received with the key file matches the GUID listed on the devices page when booting from this flash drive.

 

The server boots with NO key file, if I add the key file it will not boot, and if I delete the key file (along with the other hidden file that gets created) the server will boot again. I am at a complete loss as to what to do 

what other hidden file?

 

Is it a ._ file? Are you on a Mac?

I am running a Mac, but I deleted the ._Pro2.key file as well as the Pro2.key file.

 

I'm actually working on a mixed network, and I have to format the drive on a windows machine using the HP format utility. But I've tried copying the key file over while connected to my PC as well as copying the key file over the network from my Mac.

Can you plug the usb drive into your PC and copy the file locally?  Also have you tried re-downloading the key?

I've tried copying it both over the network as well as locally, and I've redownloaded the file a couple times. Still no luck 

 

Show the results of "ls -l /boot/config"

Update.

 

I drug out the 'ol beast of a monitor and connected it, and I'm a little dumbfounded as to what's happening. It turns out the drive will boot every OTHER time. When it boots properly, everything works fine. When it does not, It makes it just past the expansion card initialization, and then the screen goes blank except for a flashing cursor. ALT+CNTRL+Delete will reboot the machine, but that's it. If I wait long enough (several minutes) I get an error to the effect of "Reboot and select proper boot device or insert proper boot device."

 

I downgraded my controllers bios per this article, but that did not help either.

 

Any thoughts?

 

I'll try to post the config results soon. Thanks!

Sounds like a BIOS issue. Try resetting BIOS. If that does not fix it then try a new BIOS battery.

try a different USB port also

This motherboard is only a month or so old. Would you still suspect the batter?

 

Also, a bios issue would affect both flash drives, correct? As it stands, my primary flash drive works fine at every booth (knock on wood). It's only this second flash drive that I'm trying to configure as a backup that will not boot consistently. Or I should say it consistently boots every other time

 

 

I'll try a different port, but again it seems odd that this would not affect both flash drives. It's worth a go, though!

UPDATE: Different USB port did not work..

 

Here are the results of the ls requested earlier

 

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root  256 Apr 18 11:48 Pro2.key*

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root  799 Apr 10 11:51 disk.cfg*

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root  1265 Apr 14 20:05 go*

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root  260 Mar 23 11:03 ident.cfg*

drwxrwxrwx 3 root root  8192 Apr 18 07:13 netatalk/

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root    73 Mar 22 08:41 network.cfg*

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root  920 Apr  5 05:50 passwd*

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 45056 Apr 18 15:02 secrets.tdb*

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root  266 Apr  7 12:42 share.cfg*

drwxrwxrwx 2 root root  8192 Apr 18 07:13 shares/

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root  101 Apr  5 05:50 smbpasswd*

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root  4096 Apr 18 15:08 super.dat*

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root  4096 Mar 30 13:54 super.old*

And another update!

 

When the server fails to boot, I can pull the flash drive out, put it back in, and hit a key and the server will boot up.

Sorry. I meant "ls -la /boot/config"

Here you go. Thanks for taking a look at this. I have no idea what to even look for here

 

 

root@Hyperion:~# ls -la /boot/config                                         

total 160

drwxrwxrwx 4 root root  8192 Apr 18 15:42 ./

drwxrwxrwx 6 root root  8192 Dec 31  1969 ../

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root  256 Apr 18 11:48 Pro2.key*

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root  799 Apr 10 11:51 disk.cfg*

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root  1265 Apr 14 20:05 go*

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root  260 Mar 23 11:03 ident.cfg*

drwxrwxrwx 3 root root  8192 Apr 18 07:13 netatalk/

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root    73 Mar 22 08:41 network.cfg*

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root  920 Apr  5 05:50 passwd*

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 45056 Apr 18 16:04 secrets.tdb*

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root  266 Apr  7 12:42 share.cfg*

drwxrwxrwx 2 root root  8192 Apr 18 07:13 shares/

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root  101 Apr  5 05:50 smbpasswd*

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root  4096 Apr 18 16:04 super.dat*

-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root  4096 Mar 30 13:54 super.old*

 

One last bit of information. The only difference between the two flash drives is their size. The drive that works is an 8 GB Lexar Firefly drive, and the drive that doesn't work is a 16 GB Lexar Firefly. The 8GB formatted fine under windows, but I had to use the HP format utility to format the 16 GB drive and get it to boot.

 

Now that I think about it, I just assumed it was a formatting problem as I only tried to boot once before reformatting and trying again. At any rate, I haven't seen anything that suggests that a 16 GB drive is too large.